The NBA Cup pool games commence on Saturday, with a total of ten games being played including the Lakers against Golden State.

LA Lakers @ Golden State Warriors

Could we be seeing a rivalry emerge? There were plenty of words exchanged between rookie Yaxel Lendeborg and Luka Doncic when they met earlier in the season, and the rookie has proven to be a legit NBA player off the back of it.

We’ve seen Luka respond to this type of trash talk by producing some monster games. Just ask Devin Booker and the Suns.

Will we see Luka take vengeance, or will this rookie have the last laugh and prove himself on the big stage?

Same Game Multi

Leg 1 – Luka Doncic 30+ Points

The bear has been poked. Luka will be super-keen to go head-to-head with Lendeborg, with the Golden State rookie doubling down on his in-game trash talk to the media after his first NBA game.

Luka had 23 points at half-time against the Warriors but finished with just 28 for the game, as it was a complete blowout during the third and he wasn’t required to play the fourth.

With this being the NBA Cup and points difference being important, expect more than 30 minutes from him in this.

Leg 2 – Yaxel Lendeborg 6+ Rebounds

On the flipside, Yaxel Lendeborg talked the talk and has walked the walk, emerging as a serious Rookie of the Year candidate.

Since his debut against the Lakers, Lendeborg has been huge, averaging 10.8 rebounds in his last four games and hitting 6+ on all four occasions, including double digits twice.

The $3.70 for a Yaxel double double is a nice price.

Leg 3 – LA Lakers Win

The Warriors have been better the last couple of games. They smashed the Nuggets, who are going through their own growing pains, and they beat the Timberwolves minus Ant last start.

But the Lakers absolutely dismantled them in their season opener, and it’s hard to see how Golden State can recover from their 22-point loss last time.

Thybulle will go to Steph Curry, which is a big win for the Lakers, while Golden State doesn’t really have anyone to contain both Reaves and Doncic. In their season opener it was Walker Kessler finishing with 26 points.

In a game that matters more than usual, the Lakers will be too good.

Doncic 30+ Points / Lendeborg 6+ Rebounds / Lakers Win @ $3.10

Value Bet

Matisse Thybulle 3+ 3PM @ $5.25

What an acquisition Thybulle has been, in a system where he is required to defend the best guard of the opposing team, space the floor and shoot when open.

To his credit, Thybulle’s shooting has improved dramatically over the off-season, going from a 39.8% three-point shooter on 3.1 attempts per game to a 50% shooter from deep on 4.8 attempts in a small sample this season.

Thybulle has hit 3+ triples in three of his last four games, and he’ll continue to benefit as long as he’s playing with Luka Doncic.

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It’s been a slow start for both the Kings and Pelicans this season, and there’s no doubt they would have circled this match in the calendar to notch their first win of the season.

Sacramento Kings @ New Orleans Pelicans

You could make a case that the Kings and Pelicans are the two worst teams in the NBA this season, both starting the 2026-27 season at 0-4, but someone is about to get off the duck egg.

New Orleans should win this game on paper. In fact, they probably should be 3-1, but a combination of poor coaching and selfish basketball from a roster with zero team chemistry has left them still winless.

As for Sacramento, they haven’t come close to anyone this season, but they must give themselves a chance against a Pelicans team coming off no rest.

Same Game Multi

Leg 1 – Domantas Sabonis Over 38.5 PRA

Despite the Kings being 0-4 to start the season, Sabonis has been really strong and is playing bulk minutes.

The big man is averaging 36 minutes per game, and with a winnable contest against the Pelicans we should see that number as a bare minimum.

Sabonis has hit a PRA of 40+ in three of his four games this season, and this matchup against the Pelicans appears extremely favourable.

Leg 2 – Zach LaVine 20+ Points

He’s another whose minutes are well up at 36 per game, and as a result so is his output.

LaVine is averaging 27.3 points per game to start the season and has hit 20+ points in all four games.

He is clearly a beneficiary of DeMar DeRozan’s departure and shouldn’t have any trouble scoring another 20+ points in this.

Leg 3 – Darius Acuff Jr 4+ Assists

On sheer usage alone, Darius Acuff should be hitting 4+ assists every time he steps on the floor.

We’ve seen the good and the bad from Acuff this season, with the point guard picked after Wagler and Brown Jr at the Clippers and Nets respectively, but there’s no denying he can score the basketball and create with the ball in hand.

Acuff has hit 4+ assists in his last three games, and the more games under his belt, the more assists we’re likely to see from the rookie.

Sabonis Over 38.5 PRA / LaVine 20+ Points / Acuff 4+ Assists @ $4.33

Value Bet

Domantas Sabonis 16+ Rebounds @ $2.60

The Lithuanian has feasted on the Pelicans on the glass in the past.

Sabonis is averaging 19.8 rebounds from his last four games against New Orleans, including 28 rebounds the last time he played them, and has hit 16+ rebounds in three of those games.

He has recorded 16+ rebounds in two of his four games this season, averaging 16.5 rebounds per game.

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It’s a massive Thursday with 12 games on the card, and Dale Crotty has his best bets for the Philadelphia 76ers hosting the Indiana Pacers.

Philadelphia 76ers @ Indiana Pacers

The Sixers have started the season with the equal-best record in the East, and enter this against a Pacers side with some significant injury concerns. Ivica Zubac is a big loss for Indiana, particularly with Joel Embiid on the other side, while there are question marks around Tyrese Haliburton and Andrew Nembhard.

Philadelphia’s big-five have only played two games together this season, winning both, and they enter as favourites with Indiana currently sitting at 2-2.

Same Game Multi

Leg 1 – LeBron James 15+ Points

LeBron cannot play the same role he has made a career from, but he remains instrumental to this 76ers outfit in a Mr Fix-It capacity. Points are down on what we are used to, but he is still averaging 16.3 points from his three games this season and, most importantly, the volume is still there. LeBron is still taking 14 field goal attempts per game, and assuming he maintains this volume the 15+ points should hit the majority of the time.

Leg 2 – Joel Embiid 25+ Points + Assists

It was a slow start for Embiid in the season opener against the Knicks, but what he did to the Bucks serves as a reminder that he is still a big problem in this league. Embiid finished with 28 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists in his last game, with much of his damage coming from the short-roll action with Tyrese Maxey. The Pacers are without Zubac, so expect plenty of ball to go through Embiid once again.

Leg 3 – Pascal Siakam 6+ Rebounds

Siakam has hit 6+ rebounds in 24 of his last 33 games, and last start is a strong indicator of what to expect here. With Zubac out, Spicy P had a big game on the glass with 13 rebounds. He has hit 6+ rebounds in four of his last five games against the Sixers.

LeBron 15+ Points / Embiid 25+ PA / Siakam 6+ Rebounds @ $3.10

Value Bet

Jay Huff 3+ 3PM @ $5.10

Stretch fives against Joel Embiid this season should get plenty of looks, and I like the price for Indiana’s Jay Huff to knock down a few from deep. Huff is starting for the Pacers in place of Zubac, and is more than capable of shooting the three-ball. From his last 17 games with 20+ minutes, Huff has made 2+ triples in 11 of them, which is value in itself at $2.30, but the 3+ at $5.10 is the standout. Huff is averaging 4.3 threes made per 36 minutes against the 76ers.

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The NBA season is well underway and Dale Crotty is back with his best bets for tonight’s clash between the Portland Trail Blazers and the LA Lakers.

Portland Trail Blazers @ LA Lakers

The Lakers come in at 3-0, riding the back of Luka Doncic who put up 52 points against the Jazz in his last outing. The Trail Blazers are also off to a solid 2-0 start through their first two games.

Same Game Multi

Leg 1 – Ziaire Williams 8+ Points

Williams has played 30 or more minutes in each of his last two games and has hit 8+ points in 58 of 68 games when given 23 or more minutes of court time. He should see plenty of run here.

Leg 2 – Toumani Camara 10+ Points

Camara has been outstanding to open the season, scoring 18 and 19 points in his first two games. He is averaging 8.5 three-point attempts per game and is playing alongside both Damian Lillard and Ja Morant, giving him every opportunity to fill his scoring role.

Leg 3 – Luka Doncic 7+ Assists

Doncic has hit 7 or more assists in all three games this season and has done so in 80% of games where he plays 30 or more minutes over the last 60 games. He is in fine form and the assists should follow.

Z Williams 8+ / Camara 10+ / Doncic 7+ Assists @ $3.60

Value Bet

Jrue Holiday 6+ Assists @ $5.50

Holiday is coming off the bench this season but has shown he can still rack up assists. He put up 8 assists against the Kings in game 2, showing his playmaking ability remains intact regardless of his role.

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A huge 12-game slate on Saturday, with many teams looking for their first win of the season, including the San Antonio Spurs. It won’t come easy though when they head to Houston to face the Rockets.

San Antonio Spurs @ Houston Rockets

The Spurs had their fair share of problems in their season opener against the Thunder, with Wemby going 1/13 from the field, and it won’t get any easier.

This Houston team is looking to make a move in 2026-27 under the hard-nosed defensive system of Ime Udoka, and produced a comfortable win against division rivals the Mavericks.

We have another battle of Texas in this one. Can the Rockets cause an upset and move to 2-0?

Same Game Multi

Leg 1 – Alperen Sengun 20+ Points + Assists

It was a big opening game for Alperen Sengun, finishing with 23 points and five assists, and although he faces Wemby in this, the PA line still appears too low.

Sengun has hit 20+ PA in 18 of his last 21 games, along with three of his last four against the Spurs.

Expect the Rockets to go through Sengun a fair bit in an attempt to draw Wemby away from the rim, making the big man a distributor.

Leg 2 – Amen Thompson 15+ Points

He has scored consistently over a strong sample now, and despite this Spurs team being a strong defensive outfit, we should still see Amen Thompson get to the rim.

Thompson has scored 15+ points in 27 of his last 30 games, averaging 20.2 points across this stretch.

He has hit 15+ in four of his last five against San Antonio, averaging 20.6 points from that five-game stretch.

Leg 3 – Dylan Harper 5+ Rebounds

Harper is an elite rebounder for his position, and with De’Aaron Fox questionable, it will likely result in more minutes for him.

In Harper’s last 12 games where he’s played 25+ minutes, he’s averaged 7.2 rebounds, hitting 5+ rebounds in 10 of those 11 games.

Even if Fox does play, we’ve seen enough from Harper to know that he’ll be playing 30+ minutes every game for the rest of his career, so we can lock away the 5+ rebounds in this and going forward.

Sengun 20+ PA / Thompson 15+ Points / Harper 5+ Rebounds @ $3.80

Value Bet

Dylan Harper 20+ Points @ $2.55

If Fox doesn’t play, Harper’s points line will spike a fair bit, but even if Fox does play I like this bet.

Harper had 18 points on opening night against the Thunder, but even more promising was the shot volume, finishing with 17 attempts.

He broke out during last year’s Western Conference Finals, where he scored 20+ points in the last two games, and in his last game against the Rockets in March 2026, Harper had 19 points in just 26 minutes.

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Only two games on Friday with the Cavs and Nuggets playing their first game of the season, and it’s no easy feat for Denver when they head to OKC to face the Thunder.

Denver Nuggets @ OKC Thunder

The Thunder were ultra-impressive in their season opener against the Spurs in San Antonio, and will host the Nuggets in their first home game of the season.

Denver is one of only two teams yet to play this season, and they’ll receive plenty of attention in this one with their depth being questioned despite the off-season acquisition of DeMar DeRozan.

Can the Joker make a contest of this, or will the Thunder be far too good and move to 2-0?

Same Game Multi

Leg 1 – Jared McCain 10+ Points

Jared McCain is a genuine Sixth Man candidate this year, as tipped in our futures preview, and he shot the ball extremely well on opening night.

McCain averages 13.2 points from his last 12 games, though nearly all of these came in last season’s playoffs, hitting double digits in nine of those games. Against the Spurs, McCain finished with 20 points off the bench.

Against a Nuggets outfit that struggled defensively last season, he should get plenty of opportunities.

Leg 2 – Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 25+ Points

He was back to his best on opening night against the Spurs, the side he had the most trouble with last season, finishing with 32 points.

SGA has averaged 31.4 points from his last 17 games against the Nuggets and has hit 25+ points in 16 of those 17 games.

Leg 3 – Nikola Jokic 10+ Assists

I expect the Thunder to make every other Nugget beat them and not allow Jokic to play one-on-one basketball against Hartenstein.

In his last two games against the Thunder, we saw Jokic as a high-level distributor for his teammates with 14 and 13 assists.

With this being Denver’s first game of the season, look for Jokic to make a statement with his first triple double of the season.

McCain 10+ Points / SGA 25+ Points / Jokic 10+ Assists @ $4.10

Value Bet

Aaron Gordon 7+ Rebounds @ $2.20

He’s played well fresh in the past, especially in season openers. It was only last season he had 50 and 10 against the Warriors to start the season.

Aaron Gordon had 23 and 10 in his only meeting with the Thunder last season and has recorded 7+ rebounds in four of his last five regular season games against OKC.

With no Peyton Watson, and Cam Johnson not known as a prolific rebounder, expect Gordon and Jokic to carry the load on the glass.

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It was a huge opening night with some early statements made, and now we get 11 games on Thursday including the new-look Lakers hosting the Golden State Warriors.

Golden State Warriors @ LA Lakers

A depleted Warriors outfit heads to LA to face a new-look Lakers outfit, minus LeBron James.

Luka Doncic has always had the keys to this team since he was traded there, but now he really has free rein with LeBron heading to Philadelphia.

As for Golden State, Steph continues to be their focal point, but without Jimmy Butler, Kristaps Porzingis and Brandin Podziemski, they enter their opening game with an uphill battle.

Same Game Multi

Leg 1 – Luka Doncic 30+ Points

In the Lakers’ season opener in LA in the post-LeBron era, I can see Luka making a major statement.

In his 15 games without LeBron last season, Luka averaged 35.1 points, hitting 30+ in 11 of those games including his last six.

Luka has dropped 30 on the Warriors in three of their last five meetings, including 43 two starts back. 40+ would not surprise me.

Leg 2 – Quentin Grimes 10+ Points

Although averaging 29 minutes per game off the bench for the Sixers last season, he really did fall out of favour, especially late.

Quentin Grimes now enters this Lakers outfit as a crucial two-way starter for JJ Redick’s men, and his usage will benefit in this role.

Last season he hit double figures in 49 of his 59 games where he played 25+ minutes. I think he gets much better looks playing alongside Luka in this team.

Leg 3 – Gui Santos 10+ Points

Over the back end of last season the Brazilian was great for the Warriors, and he is able to help fill the void left by Jimmy Butler and Kristaps Porzingis.

Santos hit double digits in 10 of his last 13 games without the duo last season, averaging 12.9 points.

He hit double digits in 27 of his last 34 games of last season.

Doncic 30+ Points / Grimes 10+ Points / Santos 10+ Points @ $3.25

Value Bet

Ziaire Williams 12+ Points @ $3.20

Williams is expected to start at power forward for the Lakers, and assuming he plays 22+ minutes in this role I really like the value for him to hit 12+ points.

As a Net last year, Williams scored 12+ points in 65% of his games where he played 22+ minutes, including seven of his last eight. This might be crazy to say given how bad Brooklyn were, but Williams might be more important for this Lakers team than he was for the Nets last season.

He has shown he can stretch the floor, which is important in this Luka system.

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It’s Opening Night in the NBA, and we get three massive contests. The Celtics and Pistons tip off the season in an Eastern Conference showdown, while there’s a Western Conference Finals rematch between the Spurs and Thunder, but we look at this new-look 76ers outfit against last season’s NBA Champions.

Philadelphia 76ers @ New York Knicks

The 2026 NBA Champions led by Jalen Brunson enter Opening Night and will take on a new-look Philadelphia 76ers featuring LeBron James and Jaylen Brown.

The Knicks have just about maintained their Championship-winning roster, while the 76ers made some big moves, but their depth could be an issue.

At Madison Square Garden, can this 76ers outfit gel quickly and ruin New York’s party?

Same Game Multi

Leg 1 – Jaylen Brown 20+ Points

I do understand the line. Usage will take a hit with Maxey the primary ball handler, LeBron the likely secondary ball handler and Embiid potentially the number one offensive option, but I do expect Jaylen Brown to still find his.

Although at Boston last season, Brown scored 20+ points in 70 of his 78 games as a Celtic, including 42 of his last 45.

I expect LeBron to be extremely unselfish in his new role in this new system, and Jaylen Brown to find his 20 points, even if the 76ers have an even spread amongst their starters.

Leg 2 – Josh Hart 7+ Rebounds

Has always been a great rebounder despite his size, and has done so against the 76ers across his career.

Hart averages 10.5 rebounds in his last 11 games against Philadelphia, hitting 7+ rebounds in 10 of those 11 games.

Hit 7+ rebounds in 11 of his last 13 games in last season’s playoffs.

Leg 3 – OG Anunoby 2+ 3PM

A reliable contributor from deep in this Knicks outfit and potentially their best three-point option in their starting lineup.

OG had some huge games in the post-season, in particular in the NBA Finals, and from his last 39 games of last season he hit 2+ triples in 32 of those games, an 82% strike rate.

Against the 76ers, Anunoby has hit 2+ threes in seven of their last nine meetings.

Brown 20+ Points / Hart 7+ Rebounds / Anunoby 2+ 3PM @ $3.70

Value Bet

Karl-Anthony Towns 3+ 3PM @ $5.50

Have we seen Joel Embiid move this pre-season? I wouldn’t say he’s nimble out there, and even last season the big man struggled to defend bigs on the perimeter.

Mike Brown ran the offense through KAT at the top of the three-point line for a whole chunk of the playoffs, which was extremely effective, and identifying this matchup I expect him to do so again.

Although priced at $5.50, knocking down three triples in a game is not foreign to Towns. He did so in 21% of games last season and did so in four of his last 13 games.

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SGA will look to join a prestigious list of NBA legends this season, going for his third consecutive MVP Award, but there’s a 7’5 Frenchman standing in his way.

Best Bet

Victor Wembanyama @ $3.00

There’s still so much improvement to come in Wemby’s game, especially on the offensive end.

The Frenchman averaged 25 points per game last season while winning the Defensive Player of the Year, and a jump to 28 points per game along with the Spurs producing a top-three record in the NBA should be enough.

The bigger concern is Wemby not playing the minimum games required, but he qualified last year with 64 games. Last season the Spur only averaged 29.2 minutes per game, so if that jumps to 32 minutes per game along with improvement to his offensive game, we could see Wemby averaging 30 and 12 this season.

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Next Best

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander @ $4.50

The three-peat narrative kills him, like it killed Nikola Jokic, where Joel Embiid was awarded the MVP off the back of a late-season flurry.

The last player to win three straight MVPs was Larry Bird in 1984, and if SGA were to do it, he would join the company of Bird, Russell and Chamberlain.

The Thunder will likely have the best record in the NBA and SGA will likely average 30 points per game again, but history is not on the Canadian’s side.

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Value Bet

Cade Cunningham @ $26

20 of the last 21 players to win the MVP have finished top-six in voting the year prior, which narrows it down to Wemby, SGA, Doncic, Jokic, Jaylen Brown and Detroit point guard Cade Cunningham.

With Jaylen Brown moving to Philadelphia in a star-studded lineup, we can rule him out, which makes Cade our value.

Cunningham’s points output was actually down compared to the season prior, averaging 23.9 per game, but he did lead the Pistons to the best record in the East. In 2024-25, Cunningham averaged 26.1 points per game. If he can better that number this season and once again lead Detroit to the best record in the East, he’s a chance.

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Number one pick Cooper Flagg was awarded last year’s Rookie of the Year, and although we’re not taking this year’s number one pick for the award, we are taking another Blue Devil.

Best Bet

Cameron Boozer @ $3.10

Although the markets suggest it’s a four-horse race, I think realistically it’s down to two, and from what I’ve seen in the pre-season, Cameron Boozer is the deserving favourite.

You just know the Duke product is going to enter the league and average 19/10/3 as a rookie, and produce similar numbers for the next decade.

In this new-look Memphis team, you can make a case that Boozer has the keys to the offense already, and we’ll see some dominant performances from the ready-made power forward.

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Next Best

Caleb Wilson @ $4.25

Boozer is the safe pick and we know what he’ll be for a decade in the NBA, but Caleb Wilson has an insane amount of upside and will likely go neck-and-neck with Boozer this year.

Wilson has shown off the three-ball in the pre-season, an area of his game that was highly scrutinised, and with his freakish athleticism at power forward in this Chicago outfit his game will be on full display.

Won’t have the consistency of Boozer, but will produce some massive stat lines.

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Value Bet

Yaxel Lendeborg @ $13

Looks like Lendeborg will start for the Warriors at small forward this season off the back of a strong pre-season, and provides a much-needed offensive option for Golden State with Butler and Porzingis out indefinitely.

One thing in Lendeborg’s favour as a rookie, he’s 24 years old. He was a senior at Michigan when they took out the NCAA Final, and was picked up at 11 by the Warriors in the last draft. He’s older than Josh Giddey who has been in the league since 2021.

I don’t think he’ll be at the level or consistency of Boozer or Wilson, but he’s the best value in this year’s Rookie of the Year market.

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