NBA Best Bets: Luka Doncic, Cooper Flagg and Warriors-Timberwolves

Oct 27, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) reacts against the Portland Trail Blazers in the first half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Luka Doncic won the NBA scoring title last season with LeBron James as a teammate so you can figure that the odds are good that he’ll win another after LBJ’s departure from the Los Angeles Lakers.Doncic has scored 93 points the past two games and is averaging 36.0 points through four games. Now James is a stellar passer but he’s been known to give the eye to a teammate that shoots when LeBron wanted the ball to come back his way. Also, no LeBron equals more shots for Luka.Doncic will look to fire away some more on Wednesday on the second end of a back-to-back. The good thing is there is no plane flight involved as the Lakers stay local to play the Los Angeles Clippers.Luka’s green light will keep running all the timeDoncic scored 52 points in a road win over the Utah Jazz on Sunday and he added 41 in Tuesday’s home loss to the Portland Trail Blazers. Doncic put up 22 shots against Portland but only three came in the fourth quarter when the Lakers were outplayed and took their first setback of the season, 136-129.The Lakers notched a 125-117 home win over the Clippers last Friday when Doncic was just 8-of-21 shooting while scoring 23 points. Darius Garland scored 26 points for the Clippers and Brook Lopez was 8-of-9 shooting for 22 points off the bench.It’s hard to assess how the Clippers will fare in the early going of the season after the trade of Kawhi Leonard to the Toronto Raptors. Brandon Ingram, acquired in that trade, is out with a Achilles injury. Garland is averaging 24 points and seven assists and has led the Clippers in scoring in all three games.Doncic to score over 28.5 points, -125 (DraftKings) Our Current Best Offers1UnderdogClaim your Special Pick via Code + First Time Deposit up to $250 in bonus!T&Cs apply, 18+2ParlayPlay100% up to $100T&Cs apply, 18+3OwnersBox100% up to $500T&Cs apply, 18+4FanDuel Fantasy$65 value with just a $10+ depositT&Cs apply, 18+ Mavericks want to raise Flagg vs. ailing ThunderThe Oklahoma City Thunder are ravaged with injuries but somehow haven’t lost in four games this season. The Thunder join the Boston Celtics (1966-69) as the second franchise in NBA history to start 4-0 in three consecutive seasons and can become the first with three straight 5-0 starts if they knock off Dallas.The Thunder lost star Jalen Williams (fractured left fibula, dislocated ankle) and key reserve Cason Wallace (left shoulder) with long-term injuries on Sunday and big man Chet Holmgren (right knee) will sit out his straight game. Cooper Flagg and the Dallas Mavericks will try to hand the Thunder their first loss but last season’s Rookie of the Year averaged just 9.0 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.0 assists in two games against Oklahoma City last season.Flagg excelled on Monday with 29 points, a career-high-tying 11 assists and a career-best five steals in a 113-109 victory over the Miami Heat. The Mavericks went 0-3 against Oklahoma City last season but could be catching the Thunder at a good time as they start a three-game homestand and OKC begins a stretch of eight of 10 on the road.Mavericks +5.5 points spread, -105 (DraftKings)Steph is in the building, but Ant is preparing for surgeryHearing that the Golden State Warriors and Minnesota Timberwolves are occupying the same arena always sounds fun due to Stephen Curry of the Warriors being the top 3-point shooter in the history of the sport and Anthony Edwards of the Timberwolves looking en route to being a 15-time All-Star. So that balloon letting all the air out is due to Tuesday’s news that Edwards will be undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his right knee and possibly missing up to two months.Edwards was on a roll with a 33.3 average over his first four games, including a superb 47-point outing during a 127-125 overtime loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday. Curry and the Warriors lost their first three games before posting a 134-114 road win over the Denver Nuggets as rookie Yaxel Lendeborg excelled with 31 points, 12 rebounds and six assists. Alas, Lendeborg has a sore foot and is listed as questionable.Curry is averaging 23.7 points and has made eight 3-pointers in the three games he has played. The Timberwolves will look to get Jaden McDaniels (15.0 ppg) many defensive repetitions against Curry but he and offseason acquisition LaMelo Ball (14.8) will also be asked to pick up some of the scoring slack.Warriors +3.5 spread, -105 (DraftKings) Our Current Best Offers1UnderdogClaim your Special Pick via Code + First Time Deposit up to $250 in bonus!T&Cs apply, 18+2ParlayPlay100% up to $100T&Cs apply, 18+3OwnersBox100% up to $500T&Cs apply, 18+4FanDuel Fantasy$65 value with just a $10+ depositT&Cs apply, 18+