NBA Cup Group Play continues Saturday with a massive 11-game slate, as we near the elimination stage of the in-season tournament. The Detroit Pistons had their winning streak snapped and will be keen to bounce back when they host the Orlando Magic who are playing in good form.
Along with the Pistons vs Magic game, the Cleveland Cavaliers travelling to play the Atlanta Hawks is scheduled for 11:30am.
The Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks could become a modern rivalry with Luka Doncic playing against his former team, and it could see the return of Anthony Davis who seeks revenge against the Lakers for shipping him out of LA – that game tips off at 2:00pm.
NBA Betting Tips: Saturday, November 29th 2025
Orlando Magic at Detroit Pistons (11:30am AEDT)
The Detroit Pistons (15-3) had a 13-game winning streak come to an end when beaten 117-114 by the Boston Celtics. They get a chance to bounce back when they host the Orlando Magic (11-8) at Little Caesars Arena. The Magic are 7-3 from their last 10 games.
Detroit would love to get back to its glory days, and they have often been known for being an elite defensive team when successful – this season, they rank in the top third defensively. Combine that with some offensive firepower from point guard Cade Cunningham, center Jalen Duren, and three-point specialist Duncan Robinson.
Paolo Banchero is out for the Magic, which gives Franz Wagner and Desmond Bane the keys to be aggressive on offense. They will need to keep the Pistons off the glass as Duren is an elite rebounder, especially on offense, giving the Pistons second-chance opportunities. The Pistons can bounce back and cover the -3.0 line. Bane looks a strong contender for 20 or more points.
Player Prop: D. Bane Over 19.5 Points $1.85 (1 Unit)
Pistons -3.0
$1.95 (2 Units)
Cleveland Cavaliers at Atlanta Hawks (11:30am AEDT)
The Atlanta Hawks (11-8) will host the Cleveland Cavaliers (12-7). It has been a mixed run lately for the Hawks after a demoralising 132-113 loss to the Washington Wizards. For the Cavs, they come off a loss to the Toronto Raptors – prior to that, they easily beat the LA Clippers.
Trae Young remains out which is a big loss for the Hawks, while Jarrett Allen is expected to return, and that will help the team combat Kristaps Porzingis. Expect the Cavs to live or die by the three-point shot – they make 15.5 per game which is second in the league, although their accuracy is 22nd in the league at 34.8% - when their shot is cold from deep, they are often in trouble.
On paper, the Cavs are a much better team than the Hawks. The -5.5 line looks achievable to cover, while Jalen Johnson had an off night for the Hawks against the Wizards and can bounce back with points, rebounds and assists.
Player Prop: J. Johnson Over 37.5 PRA $1.90 (1 Unit)
Cavaliers -5.5
$1.90 1.5 Units
Dallas Mavericks at Los Angeles Lakers (2:00pm AEDT)
The historic trade between the Dallas Mavericks (5-14) and Los Angeles Lakers (13-4) is going to be talked about for years to come. Luka Doncic and Anthony Davis are going to forever be linked with most people believing the Lakers got an absolute bargain after acquiring Luka Doncic, who looks set to be the Lakers franchise player for the next decade.
These teams are on a completely different trajectory right now – the Lakers are eyeing off another Playoff run, and ideally, ring number five for LeBron James and the first for Doncic. They have a long way to go however as teams like the Thunder, Nuggets and Rockets stand in their way in the west. For the Mavs, right now it is about pride, and developing number one pick Cooper Flagg who is showing glimpses of the player that he looks set to become in the league.
While the line of -10.5 is large, the Lakers should be putting away the Mavericks by a margin if they are to stand a chance of taking out the NBA Cup. Doncic will continue to be fuelled by the fact that the Mavericks organisation didn’t value him to win long-term, and I’d expect him to have a massive scoring night to prove a point – he dropped 45 when he last played his old team.
Player Prop: L. Doncic Over 33.5 Points $1.85 (1.5 Units)
Lakers -10.5
$1.88 (1.5 Units)
