October 31, 2026 | Ethical Sports Takes | NBA Picks Recap
Ethical Sports Takes bounced back Friday night, finishing 7–3 across the NBA’s ten-game slate as NBA Cup group play got underway.
After Thursday’s disappointing 1–2 performance, we needed a strong response, and Friday delivered. Seven correct selections pushed our overall prediction record to 48–31–2, with a winning percentage of 60.8% excluding pushes.
Our selections included impressive victories from Minnesota, Miami and Boston, while Golden State’s remarkable comeback against the Lakers provided the night’s biggest disappointment.
Let’s review all ten predictions.
October 30 — Picks Results
1. Washington Wizards defeat Charlotte Hornets 95–79 — CORRECT
We backed Washington at home, and the Wizards delivered a convincing 16-point victory. Charlotte struggled offensively, finishing with just 79 points.
2. Philadelphia 76ers defeat New York Knicks 98–93 — CORRECT
Philadelphia secured a hard-fought victory over New York. Tyrese Maxey led the 76ers with 27 points, while LeBron James contributed 20 and delivered a crucial late putback. A competitive matchup went exactly the way we hoped.
3. Boston Celtics defeat Chicago Bulls 125–111 — CORRECT
Boston continued its dominance over Chicago, defeating the Bulls for the second time this week. Payton Pritchard led the Celtics with 30 points as Boston’s offense once again proved too much for Chicago.
4. Orlando Magic defeat Toronto Raptors 121–114 — INCORRECT
Toronto couldn’t repeat Wednesday’s convincing victory over Orlando. Even with Scottie Barnes producing a career-high 41 points, the Raptors fell short. Credit to Orlando for responding after its previous defeat.
5. Detroit Pistons defeat Brooklyn Nets 110–94 — CORRECT
Detroit handled business against a struggling Brooklyn team. The Pistons continued their strong start to the season, while the Nets remained winless. This was one of our more confident selections entering Friday.
6. Dallas Mavericks defeat Houston Rockets 116–111 — INCORRECT
We backed Houston, but Dallas delivered another impressive victory after previously defeating Oklahoma City. Kyrie Irving and Cooper Flagg combined for 68 points, helping the Mavericks overcome the Rockets.
Dallas is beginning to make some noise in the Western Conference.
7. Miami Heat defeat Indiana Pacers 145–125 — CORRECT
Miami put together an explosive offensive performance, scoring 145 points against Indiana.
Giannis Antetokounmpo recorded a 31-point triple-double as the Heat secured their second consecutive victory. Miami appears to be finding its rhythm after a difficult opening stretch.
8. Minnesota Timberwolves defeat LA Clippers 127–101 — CORRECT
One of our more satisfying selections!
Despite Anthony Edwards being unavailable, we backed Minnesota to defeat the Clippers. The Timberwolves responded with a dominant 26-point victory.
Minnesota demonstrated that it can still compete effectively without its biggest offensive star.
9. Golden State Warriors defeat Los Angeles Lakers 112–95 — INCORRECT
Our featured matchup produced the night’s most remarkable turnaround.
The Lakers exploded out of the gates, taking a 38–15 lead after the first quarter and eventually building a 25-point advantage.
Then everything changed.
Golden State outscored Los Angeles 38–15 in the second quarter, completely erasing the deficit before halftime.
Stephen Curry finished with 31 points, while Luka Dončić scored 37 for Los Angeles.
The Warriors completed the comeback and eventually won by 17 points.
We backed the Lakers, and after that opening quarter, the selection appeared extremely promising. However, Golden State deserves full credit for a remarkable response.
10. Denver Nuggets defeat Phoenix Suns 127–120 — CORRECT
Denver closed our evening with another correct selection.
Jamal Murray delivered 39 points as the Nuggets secured a seven-point victory over Phoenix.
Denver’s offensive talent proved decisive, giving EST its seventh correct prediction of the night.
EST NBA Prediction Record
October 30 Record: 7–3
- Correct Predictions: 7
- Incorrect Predictions: 3
- Previous Season Record: 41–28–2
- Updated Season Record: 48–31–2
- Season Winning Percentage: 60.8% (excluding pushes)
Final Thoughts
Friday was exactly the response we needed.
Seven correct selections from ten games represents a strong performance, particularly with Minnesota winning comfortably despite Anthony Edwards’ absence.
Our biggest miss came in the Lakers-Warriors matchup. Los Angeles appeared to be cruising after the opening quarter, only for Golden State to completely turn the game around.
Houston and Toronto also disappointed, but we aren’t going to get every prediction right.
The important thing is maintaining consistency throughout the season.
With our record now standing at 48–31–2, we’ve moved back above the 60% mark.
We’ll look to carry that momentum into Saturday’s NBA schedule.
For more NBA predictions, game recaps and analysis, visit EthicalSportsTakes.com.
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