We have nine Emirates NBA Cup games scheduled this evening, so several betting options are available. Here are my two best NBA picks for Friday, November 13th.
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Friday’s Best NBA Picks & Predictions
(Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook)
Milwaukee Bucks at Orlando Magic
The Bucks (1-11) have been an absolute disaster without Giannis Antetokounmpo. Milwaukee has now lost eight in a row. Four of those losses were by 20 points. This team is struggling at both ends of the floor, ranking 28th in offensive rating and 29th in defensive rating. Up next is a tough road game in Orlando.
The Magic (4-7) have gotten off to a slow start, but they’ve won straight row, taking care of business against both the Kings and Jazz. Fortunately for Orlando, they’re set to take on their third bottom-feeder in a row here. While Paolo Banchero remains sidelined for the Magic, Jalen Suggs could return for this game. That would be a huge boost for this injury-plagued squad.
Remember, this is still the group stage of the NBA Cup, so the Magic have every incentive to run up the score to improve their point differential. Orlando is 1-0 in tournament play, while Milwaukee is 0-1. The Magic are trying to win Group A, competing with the Pistons and Raptors, so this is a must-win game - preferably a blowout. With that in mind, we’ll lay the points on the Magic against this struggling Bucks squad.
Pick: Magic -8.5 (-118)
Utah Jazz at Houston Rockets
The Jazz (1-11) have been atrocious, currently on a 10-game losing streak. They’ve been abysmal on both ends, ranking 29th in offensive rating and 24th in defensive rating. To make matters worse, Lauri Markkanen is sidelined for about a month with a hand injury. That will make it difficult to compete, especially on the road against a good team.
The Rockets (9-3) are off to a terrific start, winning two straight over the Nuggets and Warriors - two rock-solid teams. Houston has been excellent at both ends of the floor, coming in fourth in offensive rating and sixth in defensive rating. They’re set up to blow out the Jazz.
As with the Magic, I’m trying to capitalize on the added incentive of running up the score to improve point differential. While 16.5 points is a high bar, I’m willing to lay this number considering how much the Jazz have been struggling.
On top of that, the Rockets lost their first NBA Cup game, so they need a convincing win here, especially since both the Mavericks and Nuggets are off to strong starts.
Pick: Rockets -16.5 (-114)
