The San Antonio Spurs, losers of 13 straight games, look to get back on the winning track as they travel east to face the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday evening. The Spurs (3-15) enter off a 137-135 loss to Atlanta on Thursday, while the Pelicans (10-9) defeated the 76ers 124-114 on Wednesday. New Orleans swept all four of the matchups between these two teams last season, winning all by at least nine points. San Antonio is 6-11-1 against the spread, while New Orleans is 11-7-1 ATS in 2023.

Tip-off is set for 8 p.m. ET from Smoothie King Center in New Orleans. The Pelicans are 13.5-point favorites in the latest Spurs vs. Pelicans odds according to the SportsLine consensus, and the over/under is 237.5 points. Before entering any Pelicans vs. Spurs picks, you’ll want to see the NBA predictions from the model at SportsLine.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past five-plus seasons. The model enters Week 6 of the 2023-24 NBA season on an 86-50 roll on all top-rated NBA picks dating back to last season, returning more than $3,000. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.

The model has set its sights on Spurs vs. Pelicans. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several NBA odds and betting lines for Pelicans vs. Spurs:

Pelicans vs. Spurs spread: Pelicans -13.5
Pelicans vs. Spurs over/under: 237.5 points
Pelicans vs. Spurs money line: Pelicans -859, Spurs +580
Pelicans vs. Spurs picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why the Spurs can cover
San Antonio lost a franchise high 16 straight games last season and is approaching that mark with only three games to spare. However, the team is showing promise and remains fairly competitive most nights. While No. 1 overall pick, Victor Wembanyama, has been ruled out tonight due to a hip injury, the Spurs have several other young players who could shine with a bigger spotlight.

San Antonio has four players averaging double-digits outside of Wembanyama including guard Devin Vassell (18.6 PPG) and forwards Keldon Johnson (16.9), Zach Collins (13.9), and Jeremy Sochan (11.6). This is a very young team whose potential is most likely to be realized in future seasons. Defensively, the Spurs have struggled, giving up the third-most points per game (124.1) and will have to lock down more efficiently to keep tonight’s game within reach. See which team to pick here.

Why the Pelicans can cover
Former No. 1 overall pick, forward Zion Williamson, is finally healthy and playing at an elite level of late. In each of his last six games, Williamson has scored at least 25 points, improving his season average to 24.0 points per game. Additionally he’s averaging nearly six rebounds and five assists nightly and is impacting the game in all facets.

Tied with Williamson for the team’s scoring lead is forward Brandon Ingram (24.0 PPG), who had his streak of 12 straight 20-plus point games snapped on Wednesday night (15 vs. Philadelphia). The former No. 2 overall pick averages 5.1 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game, and along with Williamson and guard CJ McCollum, forms a formidable trio which is hard for other teams to stop. McCollum returned from a three week absence to score 20 points in 28 minutes on Wednesday night. See which team to pick here.

How to make Spurs vs. Pelicans picks
The model has simulated Pelicans vs. Spurs 10,000 times and the results are in. We can tell you that the model is leaning Under, and it also says one side of the spread is hitting nearly 60% of the time. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.

The Detroit Pistons have amassed a ton of promising, young talent in recent years but are amid an ugly losing streak at the beginning of the 2023-24 season. Jaden Ivey, the fifth overall pick from the 2022 NBA Draft, is one of the several pieces Detroit is still trying to figure out. While he was one of last year’s top rookies, he began this campaign in a reserve role without any warning from the Pistons’ staff.

“There wasn’t anything said,” Ivey told Yahoo Sports when addressing the build-up to him coming off the pine. “Once I saw what was going on, coming off the bench was no problem for me. I love every single one of these dudes in here. I’d ride for them any day. Coming off the bench isn’t a confidence thing or a downer for me. I’m still confident in my game and play the same way.”

Ivey logged at least 28 minutes in his first four starts of the season but has since fallen short of 20 minutes in his previous two outings. Detroit benched Ivey for Killian Hayes on Thursday against the New York Knicks and seemed to prefer 2025 first-round pick Marcus Sasser over him in that competitive matchup.

The Pistons seem adamant about continuing to mix things up as they look to turn things around. Detroit’s lineup decisions moving forward are worth keeping an eye on, as Ivey could be a valuable trade target alongside Bojan Bogdanovic this season.

Six NBA games are set to tip off Friday’s slate. The Orlando Magic and Washington Wizards will get things started at 7 p.m. ET and the Denver Nuggets will wrap the slate up with a matchup against the Phoenix Suns. Looking for a sports betting edge ahead of tip-off? We’ve got you covered with three worthwhile plus-money options.

Bismack Biyombo under 9.5 rebounds + assists (+100)
Neither the Dallas Mavericks nor Memphis Grizzles are particularly strong rebounding teams, but Biyombo hasn’t hit this total in his previous five games. Xavier Tillman has missed six games but is questionable for Friday and could take a significant chunk of Biyombo’s playing time. I like this number whether Tillman suits up or not and it’ll only sweeten things if the Michigan State product is ready to return ahead of tip-off.

Zach Collins over 6.5 rebounds (+108)
Victor Wembanyama is set to miss his first-ever NBA game since joining the San Antonio Spurs, so Collins could have to do a little more work on the glass. Collins is averaging 6.1 rebounds per game this season despite playing alongside one of the league’s better rebounders. The New Orleans Pelicans give up the seventh-most rebounds per game (44.9) to opposing teams, so Collins is well worth a look here.

Dennis Schroder over 6.5 assists (+108)
Schroder picked apart the Suns with a season-high 12 assists and is averaging 6.9 assists per game this season. He’s on a roll at home with the Toronto Raptors and has notched at least seven dimes in six consecutive contests. While the New York Knicks have a stingy defense, Schroder has eclipsed this mark against a pair of top-10 scoring defenses in his last five games.

The Boston Celtics welcome the Philadelphia 76ers to TD Garden on Friday evening. The Celtics have the Eastern Conference’s best record at 14-4, while the 76ers enter at 12-6 overall. The two teams split a pair of matchups in Philadelphia earlier this season. Kristaps Porzingis (calf) is out of action for the Celtics. Joel Embiid (illness) is listed as questionable for the 76ers, with Kelly Oubre Jr. (rib) ruled out.

For this game, SportsLine consensus lists the Celtics as 6.5-point favorites, and tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET. The total number of points Vegas thinks will be scored, or the over/under, is 224.5 in the latest 76ers vs. Celtics odds. Before you make any Celtics vs. 76ers picks, you’ll want to see the NBA predictions from SportsLine’s proven computer model.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past five-plus seasons. The model enters Week 6 of the 2023-24 NBA season on an 86-50 roll on all top-rated NBA picks dating back to last season, returning more than $3,000. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.

The model has set its sights on Sixers vs. Celtics and locked in its NBA predictions. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several NBA odds and betting lines for Celtics vs. Sixers:

76ers vs. Celtics spread: Celtics -6.5
76ers vs. Celtics over/under: 224.5 points
76ers vs. Celtics money line: Celtics -262, 76ers +213
Philadelphia: The 76ers are 5-3 against the spread in road games
Boston: The Celtics are 6-2 against the spread in home games
76ers vs. Celtics picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why the 76ers can cover
Tyrese Maxey has performed as one of the best guards in the NBA this season, averaging 27.0 points and 6.7 assists per game. Maxey is making 39.6% of his attempts from 3-point range, and he is averaging 30.7 points per game over his last three outings. Philadelphia’s offense is clearly elite, scoring 1.2 points per possession to rank in the top three of the NBA. Philadelphia also uses the free throw line better than any team in the league.

The 76ers lead the NBA in free throw creation (27.8 per game) and free throw accuracy (85.6%), and Philadelphia is in the top eight of the league in second-chance points (15.9 per game) and fast break points (17.0 per game). Philadelphia is also in the top 10 of the league in points in the paint, field goal percentage, 3-point percentage and turnover avoidance. On defense, Philadelphia is also above-average, and the 76ers are comfortably in the top eight of the NBA in both blocked shots (6.5 per game) and steals (8.3 per game). See which team to pick here.

Why the Celtics can cover
The Celtics are led by one of the best forwards in the NBA in Jayson Tatum. He is averaging 27.7 points and 8.8 rebounds per game this season, and Tatum enters this game with career-best shooting efficiency (61.7% TS). He has eight games with at least 30 points this season, and Tatum is the centerpiece of a team that leads the NBA with a +9.7 net rating. Boston has also been dominant at TD Garden, maintaining an unbeaten record with dominant fashion, and the Celtics have two-way strengths.

On defense, the Celtics are allowing only 1.07 points per possession with excellent metrics across the board. Opponents are shooting only 43.9% from the field against Boston while generating fewer than 19 free throw attempts per game. The Celtics are also excellent on the defensive glass, securing 73.3% of available rebounds. On offense, Boston makes more than 15 3-pointers per game and shoots almost 58% inside the 3-point arc. The Celtics also avoid turnovers, committing only 13.6 per game, and that helps Boston to maintain its transition defense. See which team to pick here.

Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic will not play against the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday night after attending to the birth of his first child on Friday afternoon. Doncic and his fiancee, Anamaria Goltes, announced the birth of their daughter, Gabriela, in a social media post during the day.

Doncic will be one of two Mavs players missing for personal reasons on Friday, as reserve guard Dante Exum was also ruled out due to personal reasons of his own. The team will also be missing Maxi Kleber due to a toe dislocation, while Tim Hardaway Jr. is questionable due to back spasms. In a positive development, Olivier-Maxence Prosper has been upgraded to available despite dealing with an ankle sprain.

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Doncic had previously announced his engagement to Goltes, his longtime girlfriend, in early July.

Friday’s absence will mark the first game Doncic has missed this season. He is currently averaging 31.1 points, 8.0 rebounds and 7.9 assists per game for the Mavericks, who lead the Southwest Division at 11-6 and currently sit fourth in the Western Conference standings.

Doncic last played Tuesday in a 121-115 win over the Houston Rockets, scoring 41 points with nine rebounds and nine assists.

Washington Mystics center Shakira Austin underwent surgery to repair a torn labrum in her hip and will be sidelined for four-to-six months, the team announced Friday. The timeline puts the former No. 3 overall pick in doubt for the start of the 2024 WNBA season.

“Just a lil razzle dazzle to my testimony,” Austin wrote on Instagram. “God has taught me alot about myself throughout this process, but more importantly that I’ve always been built for it. Cant nobody stop me BUT ME. And if you know my story, you know what’s at the end of this journey. I promise you I won’t come back the same Kira.”

Austin’s sophomore campaign was off to a strong start last summer before she suffered a hip strain in the team’s loss to the New York Liberty on June 25. After deflecting a pass in the fourth quarter of that game, Austin was chasing down the loose ball when she suddenly stumbled and collapsed to the ground holding her leg. Initially expected to miss three weeks, she was out for nearly two months before a short-lived return.

In just her sixth game back in action, a loss to the Las Vegas Aces on Aug. 31, Austin took a hard fall under the basket after getting fouled by Kiah Stokes. She went back to the locker room and did not play again the rest of the season, including the Mystics’ first-round playoff series against the Liberty.

While the schedule for the 2024 WNBA season has not yet been released, opening night figures to be sometime in mid-May. In the best case scenario, Austin could be back on the court in April and perhaps ready to go for training camp. However, given the seriousness of the injury, there’s a good chance the team plays it safe and we won’t see her until after the season begins.

Regardless, this is tough news for both Austin and the Mystics. Major hip injuries are among the most difficult to recover from, and there’s no telling how this could affect Austin’s athleticism and two-way ability. Early last season she looked like one of the most promising young players in the league, and a building block for a Mystics team that was already facing some big-picture roster questions this offseason.

Austin’s injury is just one more variable that Eric and Mike Thibault will have to contend with as they look ahead to 2024.

It seems to be a matter of when, not if, Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine finds a new home, as the team has sputtered to a 6-14 start. The 6-foot-5 bucket-getter has long been a subject of trade rumors, but they’ve heated up in recent weeks as Bulls head decision-maker Arturas Karnisovas reportedly views dealing LaVine as the organization’s top priority moving forward.

LaVine’s reported desired destinations are the Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat and Philadelphia 76ers, though it appears that finding a deal with those teams — or any other team — may be a difficult task. Suitors are not jumping at the opportunity to acquire LaVine, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowksi, who outlined two main reasons why Chicago has found trouble working out a deal.

“There is not a market for Zach LaVine right now in the NBA,” Wojnarowski said. “That’s not because Chicago has not tried to find it, and aren’t currently trying to find it. It’s a combination of a few reasons: LaVine’s contract — four more years at around a $45-46 million a year average. But his productivity, I think this is a player right now who, certainly he’s out right now with a foot injury. He’s been in and out of the lineup.

“I think the question for teams is, ‘How much does Zach LaVine impact winning?’ Especially at the salary and with a new salary cap, where you’re asking yourself, ‘Are we trading for him to be our best player?’ No. ‘Our second-best player?’ No. So, if he’s our third best player, do we want to pay that kind of money?”

“There is not a market for Zach LaVine right now.”@wojespn with the latest on LaVine and the Bulls 👀 pic.twitter.com/r4stqcKkor

— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) December 1, 2023
LaVine, who will miss at least a week with a foot injury, is averaging 21 points per game this season, his lowest since 2017-18 with the Minnesota Timberwolves. He’s also shooting a career-worst 34% from 3-point range, while his 44% from the field is also the lowest mark since his rookie season. Those are certainly not the numbers expected for a player who signed a five-year, $215 million contract prior to the 2022-23 season.

Wojnarowski outlined the issue perfectly, as a similar problem arose when Bradley Beal sat on the trade market seemingly for years. LaVine is paid like the best player on a championship team, but he clearly isn’t viewed that way around the league. And if he’s going to be a secondary — or tertiary — player on a team that already has other high-paid stars, his salary is going to create all sorts of problems with respect to the new CBA.

The bottom line is, players of LaVine’s caliber almost always end up finding a suitor, but — as was the case with Beal — sometimes the deal takes longer to develop and the return isn’t what the selling team necessarily expected.

The Phoenix Suns (11-7) are hosting the Denver Nuggets (13-6) in a battle on Friday evening. This is the first of three matchups between these Western Conference foes. The Suns lead the all-time series 102-87, and Phoenix has won two straight games over Denver. Phoenix is seventh in the NBA in scoring (116.4), while Denver ranks seventh in points allowed (109.7). Jamal Murray (ankle) and Aaron Gordon (heel) are questionable for Denver, while Devin Booker (ankle) and Bradley Beal (back) are out for the Suns.

Tip-off is scheduled for 10 p.m. ET at the Footprint Center in Phoenix. Denver is a 2.5-point favorite in the latest Nuggets vs. Suns odds, per SportsLine consensus. The over/under for total points is 224. Before making any Suns vs. Nuggets picks, you’ll want to see the NBA predictions from SportsLine’s proven computer model.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past five-plus seasons. The model enters Week 6 of the 2023-24 NBA season on an 86-50 roll on all top-rated NBA picks dating back to last season, returning more than $3,000. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.

The model has set its sights on Nuggets vs. Suns and locked in its NBA predictions. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several NBA odds and betting lines for Suns vs. Nuggets:

Nuggets vs. Suns spread: Phoenix -2.5
Nuggets vs. Suns Over-Under: 224 points
Nuggets vs. Suns money line: Denver -136, Phoenix +115
DEN: Has hit the money line in 30 of its last 40 games
PHO: Has hit the 4Q Game Total Under in 49 of its last 77 games
Nuggets vs. Suns picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why the Nuggets can cover
Center Nikola Jokic is one of the most impactful presences on the floor. Jokic scores at will and owns superb court vision as a playmaker. The 28-year-old is eighth in the NBA in points (29), first in rebounds (13.2), and third in assists (9.2). Additionally, he’s scored at least 30 points in four straight games. In his last game, Jokic tallied 32 points, 10 rebounds, and 15 assists.

Forward Michael Porter Jr. is a talented three-level scorer. Porter Jr. has an effortless jumper and crashes the boards well. The Missouri product averages 17.6 points, 7.9 rebounds, and shoots 39% from downtown. Porter Jr. has finished with 25-plus points in three of the last five games. In his last outing, he notched 30 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists. See which team to pick here.

Why the Suns can cover
Center Jusuf Nurkic provides Phoenix with a bruising force in the frontcourt. Nurkic has light feet and does a great job setting screens to free up space for ball handlers. The 29-year-old averages 10.9 points, 9.3 rebounds, and four assists per game. He’s grabbed double-digit rebounds in five of his last six games, and on Wednesday, Nurkic tallied 19 points, 14 rebounds, and six assists.

Guard Eric Gordon is a reliable scoring threat who owns a smooth jumper and excels as a spot-up shooter. The Indiana product logs 14.6 points per game while shooting 40% from 3-point land. On Nov. 25 versus the Knicks, Gordon dropped 25 points and went 6-of-9 from downtown. Meanwhile, guard Grayson Allen is an athletic two-way threat and utilizes his sweet-shooting stroke to space the floor. Allen puts up 11.9 points and 4.5 rebounds per game. See which team to pick here.

How to make Suns vs. Nuggets picks
The model has simulated Nuggets vs. Suns 10,000 times and is leaning Over the total. It also says one side of the spread hits well over 50% of the time. You can only see the picks at SportsLine.

Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant notched another milestone in his historic career on Friday night when he passed Hall of Famer Moses Malone to move into the top-10 on the NBA’s all-time scoring list. With 30 points in the Suns’ 119-111 loss to the Denver Nuggets, Durant is up to 27,423 career points.

“It’s a long journey to be up there, mentioned with the greats,” Durant said. “It takes a lot of work, a lot of preparation, a lot of people helping me get to this point.”

The milestone bucket came late in the second quarter. Durant caught the ball near the three-point line and wasted no time taking advantage of the mismatch against Reggie Jackson. He faced up, ripped the ball through to his strong right hand, took two dribbles and bullied Jackson out of the way for an easy layup.

KD to the rack and with this bucket Durant moves into 10th all-time in NBA scoring 👏

📺 Nuggets-Suns | Live on ESPN pic.twitter.com/UYlkWYeouf

— NBA (@NBA) December 2, 2023
Unfortunately for Durant, he went ice cold in the second half, missing all 10 of his field goal attempts as Phoenix’s comeback attempt fell short. Even so, it’s a night he won’t soon forget.

Durant has been flying up the scoring chart this season. He began the campaign in 13th place and has since passed Hakeem Olajuwon, Elvin Hayes and, now, Malone. The crazy part is that he may not be done either. He’s 866 points behind Carmelo Anthony and 1,173 points behind Shaquille O’Neal. Based on his current scoring average of 31.2 points per game, he would need 28 games to pass Anthony and 38 games to pass O’Neal.

Even if his scoring falls off a bit, and even if he misses a few games, he will almost certainly end the season in eighth place. There’s a big jump into the top-seven, though, with Wilt Chamberlain boasting 31,419 points. Depending on Durant’s health, it could take him multiple seasons to get there.