Friday Night Hoops — Expert Picks in the NBA Today (10/30)
Written by: Varun Sharma
Last Update: Fri Oct 30, 2026, 4:03 pm ET
Read Time: 5 minutes
nba
Spread
Total
Moneyline
+15.0
-110
236
-110u
+650
Spread
Total
Moneyline
-14.5
-115
235.5
-110o
-800
Friday night hoops and we've got nothing but NBA Cup games. This is going to be great, lock in with me and let's get into my favorite plays tonight.
For additional information on picks, props, moneylines, and more on today's slate, take a look at our NBA Picks Page or our NBA Odds Page.
Best Bets for October 30th
- Andrew Nembhard o29.5 PRA (-120)
- Jayson Tatum o7.5 Assists (+140)
- Ausar Thompson o4.5 Assists (+150)
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Andrew Nembhard o29.5 PRA (-115) | Lucky Rebel
Injuries suck and they suck twice as hard when it's someone coming back from something like an achilles injury. Tyrese Haliburton's out for the foreseeable future with a hamstring injury and this is after he's looked so good to start the year.
This will be the Pacers' 2nd game without Haliburton in the lineup and the team's coming off a 114-109 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers.
Andrew Nembhard stepped up in a big way, recording his first double-double of the year with 18 point and 14 assists. Nembhard went just 5/16 from the field, 1/7 from beyond the arc and he still hit this line against the Sixers.
Tonight Nembhard plays a Miami Heat team that ranks 3rd in pace, 24th in points allowed, 27th in rebounds allowed and 23rd in assists allowed. The Heat's pace of play leads to more shots, more offensive opportunities and more chances to stuff the stat sheet.
Nembhard's had 28+ combined points/rebounds/assists in his L3 games against the Heat, he's cleared this in 2 of the 3 games and that includes a 29/6/9 game he had back in January.
Both the Heat and Pacers are top-10 in pace this year, bottom-10 in points allowed and that's exactly why this is the highest total on the board tonight.
Jayson Tatum o7.5 Assists (+140) | Lucky Rebel
Jayson Tatum is on an absolute tear right now and I for one and I'm going to continue riding the wagon. We took this same prop, in this exact same matchup, just a under a week ago. Tatum had 5 assists in the first half, picked up his 4th foul early in the 3rd quarter and then sat for almost the entire quarter.
Payton Pritchard scored 19 points in the 3rd with Tatum on the bench and the Celtics took a 30-point lead into the final frame. Tatum would play a couple minutes in the 4th, but with the Celtics up 40, his night ended early.
Tatum's averaging 14 potential assists per game this year, he's had 16+ potentials in every game he's played 30+ minutes and this Bulls team plays at the fastest pace in the NBA this year.
Chicago ranks 25th in assists allowed this year, 30th in points allowed, 24th in opponent effective field goal percentage and 29th in opponent 3-point percentage. The defense is giving up the 16.4 3s per game (29th) and this Celtics team is making making 16.0 per game (1st) while shooting 39% (5th).
Tatum's accounted for 43% of his team's assists, 5th highest among starters in the NBA and this Celtics' team 3-point shooting is something that should provide a ton of assist opportunities.
Ausar Thompson o4.5 Assists (+150) | Lucky Rebel
Speaking of guys that burned us the other night, let's take a look at Ausar Thompson again. In the game against the Knicks, Ausar was relatively quiet in the assist department. He did a lot more shooting and that's because of the defensive matchup he drew.
Tonight the Pistons face off with a Nets' team that ranks 27th in points allowed, 30th in assists allowed and rank dead last in points/rebounds/assists allowed to the PF position.
Thompson had 11 potential assists the other night against the Hornets and finished the game with a near triple double. He had 7 points, 9 rebounds and 8 assists. Thompson is taking on more responsibility as a ball handler and that applies twice as much in the open court.
The Nets are 28th in opponent effective field goal percentage and their lack of defense is why they give up so many assists to their opponents. Tonight with Thompson back on the court and looking 100%, I've got to bet this line.
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You may know me as ‘VSaaauce’. I’ve been a die hard hoops fan my entire life. I’ve been betting on the NBA/NCAAB/NFL/MLB for six years now, each year gaining more and more knowledge about being a profitable handicapper. I’m eager to learn, and eager to pass on everything I’ve gained over the last few years. I started my Twitter page four years ago, and this community makes me so thankful I did. Outside of sports and handicapping, I enjoy traveling, hoopin, a strong espresso and I’m currently studying to obtain my MD. I’m all about the vibes, good vibes only. If that sounds like you, follow me on 'X' @VSaaauce.
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