There's a lot to be excited about what NBA Friday brings tonight — and what we bring you with our NBA best bets today, featuring our expert picks for Friday, October 27.
What better way to watch such a fantastic night of basketball than with NBA best bets against the spread, on over/unders, on the moneyline, and a player prop for good measure? This is the only NBA betting preview you need for Friday.
Let's get to the best NBA bets today for Friday's biggest games.
NBA Best Bets Today | Expert Picks for Friday
Check out our picks and best bets for both NBA on ESPN national TV games featuring the Boston Celtics vs the Miami Heat and the Sacramento Kings vs the Golden State Warriors, plus more in our NBA betting preview.
Click on the team logos for any of the matchups below to navigate to a specific best bet discussed in this article.
| Game | Time (ET) | Pick |
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  | 7:30 p.m. | |
  | 8:00 p.m. | |
  | 8:30 p.m. | |
  | 10 p.m. | |
| 10 p.m. | |
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Specific betting recommendations come from the sportsbook offering preferred odds as of writing. Always shop for the best price using our NBA Odds page, which automatically surfaces the best lines for every game. | ||
Celtics vs. Heat
Two half-court offenses that typically struggle against one another, two rivals who generally play hard against one another, and a generous over/under considering their history.
We're going under.
Either the game is muddy and close and it's anyone's game, or the Celtics win by a considerable margin because the Heat can't score. I'd say the reverse, but it's October and not May.
Pick: Under 217.5
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Rockets vs. Spurs
By Matt Moore
San Antonio is overvalued here after hanging with a Mavericks team that we were lower on coming into the season.
Houston had a nightmarish performance in their opener versus the Magic, but if you watched, they had better structure and organization on offense. I'm not sold that San Antonio has the offensive firepower to warrant being favored in this spot, and I like the Rockets to settle down.
Houston's problems are things they can correct; San Antonio's are a talent issue.
Pick: Rockets ML
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Nets vs. Mavericks
By Matt Moore
Brooklyn's offense needs a major upgrade, as evidenced by the fact they're actually playing Cam Thomas. Thomas is a pure bucket-getter, something this team needs. He makes the defense worse, which honestly only improves the chances for our bet here.
Dallas is playing a rookie center who shows offensive pop but will struggle defensively, and the Nets shot 50% from the field in their opener. Meanwhile, the Mavs gave up a 111 defensive rating to a Spurs team without a lot of weapons.
I like an efficient game here between a team I know will have a good offense (the Mavericks) and one that might be underrated in the market (Brooklyn).
Pick: Over 228.5
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Warriors vs. Kings
We have a rematch of last season’s Western Conference, NorCal playoff showdown. Despite what it may have felt like in the moment, the Warriors technically upset the Kings in that first round series, although as the more proven, experienced team. Golden State was the No. 6 seed, and beat the No. 3-seed Kings in a Game 7 on their home court after starting the series in a 0-2 hole.
It’s safe to say the Kings will bring their A-game after the disappointing end to last season at the hands of Steph Curry and the Warriors. Draymond Green—who received a one-game suspension after stepping on the chest of Kings center Damontas Sabonis in Game 2—will miss Friday night’s grudge match with an ankle sprain that kept him out of the Warriors season-opener against the Suns.
Even without Green in the lineup, I make this line closer to Kings -4.5, but when you add in the home revenge factor for Sacramento, this is a no-brainer play for me. I took the Kings at -3, but I like them down to -4.5.
Pick: Kings -2.5 | Bet to -4.5
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Warriors vs. Kings
By Joe Dellera
The Kings are set to take on the Golden State Warriors in a California showdown on Friday night. Draymond Green will continue to be out, so we should expect more minutes from both Kevon Looney and Jonathan Kuminga, which sets up for a better matchup for Domantas Sabonis.
Sabonis has been an excellent rebounder and averaged 12.3 boards last season. However, he’s been even better against the Warriors in the regular season. I say the regular season because he had tremendous difficulty staying out of foul trouble in the playoffs last season, but teams run very different offensive schemes in the postseason vs during the regular season.
During the regular season, Sabonis grabbed 14, 14, and 22 rebounds versus the Warriors. I expect to see that version of Sabonis today, not the version that was hunted defensively in the playoffs.
Pick: Domantas Sabonis Over 12.5 Rebounds
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Magic vs. Trail Blazers
By Matt Moore
The number has moved against me, and I don't care. I think the market believes it shouldn't overreact to the Blazers' loss to the Clippers, and I agree.
But I think the market also doesn't think we should overreact to the Magic win, and we should. Orlando showed capability on both sides of the floor versus Houston and embarrassed the Rockets late. Their starting five looks sharp; Markelle Fultz' stat line was quiet, but his two-way play was impressive.
The best player in this game is Franz Wagner. The second best player in this game is probably Paolo Banchero. That's enough to get me on the Magic under a 3-point favorite.
Pick: Magic -2.5
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