October 29, 2026 | Ethical Sports Takes | NBA Picks Review
Now that’s more like it!
After a disappointing 2-2 performance Tuesday, Ethical Sports Takes bounced back in a big way Wednesday night, correctly predicting 10 of the 12 NBA games.
From Golden State’s road victory over Minnesota to Houston’s demolition of Milwaukee, nearly everything went according to plan.
Unfortunately, Miami finally decided to win a basketball game, and Oklahoma City suffered a surprising blowout defeat against Dallas.
Still, a 10-2 record across a 12-game slate is an outstanding result.
October 28 Picks Results
1. Detroit Pistons — CORRECT
Final Score: Pistons 97, Hornets 89
Detroit took care of business in a low-scoring contest against Charlotte. Neither team put on an offensive clinic, but the Pistons did enough defensively to secure the eight-point victory. It wasn’t pretty, but a win is a win.
2. Philadelphia 76ers — CORRECT
Final Score: 76ers 114, Pacers 109
Philadelphia continued its strong start to the season with a hard-fought road victory over Indiana. The Pacers kept things competitive, but the 76ers held their nerve to secure the five-point win. Another encouraging result for Philadelphia.
3. Atlanta Hawks — INCORRECT
Final Score: Heat 129, Hawks 117
Of course Miami decided to win its first game of the season when we picked against them.
After opening the year 0-4, the Heat finally delivered offensively, scoring 129 points against Atlanta. We backed the Hawks because Miami had struggled throughout the opening week, but the Heat made us pay for that decision.
Fair play to Miami. They finally got one.
4. Cleveland Cavaliers — CORRECT
Final Score: Cavaliers 121, Wizards 111
Cleveland handled Washington with a 121-111 victory, continuing to build momentum early in the season. The Wizards managed to score 111 points, but Cleveland’s offense proved too much to overcome.
The Cavaliers delivered exactly what we expected.
5. Toronto Raptors — CORRECT
Final Score: Raptors 129, Magic 99
Now this was impressive.
Toronto absolutely demolished Orlando, winning by 30 points in one of the most convincing performances of the night.
We backed the Raptors despite their injury concerns, and they rewarded that confidence with an outstanding offensive showing. Orlando simply couldn’t keep up.
6. Denver Nuggets — CORRECT
Final Score: Nuggets 104, Pelicans 91
Denver got the job done on the road against New Orleans, holding the Pelicans to just 91 points.
The Nuggets didn’t need an explosive offensive performance to win this one. Their defense was enough to control the contest and secure a comfortable 13-point victory.
7. Golden State Warriors — CORRECT
Final Score: Warriors 119, Timberwolves 114
One of the best games of Wednesday night.
Golden State went into Minnesota and secured a hard-fought five-point victory, with Stephen Curry delivering another outstanding performance.
The Timberwolves battled throughout the contest despite Anthony Edwards being unavailable, but Golden State executed when it mattered most.
A big road victory for the Warriors and another correct prediction for EST.
8. New York Knicks — CORRECT
Final Score: Knicks 133, Bulls 127
New York came out on top in a high-scoring contest against Chicago.
Both teams enjoyed plenty of offensive success, combining for 260 points, but the Knicks ultimately did enough to secure the six-point victory.
It wasn’t exactly a defensive masterpiece, but New York found a way to win.
9. Houston Rockets — CORRECT
Final Score: Rockets 132, Bucks 100
The Rockets didn’t just defeat Milwaukee. They absolutely dismantled them.
Houston scored 132 points while holding the Bucks to 100, securing a dominant 32-point victory.
We expected Houston to win, but even we didn’t anticipate this level of domination.
The Rockets continue to look like a serious force early in the season.
10. San Antonio Spurs — CORRECT
Final Score: Spurs 117, Jazz 111
San Antonio with a six-point road victory over Utah.
The Jazz made the Spurs work for the result, but San Antonio ultimately found enough offense to secure another win.
It wasn’t their most convincing performance, but good teams find ways to win difficult games.
11. Oklahoma City Thunder — INCORRECT
Final Score: Mavericks 120, Thunder 96
Well, we certainly didn’t see this coming.
Oklahoma City entered Wednesday undefeated, and we expected the Thunder to continue their strong start.
Instead, Dallas handed them a 24-point defeat.
The Mavericks dominated the scoreboard, holding Oklahoma City to just 96 points while putting up 120 themselves.
A disappointing performance from the Thunder and our second incorrect prediction of the night.
Credit to Dallas. They thoroughly deserved this victory.
12. Los Angeles Lakers — CORRECT
Final Score: Lakers 103, Clippers 87
The Lakers bounced back from Tuesday’s defeat against Portland with an impressive defensive performance against their crosstown rivals.
Despite Luka Dončić being unavailable, Quentin Grimes led Los Angeles with 23 points, while Collin Sexton added 21.
The Lakers forced 24 Clippers turnovers and held their opponents to just 87 points.
After surrendering 136 points against Portland the previous night, this was exactly the defensive response Los Angeles needed.
Updated EST NBA Picks Record
October 28 Record: 10-2
Previous Season Record: 30-24-2
New Season Record: 40-26-2
Wednesday Accuracy: 83.3%
Final Thoughts
Ten correct predictions out of twelve games. We’ll gladly take that.
Wednesday was one of our strongest nights of the young NBA season, with several of our selections delivering convincing victories.
Miami and Dallas prevented a perfect evening, but that’s the nature of sports. Even the strongest favorites can lose, and teams that have struggled can suddenly put together outstanding performances.
The important thing is consistency, and Wednesday’s performance was a major step in the right direction.
Thursday brings a much smaller three-game slate, but we’ll be looking to carry this momentum forward.
No bias, just sports.
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