Tuesday’s 12-game NBA slate delivered plenty of drama. The Philadelphia 76ers spoiled a night in Indiana, topping the Pacers 114-109, while the Miami Heat pulled off a road upset in Atlanta, winning 129-117 despite the model favoring the Hawks. The Toronto Raptors dominated Orlando 129-99, and the New York Knicks edged Chicago 133-127 in a high-scoring affair. Houston put up a dominant performance in Milwaukee, rolling to a 132-100 victory, and San Antonio handled Utah 117-111 on the road. Golden State slipped past Minnesota 119-114, and Dallas put up a convincing 120-96 home win over Oklahoma City despite being projected as the underdog.
The XO Sports model finished 8-4 on the day. Top picks went 2-2, with the Cleveland Cavaliers win over Washington (77.2% confidence) and the Knicks road victory over Chicago (74.9%) both hitting, while Minnesota and Oklahoma City each flipped the model’s top-rated calls. The model’s strongest read of the day came in San Antonio’s win at Utah, projected with 83.9% confidence and confirmed correct. Despite a few stumbles, the model called direction right on two-thirds of the slate.