Thursday Nov. 13 NBA Picks: Cavaliers, Jazz, and Pacers Top Bets

The Thursday NBA card features three games, highlighted by an Eastern Conference matchup in Cleveland. The Cavaliers return home with no rest to battle the Raptors at Rocket Arena, tipping off at 7:00 p.m. ET.

We’ll break down three plays for the Thursday action. Remember to monitor the odds throughout the day, as the sides and totals market is constantly changing.

Here are the free NBA picks for Thursday, November 13. Odds provided by FanDuel.

Best NBA Plays Today

• Cavaliers 1Q (-2.5) vs. Raptors
• Jazz 1Q (+0.5) vs. Hawks
• Pacers (+4.5) at Suns

Cavaliers 1Q (-2.5) vs. Raptors

Cleveland returns home after rallying past Miami on Wednesday night, 130-116. The Cavaliers played without leading scorer Donovan Mitchell and second-leading rebounder Jarrett Allen, as both rested on the front end of this back-to-back set.

The Raptors head to Cleveland off their fifth win in six games, beating Brooklyn on Tuesday, 119-109. Toronto won the first matchup at Rocket Arena on Halloween night, 112-101, but Mitchell and Allen both sat out for the Cavs.

From a first-quarter perspective, Cleveland owns a solid 5-0 straight-up and against-the-spread record as a favorite of at least two points. In all five of those games, the Cavaliers scored at least 30 points in the opening 12 minutes.

Jazz 1Q (+0.5) vs. Hawks

Only two teams in the NBA boast perfect home records in the first quarter this season — the Nuggets and the Jazz. Denver’s success isn’t surprising, but Utah’s dominance has been an early-season shock.

The Jazz look for another hot start tonight against an unrested Atlanta squad. The Hawks routed the Kings in Sacramento last night to begin their road swing at 2-0. However, Atlanta is just 1-3-1 in the first quarter following a win this season, with the lone lead coming against a one-win Indiana team.

Utah is averaging 38.6 first-quarter points at home this season, including strong starts against the Clippers and Timberwolves. Meanwhile, Atlanta averages only 26.3 points in the opening quarter after games in which it scored 30+ the night before.

Pacers (+4.5) at Suns

Five months ago, the Pacers were on the verge of an NBA title before falling to the Thunder in Game 7 of the Finals. After losing star guard Tyrese Haliburton to an Achilles injury, Indiana’s struggles have continued into this season with a miserable 1-10 start.

The Pacers were routed by the Jazz on Tuesday, 152-128, marking their second straight 20-point loss. However, Indiana catches Phoenix on the second end of a back-to-back. The Suns beat the Mavericks in Dallas last night, 123-114, to extend their winning streak to four games.

Phoenix is 5-1 at home this season, with the lone loss coming to Memphis by a single point. The last four home wins for the Suns all came by double digits — yet this line sits surprisingly low given Indiana’s struggles.

In their only prior back-to-back spot this year, the Suns were blown out by Denver, 133-111, on October 25. Look for the Pacers to bounce back tonight against an unrested Phoenix squad.