November 1, 2026 | Ethical Sports Takes | NBA Predictions
October is officially in the books, and Ethical Sports Takes enters November with momentum.
We finished Halloween with an impressive 6–1 record, bringing our season total to 54–32–2, a 62.8% winning percentage excluding mulligans
Sunday presents four matchups, including Boston’s visit to Orlando, Golden State hosting the Clippers, and the Lakers welcoming Toronto.
Let’s get into our selections.
Boston Celtics vs. Orlando Magic
Time: 3:30 PM ET
EST Pick: Boston Celtics
Boston enters this matchup with a considerable advantage in available talent.
Orlando continues dealing with significant injuries, most notably to Paolo Banchero and Jalen Suggs. Without two important offensive contributors, the Magic face a difficult challenge against a Boston team capable of punishing defensive mistakes.
The Celtics have demonstrated their offensive potential throughout the opening weeks, and their depth should provide an advantage against a depleted Orlando rotation.
Orlando’s home court gives the Magic an opportunity to compete, but we trust Boston’s superior offensive options.
Our prediction: Boston defeats Orlando.
Brooklyn Nets vs. Indiana Pacers
Time: 5:00 PM ET
EST Pick: Indiana Pacers
Indiana has struggled with injuries, including the absence of Tyrese Haliburton, and the Pacers have yet to establish much consistency.
Brooklyn hasn’t been particularly convincing either, making this a matchup between two teams searching for answers.
The Pacers have home-court advantage, and we believe that could make the difference in a relatively close contest.
This isn’t a selection we’re particularly confident about, but somebody has to win.
Our prediction: Indiana defeats Brooklyn.
Los Angeles Clippers vs. Golden State Warriors
Time: 8:30 PM ET
EST Pick: Los Angeles Clippers
Golden State is coming off a convincing victory over the Lakers, but Sunday’s circumstances present a much more difficult challenge.
Stephen Curry and Draymond Green are sidelined for injury management, while Jimmy Butler is also unavailable.
Those absences remove three major contributors from the Warriors’ rotation, placing considerable pressure on their supporting cast.
Golden State has demonstrated impressive depth, and playing at home should help. However, asking the Warriors to overcome so many missing pieces against the Clippers would be a bad choice.
Our prediction: Los Angeles Clippers defeat Golden State.
Toronto Raptors vs. Los Angeles Lakers
Time: 9:00 PM ET
EST Pick: Los Angeles Lakers
This game is a genuine toss-up.
The Lakers are coming off a loss to Golden State, while Toronto has shown enough promise early this season to make this an interesting matchup.
The Raptors have demonstrated that they can compete, and we wouldn’t be surprised if they walked into Los Angeles and secured a victory.
We’re picking the Lakers, but there’s no overwhelming advantage that makes this an easy decision.
Los Angeles has home-court advantage and an opportunity to bounce back from Friday’s defeat. However, Toronto is perfectly capable of winning this game.
Our prediction: Los Angeles Lakers defeat Toronto, but this could go either way.
EST Final Thoughts
November begins with four selections: Boston, Indiana, the Clippers and the Lakers.
Boston is our strongest lean given Orlando’s injury situation, while Indiana against Brooklyn remains difficult to predict.
Golden State’s confirmed absences have pushed us toward the Clippers, while the Lakers–Raptors matchup is a genuine toss-up. We’re siding with Los Angeles, but Toronto winning wouldn’t surprise us.
After finishing October with a 54–32–2 record, our objective is simple: continue building on that success.
EST NBA Picks for November 1: Boston Celtics, Indiana Pacers, Los Angeles Clippers and Los Angeles Lakers.
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