It may be an NFL Sunday, but there are still some great matchups in the NBA on Nov. 8, including a battle between the Los Angeles Lakers and Detroit Pistons – two title contenders through the first three weeks of the season.
So, why don’t we place a few wagers on the day’s action?
An eventful weekend of basketball has produced some big games between Friday’s NBA Cup action and Saturday’s loaded slate, and there’s one team that NBA fans – and bettors – should be watching as the Western Conference hierarchy takes shape.
Dew’s Review: The San Antonio Spurs are rolling. After an 0-2 start to the season with losses against OKC and Houston, Victor Wembanyama and Co. have won eight games in a row and are a top-six team in offensive, defensive and net rating. The Spurs are No. 3 in net rating (plus-10.1), and they’ve won six of the eight games during this streak by 10 or more points.
Peter’s Point: Can Luka Doncic keep it going? The Los Angeles Lakers star is questionable on Sunday on the front end of a back-to-back against the Detroit Pistons, but he’s scored 37 or more points in seven games in a row and 40 or more points in four straight. He’s averaging 40.1 points per game and leads the NBA in shots per game, free-throw attempts per game and 3-point attempts per game. If he is able to torch the No. 1 defense in the league, his MVP case will continue to grow in the early stages of the season.
There are four games that I’m targeting in today’s edition of Peter’s Points, but only for two plays, as three big favorites are part of moneyline parlay that I love in this seven-game slate.
Peter Dewey NBA Betting Record
- 2026-27 season record: 27-25 (-1.30 units)
- OVERALL (since 2021-22 season): 1648-1553-27 (+28.86 units)
Find Peter Dewey’s NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on BetStamp here.
NBA Best Bets Today
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook
- Philadelphia 76ers + Boston Celtics + Dallas Mavericks ML Parlay (-119)
- Darius Acuff Jr. OVER 5.5 Assists (-148)
Philadelphia 76ers + Boston Celtics + Dallas Mavericks ML Parlay (-119)
I don’t always love a three-team parlay, but there are some lopsided matchups on Sunday that could line up well for a few playoff contenders.
Philadelphia 76ers
The 76ers are heavily favored on the road on Sunday as they look to bounce back from Friday’s NBA Cup loss against Cleveland, and I’m buying them against a Chicago team that may be the worst in the NBA.
The Bulls are dead last in the league in net rating (minus-17.5) and have lost four of their last five games by at least 14 points. Chicago has the worst defensive rating in the NBA, which should help the 76ers get on track after posting the No. 21 offense in the league through the first few weeks of the season.
Philly may have lost on Friday, but it’s still 8-2 and 6-4 against the spread. The Sixers also have a top-five defensive rating, which should help them lock up a Bulls offense that is No. 28 in the league and 29th in effective field goal percentage.
This is a perfect bounce-back spot for Philly with the entire starting five expected to play (Joel Embiid is probable).
Boston Celtics
Boston knocked off this Bucks team on Wednesday without superstar Jayson Tatum, but he’s expected to play on Sunday, which should make Boston an even bigger favorite.
The C’s are second in the NBA in net rating, fifth in defensive rating and sixth in offensive rating, posting a 7-2 record over their first nine games. Boston blew the doors off of Charlotte in the NBA Cup on Friday night, and the Bucks aren’t equipped to handle this high-powered Boston attack.
Milwaukee is just 1-8 in the 2026-27 season, losing five games in a row to fall to last in the Eastern Conference. The Bucks are 27th in the NBA in net rating (minus-12.0), and they rank in the bottom five in the league in both offense and defense.
The C’s had some nervous moments in the second half against the Bucks on Wednesday, but that shouldn’t be the case with Tatum back in action. After blowing a lead to Detroit in the season opener, Boston is 7-1 with its lone loss coming on the road on the second night of a back-to-back against Houston.
Dallas Mavericks
Dallas comes into Sunday’s game against Brooklyn off a win against Utah, and it snapped a two-game skid after losses to Sacramento and San Antonio.
Dallas is just 18th in the league in net rating through the first few weeks of action, but it should be able to beat a Brooklyn team that is playing the second night of a back-to-back and is just 2-7 in the 2026-27 season, including a 1-4 record on the road.
Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving have been pretty lethal as a duo this season, and the Mavs are 5-2 when Irving is in the lineup this season.
Dallas’ offense has been the biggest issue for this team (18th in offensive rating), but the Nets are a bottom-10 team in both offensive and defensive rating. Plus, Dallas is No. 11 in defensive rating despite a tough schedule to open the season.
The Mavs are 6-3 against the spread, and they should be able to handle this Nets team that is in the mix for the relegation zone in the 2026-27 season.
Darius Acuff Jr. OVER 5.5 Assists (-148)
This season, Sacramento Kings rookie guard Darius Acuff Jr. has been a high-usage player, averaging 25.2 points, 23.2 shots and 7.1 assists per game.
The Kings’ offense has revolved around the lottery pick, and he’s delivered with some big double-doubles and huge scoring numbers. It hasn’t been the most efficient basketball – Acuff is shooting just 40.2 percent from the field – but the counting stats are going to be there for the 2026 first-round pick.
Acuff is averaging over 12 potential assists per game this season, picking up six or more dimes in five of his nine games. He now takes on a Miami Heat team that has really struggled on defense, ranking 26th in defensive rating and dead last in opponent assists per game.
The Heat are the only team in the NBA allowing over 30 opponent assists per night this season.
That makes Acuff an awesome prop target in this Sunday night showdown.
Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
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