The NBA’s three-game Thursday slate on October 29 was headlined by a pair of home victories. The New Orleans Pelicans handled the Sacramento Kings convincingly, 132-120, putting up more firepower than expected in a high-scoring affair. Over in Atlanta, the Hawks edged the Cleveland Cavaliers in a tight 114-111 finish that came down to the wire. The lone road team to walk away with a win was Memphis, as the Grizzlies traveled to Portland and dominated the Trail Blazers 124-103, turning what looked like a Portland advantage into a comfortable Memphis statement.
The XO Sports model finished 2-for-3 on the night, correctly calling the Pelicans and Hawks as home winners. The model’s lone miss came on its top pick of the day, where it projected Portland to win at home with a 78 percent confidence rating. Instead, Memphis flipped the script and won by 21. The predicted scores leaned toward closer games across the board, but the model’s directional reads held up in two of three matchups, a solid showing on a short slate with one notable exception.