NBA Preview | November 2, 2026
Monday has 15 games, the biggest slate of the young season. Oklahoma City, 4-0 to start and 0-2 since, visits a Cleveland team that just scored 136 in Milwaukee, on NBCSN. Boston, 5-1, is on the second night of a back-to-back in Houston against a 6-1 Rockets team that has covered six of its seven games. And the night closes in Los Angeles, where Luka Dončić comes off a 45-point night against Giannis Antetokounmpo's Heat. Those three are free; the other 12 cards are in Tome Intel. All times are Eastern Standard.
Oklahoma City Has Lost Two Straight; Cleveland Just Scored 136
Oklahoma City Thunder @ Cleveland Cavaliers | 7:00 PM ET | NBCSN
KEY STAT
0-2
Oklahoma City's record since its 4-0 start, after losses in Dallas on Wednesday and Houston on Saturday. The Thunder are still missing six players.
The Thunder's injuries are catching up with them. Oklahoma City lost 119-98 in Houston on Saturday, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scoring 26 on 10-of-20 and no one else reaching 12. Jalen Williams, Cason Wallace, Chet Holmgren, Alex Caruso, Nikola Topić and Thomas Sorber remain out.
Cleveland is 4-2 after a 136-111 win in Milwaukee on Saturday, when Evan Mobley scored 27 on 11-of-16 and Jarrett Allen had 25 and 11 on 12-of-16. Donovan Mitchell added 15 and James Harden 13 with seven assists. Nae'Qwan Tomlin and Jaylon Tyson are out, and Peyton Watson is questionable with hamstring tightness.
The matchup is Mobley and Allen against an Oklahoma City frontcourt that is down to Isaiah Hartenstein with Chet Holmgren out.
Oklahoma City wins if Gilgeous-Alexander gets more help than he did in Houston, Hartenstein holds up against two Cleveland bigs, and the Thunder force turnovers to make up for their size.
Cleveland wins if Mobley and Allen keep dominating the paint, Mitchell and Harden control the pace, and the Cavaliers make a short-handed Thunder rotation defend for 48 minutes.
Lean Cleveland -4.5 (Toss-up), and lean the under 227.5 (Toss-up).
THE CARD · OKC @ CLE
The line CLE -4.5 · total 227.5 · DraftKings (unchanged from the open)
Our number CLE -6.0 · total 225.9
So far CLE 3-3 O/U
Rest & availability OKC one day off, J. Williams, Wallace, Holmgren, Caruso, Topić and Sorber out · CLE one day off, Tomlin and Tyson out, Watson questionable
The public 55% of tickets on CLE · 60% on the over (SportsbookReview, as of Nov. 1)
Lean CLE -4.5 (Toss-up) · Under ↓ 227.5 (Toss-up)
Driven by the number. Oklahoma City has lost two straight since its 4-0 start, and Cleveland just beat Milwaukee by 25. Our number has the Cavaliers by six, a point and a half past the book, and the total within two points. Both are toss-ups.
A 5-1 Boston Team Ends a Back-to-Back Against 6-1 Houston
Boston Celtics @ Houston Rockets | 8:30 PM ET | NBA League Pass
KEY STAT
6-1
Houston's record, straight up and against the spread. The Rockets beat Oklahoma City by 21 on Saturday.
Houston bounced back from its first loss in a hurry. The Rockets beat Oklahoma City 119-98 on Saturday, with Jabari Smith Jr. scoring 30, Marcus Smart adding 24 on 7-of-10 and Alperen Şengün returning with 16 points, nine rebounds and nine assists. Steven Adams is out, and Clint Capela and Reed Sheppard are questionable.
Boston is 5-1 after a 108-97 win in Orlando on Sunday, when Jayson Tatum scored 32 and Paul George added 17 with eight assists. Monday is the second night of a back-to-back, and Mitchell Robinson and Devin Carter are out.
The matchup is Tatum against a Houston defense that just held Oklahoma City to 98, and whether Boston's legs hold up against a deep, physical Rockets rotation with a day of rest.
Boston wins if Tatum and George keep scoring, the Celtics win the three-point battle, and Boston's shooters overcome tired legs.
Houston wins if Şengün controls the paint, Smith and Smart keep scoring, and the Rockets' depth wears down a team on its second night.
Lean Houston -5.5 (Lean), and lean the over 218.5 (Strong).
THE CARD · BOS @ HOU
The line HOU -5.5 · total 218.5 · DraftKings (unchanged from the open)
Our number HOU -9.4 · total 227.8
So far HOU 6-1 ATS
Rest & availability BOS second night of a back-to-back, Robinson and Carter out · HOU one day off, Adams out, Capela and Sheppard questionable
The public 53% of tickets on the under (SportsbookReview, as of Nov. 1)
Lean HOU -5.5 (Lean) · Over ↑ 218.5 (Strong)
Driven by the number. Houston has covered six of seven, and our number has the Rockets by more than nine at home against a Boston team on the second night of a back-to-back. The total is the wider gap: nine points over a 218.5 that is the lowest on the board after Detroit at Charlotte.
Luka Scored 45 on Sunday; Giannis and the Heat Come to Town
Miami Heat @ Los Angeles Lakers | 10:00 PM ET | NBA League Pass
KEY STAT
45
Points Luka Dončić scored in Sunday's 131-125 win over Toronto, with 15 rebounds and six assists on 12-of-23 shooting.
The Lakers are 5-2 after beating Toronto 131-125 on Sunday, when Luka Dončić had 45 points, 15 rebounds and six assists and Walker Kessler went 6-of-6 for 16 points and 15 rebounds. Austin Reaves added 19. Monday is the second night of a back-to-back. Adou Thiero and Ziaire Williams are out.
Miami is 2-4 but has won two straight, including a 145-125 win over Indiana on Friday when Giannis Antetokounmpo had 31 points, 18 rebounds and 10 assists and Bam Adebayo added 27. The Heat have had two days off. Tim Hardaway Jr. is day-to-day.
The matchup is Giannis and Adebayo against Kessler on the glass, and Dončić against a Miami defense that just gave up 125 to Indiana.
Miami wins if Giannis keeps attacking the rim, Adebayo wins his matchup with Kessler, and the Heat use their rest against a team on its second night.
Los Angeles wins if Dončić keeps scoring, Kessler controls the glass again, and the Lakers survive the back-to-back.
Lean Los Angeles -2.5 (Toss-up), and lean the over 238.5 (Toss-up).
THE CARD · MIA @ LAL
The line LAL -2.5 · total 238.5 · DraftKings (spread moved 1 toward the Lakers from the open, total down 1)
Our number LAL -4.8 · total 241.3
So far MIA 2-4 ATS · LAL 4-3 O/U
Rest & availability MIA two days off, Hardaway Jr. day-to-day · LAL second night of a back-to-back, Thiero and Ziaire Williams out
Lean LAL -2.5 (Toss-up) · Over ↑ 238.5 (Toss-up)
Driven by the number. Our number has the Lakers by about five at home, two and a half past the book, and the total within three points. Both leans sit inside our thresholds, with the Lakers on the second night of a back-to-back.
The Rest of the Slate
TOME INTEL · 12 more cards
Every other Monday game gets a full card in Tome Intel: the line, our number, the early results, who is out, and our lean with its tier.
7:30 PM ET: Pistons @ Hornets
7:30 PM ET: Hawks @ Pacers
7:30 PM ET: Nets @ Knicks
7:30 PM ET: Wizards @ Magic
7:30 PM ET: Bulls @ 76ers
8:00 PM ET: Kings @ Mavericks
8:00 PM ET: Pelicans @ Grizzlies
8:00 PM ET: Bucks @ Timberwolves
8:30 PM ET: Jazz @ Spurs
9:00 PM ET: Trail Blazers @ Nuggets
10:00 PM ET: Suns @ Warriors
10:00 PM ET: Raptors @ Clippers
What to Watch For Monday.
Watch how a short-handed Oklahoma City team handles Cleveland's size, whether Boston's legs hold up on the second night in Houston, and what Giannis and Dončić do in the late game. Several statuses could still move: Embiid in Philadelphia, Irving in Dallas, and Curry and Green in San Francisco. That's 15 cards on the side and 15 on the total, three free and 12 in Tome Intel. We'll have the recap Tuesday with every card graded.
