Thursday October 30th NBA Predictions: Best Bets for Heat vs. Spurs and More

Four games on the NBA schedule on Thursday and one intriguing matchup in Milwaukee anchors the slate.

Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks welcome Stephen Curry and the Warriors to Wisconsin with both coming off home victories on Tuesday.

We’ll break down three plays for the Thursday action. Always monitor the odds and player availability throughout the day, as the market is constantly changing.

Here are the free NBA picks for Thursday, October 30.

Best NBA plays today

Odds Courtesy of DraftKings

• Magic/Hornets Under (242.5)
• Warriors (-2.5) at Bucks
• Heat (+5.5) at Spurs

Magic/Hornets Under (242.5)

The Magic (1-4) won their season opener over the Heat, but not since. During a four-game losing streak, Orlando has been exposed defensively.

The Magic allowed 135 points at Philadelphia and 136 points at Detroit the last two losses, and hops over to Charlotte with no rest to wrap a back-to-back.

The Hornets (2-2) have been impressive offensively, leading the NBA in scoring at 132.0 ppg. However, Charlotte was limited to a season-low 117 points in Tuesday’s defeat at Miami. The Hornets are 4-0 on the Over this season, but are seeing its highest total to date.

Orlando’s defense has fallen off after leading the league in points allowed per game last season. The Magic won all four meetings with the Hornets in 2024-25, limiting Charlotte to less than 100 points in three of those victories.

This total seems like an overreaction for Orlando’s struggling defense and Charlotte’s surprising offensive start. Let’s look at the Under in this Southeast Division showdown.

Warriors (-2.5) at Bucks

Golden State (3-1) hits the road following an impressive defensive effort in Tuesday’s 98-79 home victory over the Clippers. The Warriors held L.A. to 30 points in the second half, marking their best defensive showing of the young season.

Steve Kerr’s team travels to Milwaukee to face the Bucks (3-1), who rallied past the Knicks on Tuesday, 121-111 to cash for the third straight time as an underdog. Antetokounmpo is second in the NBA in scoring at 36.3 ppg, but there’s a lot of star power around him on this Bucks’ roster.

The Warriors rank second in the league in 3-point shooting percentage at 41.7%, led by G Jimmy Butler III’s incredible 57.1% shooting (8-of-14) from long distance. Considering Milwaukee is listed as an underdog for a fourth straight game and for the second consecutive time at home, let’s back Golden State here on the road.

Heat (+5.5) at Spurs

The Spurs (4-0) have been one of the early surprises of the season, led by C Victor Wembanyama’s 31.0 points per game. San Antonio’s last three opponents, New Orleans, Brooklyn, and Toronto are a combined 1-13, so let’s take that into account for its hot start.

The Heat (3-1) sit atop the Southeast Division as they bring in a three-game winning streak to the Alamo. Miami’s offense ranks third in the NBA in points per game at 127.3, while scoring at least 144 points in a pair of victories.

Last season, the Heat went 5-0 against the spread as an underdog in the game following a performance in which they posted an offensive rating of at least 125. Already this season, Miami won outright as an underdog against New York in that situation and posted an offensive rating of 133.3 in Tuesday’s win over Charlotte.