NBA Preview | November 4, 2026
Wednesday has 14 games after a night off across the league, with two on ESPN. The East's two best records meet in Detroit, where a 7-1 Philadelphia team visits a 6-1 Pistons team that just won by 33. Cleveland gets an immediate rematch in Oklahoma City, two days after Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's 43 beat the Cavaliers. And Cooper Flagg tries to bounce back from a 3-of-19 night in San Antonio. Those three are free; the other 11 cards are in Tome Intel. Lines are as of Tuesday night. First, this week's injury ledger. All times are Eastern.
THE INJURY LEDGER · weekly · as of Nov. 3
Long term · weeks to season
Edwards (MIN, knee) · J. Williams (OKC, leg) · Wallace (OKC, shoulder) · Holmgren (OKC, knee) · Jackson Jr. (UTA, knee) · Leonard (TOR, knee) · Banchero (ORL, ankle) · Morant (POR, hamstring) · Simmons (SAC, Achilles) · M. Williams (PHX, shoulder)
Short term · day-to-day to about two weeks
Haliburton (IND, hamstring) · Zubac (IND, ankle) · Duren (DET, hamstring) · Suggs (ORL, knee) · Adams (HOU, calf) · Isaiah Joe (DET, hip) · Nurkic (UTA, foot) · Carter (BOS, illness)
New this week: Chet Holmgren moves to long term after treatment on his patellar tendon, and Ja Morant is out at least four weeks. Back: Alperen Şengün, Lauri Markkanen and AJ Dybantsa have returned, and Kon Knueppel and Coby White are probable Wednesday. Each game's card has tonight's statuses. Sources: NBA official injury report, ESPN, team reporters.
The East's Two Best Records Meet in Detroit
Philadelphia 76ers @ Detroit Pistons | 7:00 PM ET | ESPN
KEY STAT
7-1 vs. 6-1
Philadelphia's record against Detroit's, the top two in the East. The Pistons won the first meeting, 106-93 in Philadelphia on Oct. 25.
Philadelphia is 7-1 after a 126-107 win over Chicago on Monday, when Tyrese Maxey had 26 points and 11 assists on 10-of-15, Jaylen Brown 25 and 11, VJ Edgecombe 21 on 9-of-12 and LeBron James 15 with nine assists. Joel Embiid played 25 minutes for 15 and eight. The 76ers have gone under the total in seven of eight games. Dominick Barlow and Ariel Hukporti are out.
Detroit is 6-1 after a 124-91 win in Charlotte on Monday, when Cade Cunningham scored 33 on 13-of-20 and Duncan Robinson added 24 on 8-of-11. The Pistons won the first meeting in Philadelphia on Oct. 25, a night Embiid rested. Jalen Duren (hamstring) and Isaiah Joe (hip) are out.
This time Embiid is available, and the matchup is Cunningham against a Philadelphia backcourt that has four players capable of a 20-point night.
Philadelphia wins if Maxey and Brown keep scoring, Embiid wins the paint against a Detroit frontcourt without Duren, and the 76ers control the pace.
Detroit wins if Cunningham carries Monday's form, Robinson keeps hitting from outside, and the Pistons' defense holds a deep 76ers offense in check again.
Lean Detroit -2.5 (Strong), and lean the under 217.5 (Strong).
THE CARD · PHI @ DET
The line DET -2.5 · total 217.5 · DraftKings (spread moved 1 toward Detroit from the open, total down 2)
Our number DET -8.0 · total 207.0
So far PHI 1-7 O/U
Rest & availability PHI one day off, Barlow and Hukporti out · DET one day off, Duren and Isaiah Joe out
The public 58% of tickets on DET · 58% on the over (SportsbookReview, as of Nov. 3)
Lean DET -2.5 (Strong) · Under ↓ 217.5 (Strong)
Driven by the number. Detroit's 33-point win in Charlotte on Monday pushes our number to the Pistons by eight at home, and Philadelphia has gone under in seven of eight games. Both tiers are Strong on the size of the gaps; this is also the meeting of the East's two best records.
Cleveland Gets Its Rematch Two Days After Gilgeous-Alexander's 43
Cleveland Cavaliers @ Oklahoma City Thunder | 8:00 PM ET | NBA League Pass
KEY STAT
43
Points Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored in Monday's 117-112 win in Cleveland, on 14-of-35 shooting. The teams meet again in Oklahoma City.
Oklahoma City snapped a two-game slide in Cleveland on Monday behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who scored 43 on 35 shots. Ajay Mitchell added 20. The Thunder are 5-2, and their injury list is longer than it was: Chet Holmgren is now expected to miss significant time after treatment on a small patellar tendon tear, joining Jalen Williams, Cason Wallace, Nikola Topić and Thomas Sorber. Jaylin Williams is questionable.
Cleveland is 4-3. Donovan Mitchell had 17 points and 11 assists on Monday and Meleek Thomas added 17, while Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen combined for 30. Nae'Qwan Tomlin, Jaylon Tyson and Peyton Watson are out.
The matchup is the same as Monday: Mobley and Allen against a Thunder frontcourt without Holmgren, and whether anyone else can slow Gilgeous-Alexander.
Cleveland wins if Mobley and Allen win the paint, Mitchell gets better looks, and the Cavaliers make Gilgeous-Alexander work for every shot.
Oklahoma City wins if Gilgeous-Alexander keeps scoring, Mitchell gives him a second option, and the Thunder win the turnover battle again.
Lean Cleveland +2.5 (Toss-up), and lean the under 228.5 (Toss-up).
THE CARD · CLE @ OKC
The line OKC -2.5 · total 228.5 · DraftKings (spread unchanged from the open, total up 1)
Our number OKC -1.6 · total 226.9
Rest & availability CLE one day off, Tomlin, Tyson and Watson out · OKC one day off, J. Williams, Wallace, Holmgren, Topić and Sorber out, Jaylin Williams questionable
The public 72% of tickets on OKC · 61% on the over (SportsbookReview, as of Nov. 3)
Lean CLE +2.5 (Toss-up) · Under ↓ 228.5 (Toss-up)
Driven by the number. Our number has the Thunder by a point and a half two days after their win in Cleveland, a point short of the book, and the total within two points. Both are toss-ups.
Flagg Looks to Bounce Back From 3-of-19 in San Antonio
Dallas Mavericks @ San Antonio Spurs | 9:30 PM ET | ESPN
KEY STAT
3-of-19
Cooper Flagg's shooting in Monday's 115-100 home loss to Sacramento, the Kings' first win of the season. He still scored 17 with 11-of-11 at the line.
Dallas had a bad night on Monday. The Mavericks lost 115-100 at home to a Sacramento team that came in 0-6, as Cooper Flagg went 3-of-19 and Kyrie Irving did not appear in the box score. Daniel Gafford and Walter Clayton Jr. scored 20 each. Dereck Lively II, Sergio de Larrea, Tarik Biberovic and Max Christie are out, and Santi Aldama is questionable. Dallas's report hadn't been filed at our deadline, so Irving's status is the one to watch.
San Antonio is 5-2 after a 119-97 win over Utah on Monday, when Dylan Harper had 17, seven rebounds and eight assists and Victor Wembanyama 12 and 11 in 24 minutes. The Spurs have gone under in five of seven games. Tobias Harris and Jayden Quaintance remain out.
This is the second meeting between the teams this season, after San Antonio won in Dallas on Oct. 24. The matchup is Wembanyama against a Dallas frontcourt that is still short-handed.
Dallas wins if Flagg finds his shot, Irving is back, and Gafford and the bench hold up against Wembanyama.
San Antonio wins if Wembanyama controls the paint, Harper and Castle keep the offense moving, and the Spurs pull away from a short-handed Dallas rotation.
Lean Dallas +11.5 (Lean), and lean the under 227.5 (Toss-up).
THE CARD · DAL @ SAS
The line SAS -11.5 · total 227.5 · DraftKings (spread moved 1 toward Dallas from the open, total down 2)
Our number SAS -8.9 · total 223.9
So far DAL 4-3 ATS · SAS 2-5 O/U
Rest & availability DAL one day off, Lively, de Larrea, Biberovic and Christie out, Aldama questionable · SAS one day off, Harris and Quaintance out
The public 56% of tickets on DAL · 68% on the over (SportsbookReview, as of Nov. 3)
Lean DAL +11.5 (Lean) · Under ↓ 227.5 (Toss-up)
Driven by the number. Dallas lost at home to Sacramento on Monday, but our number still has the Spurs by about nine, short of the book's 11.5. San Antonio has gone under in five of seven.
The Rest of the Slate
TOME INTEL · 11 more cards
Every other Wednesday game gets a full card in Tome Intel: the line, our number, the early results, who is out, and our lean with its tier.
7:00 PM ET: Hawks @ Wizards
7:30 PM ET: Bucks @ Celtics
7:30 PM ET: Hornets @ Nets
7:30 PM ET: Bulls @ Knicks
8:00 PM ET: Pacers @ Grizzlies
8:00 PM ET: Jazz @ Pelicans
8:30 PM ET: Timberwolves @ Rockets
9:00 PM ET: Raptors @ Nuggets
9:00 PM ET: Trail Blazers @ Suns
10:00 PM ET: Lakers @ Kings
10:30 PM ET: Heat @ Clippers
What to Watch For Wednesday.
Watch whether Embiid's availability changes the matchup in Detroit, how a Thunder team without Holmgren handles the rematch, and whether Kyrie Irving is back in San Antonio. That's 14 cards on the side and 14 on the total, three free and 11 in Tome Intel. We'll have the recap Thursday with every card graded.
