NBA Preview | October 31, 2026
Halloween brings seven games, starting with a 3:00 PM ET tip in Salt Lake City and including two on NBA TV. Philadelphia, 5-1, visits a Charlotte team that has gone under the total in all six of its games and scored 79 on Friday, with both teams on the second night of a back-to-back. Minnesota, 4-2 and still without Anthony Edwards, is on its own back-to-back in San Antonio. And Houston, a night after its first loss, hosts an Oklahoma City team still missing six players. Those three are free; the other four cards are in Tome Intel. All times are Eastern.
Philadelphia Visits a Charlotte Team That Has Gone Under Six Straight Times
Philadelphia 76ers @ Charlotte Hornets | 6:00 PM ET | NBA TV
KEY STAT
79
Points Charlotte scored in Friday's 95-79 loss in Washington. The Hornets have gone under the total in all six of their games.
Philadelphia is 5-1 after beating the Knicks 98-93 on Friday in the first game of the NBA Cup. Tyrese Maxey scored 27, Anfernee Simons added 21 off the bench, and LeBron James had 20 points, nine rebounds and eight assists. VJ Edgecombe chipped in 13 and eight. The 76ers have gone under in five of six games, and Saturday is the second night of a back-to-back. Jaylen Brown was questionable Friday with a knee issue, and Philadelphia's report for this one hadn't been filed at our deadline.
Charlotte is 3-3 and coming off its worst offensive night. The Hornets lost 95-79 in Washington on Friday, when Brandon Miller scored 19 on 7-of-24 shooting, Naz Reid had 12 and 11 on 5-of-17, and Moussa Diabaté had 10 and 12. Anthony Davis led Washington with 25 and 13. Charlotte is also on a back-to-back, and it is still without Kon Knueppel, Coby White and Grant Williams.
Both teams have been better at stopping people than scoring. The matchup is Maxey against a Charlotte backcourt that has struggled to finish, and whether either team has the legs for a fast game on the second night.
Philadelphia wins if Maxey and Simons keep scoring, James controls the pace on tired legs, and the 76ers' defense keeps a struggling Charlotte offense under 100.
Charlotte wins if Miller finds his shot after a 7-of-24 night, Reid and Diabaté win the glass, and the Hornets make Philadelphia's back-to-back show in the fourth quarter.
Lean Philadelphia -1.5 (Toss-up), and lean the under 216.5 (Strong).
THE CARD · PHI @ CHA
The line PHI -1.5 · total 216.5 · DraftKings (unchanged from the open)
Our number CHA +3.8 · total 202.4
So far PHI 1-5 O/U · CHA 0-6 O/U
Rest & availability PHI second night of a back-to-back · CHA second night of a back-to-back
The public 79% of tickets on PHI (SportsbookReview, as of Oct. 30)
Lean PHI -1.5 (Toss-up) · Under ↓ 216.5 (Strong)
Driven by the number. Charlotte has gone under in all six of its games and scored 79 on Friday; Philadelphia has gone under in five of six. Our total sits 14 points below the book, the widest total gap we've printed this season. The side is a toss-up.
Minnesota Brings Its Back-to-Back, and No Edwards, to Wembanyama's Floor
Minnesota Timberwolves @ San Antonio Spurs | 8:00 PM ET | NBA League Pass
KEY STAT
11.5
San Antonio's spread against a Minnesota team that is 1-1 since Anthony Edwards went out, including a 26-point win over the Clippers on Friday.
Minnesota has split its first two games without Anthony Edwards. The Timberwolves lost to Golden State by five on Wednesday and then beat the Clippers 127-101 on Friday, with LaMelo Ball scoring 24 with seven assists, Jaden McDaniels 23 on 11-of-15 and Bones Hyland 19 with eight assists. That makes them 4-2. Saturday is the second night of a back-to-back, and Minnesota's report hadn't been filed at our deadline.
San Antonio is 3-2 and rested, with two days off since an overtime win in Utah on Wednesday, when Victor Wembanyama had 36 points and 14 rebounds and Devin Vassell scored 21. Tobias Harris and Jayden Quaintance are out. The Spurs have gone under in four of five games.
The matchup is Wembanyama against Rudy Gobert, and whether Ball and McDaniels can keep scoring on tired legs against one of the longest defenses in the league. The line hasn't moved from 11.5.
Minnesota wins if Ball and McDaniels keep up Friday's pace, Gobert makes Wembanyama work in the paint, and the Wolves' depth holds up on the back-to-back.
San Antonio wins if Wembanyama controls both ends, Fox and Castle run against tired legs, and the Spurs turn their rest into an early lead.
Lean Minnesota +11.5 (Strong), and lean the over 227.5 (Toss-up).
THE CARD · MIN @ SAS
The line SAS -11.5 · total 227.5 · DraftKings (unchanged from the open)
Our number SAS +0.6 · total 227.9
So far MIN 3-3 O/U · SAS 3-2 ATS, 1-4 O/U
Rest & availability MIN second night of a back-to-back; Edwards and DiVincenzo out · SAS two days off, Harris and Quaintance out
The public 58% of tickets on MIN · tickets split evenly on the total (SportsbookReview, as of Oct. 30)
Lean MIN +11.5 (Strong) · Over ↑ 227.5 (Toss-up)
Driven by the number. Our number has these teams nearly even, off Minnesota's 4-2 start, while the book has San Antonio by 11.5 against a Wolves team without Anthony Edwards and on the second night of a back-to-back. Our number sees neither, which is most of the 12-point gap.
Houston Takes Its First Loss Into a Back-to-Back Against the Thunder
Oklahoma City Thunder @ Houston Rockets | 8:30 PM ET | NBA TV
KEY STAT
68
Points Kyrie Irving (35) and Cooper Flagg (33) combined for in Friday's 116-111 Dallas win, the first loss of Houston's season.
Houston's unbeaten start ended in Dallas on Friday. The Mavericks won 116-111 behind Kyrie Irving's 35 and Cooper Flagg's 33, and Houston, again without Alperen Şengün, got 28 from Kevin Durant and 22 from Jabari Smith Jr. The Rockets are 5-1 and have covered five of six. Saturday is the second night of a back-to-back, and Houston's report hadn't been filed at our deadline.
Oklahoma City is 4-1 and coming off its first loss, a 120-96 game in Dallas on Wednesday. The Thunder have had two days off since, but the injury list hasn't changed: Jalen Williams, Cason Wallace, Chet Holmgren, Alex Caruso, Nikola Topić and Thomas Sorber are out. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander shot 7-of-19 in Dallas, and Ajay Mitchell led the Thunder with 29.
The matchup is Gilgeous-Alexander against Houston's guards, and Isaiah Hartenstein against a Rockets frontcourt that may or may not have Şengün. The rest edge is Oklahoma City's; the depth edge is Houston's.
Oklahoma City wins if Gilgeous-Alexander bounces back from a 7-of-19 night, Mitchell keeps scoring, and the Thunder use their rest against a team on short legs.
Houston wins if Durant and Smith keep scoring, Şengün returns to anchor the paint, and the Rockets' depth wears down a short-handed Thunder rotation.
Lean Houston -4.5 (Lean), and lean the over 218.5 (Lean).
THE CARD · OKC @ HOU
The line HOU -4.5 · total 218.5 · DraftKings (unchanged from the open)
Our number HOU -8.3 · total 222.6
So far OKC 1-4 O/U · HOU 5-1 ATS
Rest & availability OKC two days off, J. Williams, Wallace, Holmgren, Caruso, Topić and Sorber out · HOU second night of a back-to-back
Lean HOU -4.5 (Lean) · Over ↑ 218.5 (Lean)
Driven by the number. Houston's 5-1 start pushes our number to the Rockets by eight at home, against a book at 4.5. Our number does not see Oklahoma City's six absences, which help Houston, or the Rockets' back-to-back and Alperen Şengün's back, which don't.
The Rest of the Slate
TOME INTEL · 4 more cards
Every other Saturday game gets a full card in Tome Intel: the line, our number, the early results, who is out, and our lean with its tier.
3:00 PM ET: Trail Blazers @ Jazz
7:00 PM ET: Hawks @ Pelicans
8:00 PM ET: Kings @ Grizzlies
8:00 PM ET: Cavaliers @ Bucks
What to Watch For Saturday.
Watch whether Philadelphia and Charlotte can score at all on the second night of a back-to-back, how Minnesota's depth holds up against Wembanyama, and whether Şengün is back for Houston. That's seven cards on the side and seven on the total, three free and four in Tome Intel. We'll have the recap Sunday with every card graded.
