Best NBA Picks & Predictions for Friday, Oct 25

• A ten-pack of games is slated for Friday night in the NBA
• The Phoenix Suns visit the LA Lakers in a must-see matchup, while Karl-Anthony Towns makes his home debut for the New York Knicks
• Keep reading for NBA predictions and picks on October 25

The first Friday night of the NBA season brings a ten-pack of games. Among the must sees include a matchup of gold-medal Olympic teammates colliding in LA, as the Lakers welcome in the Suns, with both teams looking to go 2-0. Be sure to check all the NBA odds for the game you’re looking. Read below for the games with our favorite bets.

NBA Picks for October 25

Odds as of October 24 at 10:30pm ET. Be sure to check out the best Caesars Sportsbook promos before placing a bet on any NBA matchup on October 25. 

CAESARS SPORTSBOOK

Bet $1 & Double Your Winnings On Your First 10 Bets!

LOCK IN PROMO

CODE: SBD2DYW

CODE: SBD2DYW

SIGNUP BONUS

DOUBLE YOUR
WINNINGS

ON YOUR FIRST 10 BETS!

CLAIM OFFER

Hornets vs Hawks Prediction

It’s super early, but the Charlotte Hornets and the Atlanta Hawks already showcased what they’re going to be about this season: flawed teams that will ride the talents of their all-world point guards.

Trae Young was dominant as the Hawks outlasted the Nets 120-116 in their opener. Young had 30 points, 12 assists and five boards.

Trae Young pulling out the old Rajon Rondo move pic.twitter.com/8bH6ccWztM

— Kevin O'Connor (@KevinOConnorNBA) October 24, 2024

Atlanta shot 48.8% from the field, and offset a grim 9-for-28 performance from downtown by getting to the stripe 46 times.

LaMelo Ball was equally excellent as the Hornets dumped the Rockets 110-105, finishing with 34 points, 11 assists and eight boards.

The Hornets shot 44.7% from the field, including 15-for-39 from distance. They have an emerging star in Tre Mann, who poured in 24 points and six boards in 29 minutes of work.

He started the year at +2500 in NBA Sixth Man of the Year Odds – it might be worth a dip.

Both these clubs were Bottom 10 in points allowed a year ago, and decided to lean in on the “outscoring our problems” angle. This one has all the makings of a scoring duel, with little defense to speak of.

• Hornets vs Hawks Pick: OVER 230.5 points (-110)

Pacers vs Knicks Prediction

In fairness, every team including New York was going to get firebombed out of the Boston gym on ring night, as the Celts tied a league record with 29 made threes, and crushed NY 132-109.

Back in Gotham, New York draws the Pacers, who needed to make up an eight-point deficit to outlast the Pistons 115-109.

Indiana has a clearly defined starting five, but they used a total of 12 players against Detroit, so there’s some figuring out to do.

The beatdown in Boston didn’t shake the books, as they’ve pegged the Knicks as 5-point home favorites. This is a good team, and they were 27-14 at home a year ago.

They’re supremely talented at four starter positions, with Josh Hart being among the elite role guys in the league. Look for New York to get Karl-Anthony Towns involved in his new digs immediately.

There’s level to this, and the Knicks show they’re upper tier Friday.

• Knicks vs Pacers Pick: Knicks ML (-205)

Suns vs Lakers Prediction

It’s not the first time a Lakers coach has tried Anthony Davis as the centerpiece for LA.

For at least one night, JJ Redick’s plan seemed pretty clear: feed their talented big man relentlessly on offense, let him anchor the defense and hopefully get enough contributions down the roster to stack victories.

AD lived up to the billing, pouring in 36 points, grabbing 16 boards, with four assists and three blocks in a 110-103 win over the T-Wolves.

He’s definitely in the conversation — albeit in the outer circle — of the NBA MVP odds.

ANTHONY DAVIS TONIGHT:

36 POINTS
16 REBOUNDS
4 ASSISTS
3 BLOCKS

pic.twitter.com/4dtbWwJqpJ

— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) October 23, 2024

Sustaining that top-shelf play will be key, and it’s another good test Friday night, as the Suns roll into town, without one really good option to contain the Lakers’ big man.

Phoenix has its own problems despite beating the Clippers in their opener: turnovers. Even with Tyus Jones in to assume competent point guard duties, Phoenix coughed it up 22 times, hanging on for a 116-113 win.

Those giveaways offset a night where they shot 48.7% from the field, 39.5% from three while dishing out 25 assists.

The Lakers forced 15 turnovers in their win over the Wolves, and combined with 15 offensive rebounds, helped them to take 10 more shots than Minny, covering a woeful 5-for-30 shooting night from 3-point range.

With AD, LeBron, Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Brad Beal all slated to play, there’s talent galore on the floor, but there’s a reason both these teams aren’t quite elite contenders in the West.

I think the offenses bog down in stretches, and with plenty of AD working inside, it’s not as high scoring as many may predict.

• Suns vs Lakers pick: UNDER 228.5 points (-110)