NBA Betting Picks for Friday 11/3/23: Who Will Grab the First In-Season Tournament Wins?

The 82-game NBA regular season offers us a wide variety of betting options, including point spreads, moneylines, and totals. The Association features 1,230 regular season games, which can make sifting through the odds an overwhelming task.

However, various advanced statistics can help narrow the choices. numberFire's NBA power rankings and daily projections paired with advanced stats from the NBA can help give the inside track to winning big.

While utilizing some of the mentioned tools, which NBA odds from FanDuel Sportsbook look like the best bets today?

Please note lines are subject to change throughout the day after this article is published.

NBA Best Bets

Cleveland Cavaliers at Indiana Pacers

Cavaliers -3.5 (-106)

The In-Season Tournament tips off with its first seven games tonight. Each conference was divided into three random groups of five teams. Each team will play every opponent in the group one time, and the winner of the group advances to the knockout round, taking place December 4-5.

Every team also has a new court dedicated to the In-Season Tournament, and each squad will don their City Edition uniforms in each contest. The NBA has gone all-out. Hopefully, the tournament delivers, making the regular season far more interesting. Here's a look at the new courts, which may have missed the mark in my opinion. More information on the In-Season Tournament can also be found here.

Now that we've had a refresher for the In-Season Tournament, let's dig into the actual matchups. The Cleveland Cavaliers against the Indiana Pacers has an intriguing line that caught my eye. The Cavs are 3.5-point favorites on the road.

Indiana took down Cleveland 125-113 on October 28, but the Cavaliers were without Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, and Jarrett Allen. The Cavs could be at full strength for the first time this season; Garland (hamstring) and Allen (ankle) are questionable for tonight's game. At the bare minimum, Cleveland will have Mitchell, who comes off a 30-point outing.

Tyrese Haliburton could also miss his second consecutive game as his status is questionable with an ankle sprain. He currently leads the team with 20.0 points per game (PPG) and sits atop the Association at 12.3 assists per game (APG). The Pacers' Jalen Smith, who leads the squad with a 134.1 offensive rating, is also questionable with a knee injury.

Of course, the offense would take a big hit if Haliburton is out. We saw that in Indiana's previous game as they were pummeled by the Boston Celtics (155-104). The Pacers have the seventh-best mark in offensive rating, but they are averaging only 104.5 PPG over their last two games.

Additionally, the Cavs' defense is finally making strides after holding the New York Knicks to 89 points and a 34.8 field goal percentage (FG%) on Wednesday. Cleveland is now 14th in defensive rating. The unit should only improve once Allen returns.

With the roster potentially nearing full strength, I like the Cavaliers to cover the point spread.

Golden State Warriors at Oklahoma City Thunder

Warriors -6 (-106)

The Golden State Warriors are tied for the second-best record in the Western Conference at 4-1. They seemed poised to add to their four-game winning streak against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Warriors are fully healthy while the Thunder will be without their best player, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. He leads the team with 24.8 PPG, 6.6 APG, 2.6 steals per game (SPG), and perhaps most importantly, a 33.5% usage rate. Replacing this kind of production against Golden State, who has the third-shortest odds to win the West (+850), is a tall task.

OKC will lean on young players to step up such as Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren. Williams is averaging 18.5 PPG and 7.5 RPG over his last two games, and Holmgren is beginning to come into his own with 17.3 PPG, 6.3 RPG, and 2.0 blocks per game (BPG) over his previous three games.

Both teams rank among the top half in offensive rating (Warriors 10th; Thunder 15th), but Golden State's defense could be the difference in this one. They boast the fourth-best defensive rating and rank first in opponent effective field goal percentage (eFG%).

Gary Payton II (90.5 defensive rating) and Moses Moody (92.9 defensive rating) are a couple of defensive stoppers coming off of the Warriors' bench that could pose problems for the Thunder's backcourt. Plus, Kevon Looney ranks 13th with 17.0 rebound chances per game, which could give Holmgren problems on the glass.

Most importantly, Oklahoma City holds the 11th-worst mark in opponent three-pointers attempted per game (36.8). We all know what Golden State is capable of from deep with Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson; they rank eighth with 13.6 made threes per game.

With Gilgeous-Alexander absent and the Warriors' potential advantages on defense and from three, Golden State could win comfortably in OKC.

Dallas Mavericks at Denver Nuggets

Over 225.5 (-110)

The Dallas Mavericks against the Denver Nuggets could be the top matchup of the night. Dallas is one of two undefeated teams in the NBA at 4-0. Boston is also undefeated. The Nuggets are the defending champs and are tied for the second-best record in the West (4-1).

This clash also features the frontrunners in the MVP race as FanDuel Sportsbook's NBA award odds have Luka Doncic and Nikola Jokic as co-favorites for MVP at +400. Both teams are among the top nine in offensive rating (Mavericks second; Nuggets ninth).

Dallas has yet to score fewer than 114 points, and the Mavs are 19th in defensive rating, which could mean a big night for Denver's offense. The over feels like the best wager -- especially with the total at 225.5.

The Mavericks have gone over in three of four games. Kyrie Irving is questionable with a foot injury, but he was absent from their last two games. That hasn't stopped Dallas' offense led by the one-man wrecking crew of Doncic. They are averaging 119.5 PPG without Irving, and Doncic still holds elite averages at 33.8 PPG, 10.5 RPG, and 9.8 APG. Irving ranks sixth on the team with a 119.6 offensive rating; the Mavs can still score plenty of points without the eight-time All-Star.

The Nuggets have the fifth-best eFG% (56.8%), and Dallas has the seventh-worst mark in opponent eFG% (56.2%). Jokic, who has a 64.3 eFG%, could be poised for a big night.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.