The NBA has NBA Cup games today, and if you don't know what that means, no problem. I'll help you out.

Mostly, it means these games matter a bit more because if you win the NBA Cup, you win extra money. For some of the players, it means they basically double their salary - these are mostly role players and some rookies. However, the NBA Cup is also pretty cool because the teams actually seem to care about winning it. Tonight the Hornets take on the Wizards and I'm a bit baffled at the line on the game.

The Charlotte Hornets are not as terrible as you might think if you haven't followed the game recently. They don't have LaMelo Ball, but for this team, that might actually be a good thing. They are able to unleash Brandon Miller a bit more. Kon Knueppel showed that he might be the best rookie from last year (and certainly the best not named Cooper Flagg). The team has Naz Reid, Dennis Schröder, and a ton of role player/veterans that actually do make a difference.

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So far, the team is 3-2 and has beaten the Nets, Heat, and Wizards. The Nets are a bad team. The Heat and Wizards games were in Charlotte. Their two losses were to Detroit and Atlanta, both playoff teams. I do expect Washington to be a playoff team. I wouldn't be surprised to see the Hornets find their way into the postseason, but most likely they will be a play-in team. The biggest issue for the Hornets right now is the health of their team. They are without Coby White, Knueppel, Grant Williams, and Schroder is a game-time decision.

COOPER FLAGG LEADS NBA ALL-ROOKIE FIRST TEAM ALONGSIDE FORMER DUKE TEAMMATE KON KNUEPPEL AND VJ EDGECOMBE

The Washington Wizards are also better than you probably realize. The biggest challenge for this team is going to be how quickly they can gel. I'm going to first start by sharing the second unit for the squad. Bub Carrington/Tre Mann, Tre Johnson, Bilal Coulibaly/Justin Champagnie, Khris Middleton, and DeAndre Ayton. A team of Mann, Coulibaly, Champagnie, Middleton, and Ayton would likely win 20-30 games in a season. They are all reserves for a reason, but this is a very deep bench.

The starters got even better because they just added AJ Dybantsa, who will win Rookie of the Year. I watched him play for five minutes against the Cavs, and I placed a bet on it the next day. Dybantsa already looks polished, smarter, and more versatile than any other rookie out there. Again, all of this hinges on how well the team plays together. Also, if the team trades Anthony Davis, as is the discussion, it would hurt them, but they could get good value in return.

Tonight, though, the Wizards are at home, where they've gone just 1-1. They play a team they just lost to a few days ago. They are playing in an NBA Cup game, so the effort should be there. And their team is just better than the Hornets. I'm making a major move on this game, and I will take the Wizards on the moneyline at -118.

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The NBA Cup starts Friday, and the opening slate is loaded with stars worth building picks around. Betr is offering new users promo code FOXNEWS to get $200 in bonuses plus four free picks for the tournament’s first night.

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Five Players to Build Your Picks Around

Pick’em lives and dies on stars, and Friday has plenty of them.

• Jalen Brunson, Knicks: Last year’s Cup MVP opens his title defense in Philadelphia. New York has started slow, which usually means more on Brunson’s plate.
• Luka Dončić, Lakers: Luka is the full-time engine in Los Angeles now, and a 10:00 p.m. ET tip at Golden State gives him the late window to himself.
• Kevin Durant, Rockets: Durant’s scoring floor is as steady as anyone’s in the league. He gets a Dallas team that will throw a lot of different looks at him.
• Cooper Flagg, Mavericks: The reigning Rookie of the Year is taking on a bigger role in Year 2. Durant, on the other side makes this a match-up worth watching closely.
• Nikola Jokić, Nuggets: The safest box-score stuffer in basketball closes the night in Phoenix. Points, rebounds and assists are all in play.

What’s at Stake

Thirty teams are split into six groups of five, and each plays four Group Play games. Only the six group winners and one wild card per conference reach the knockout rounds, which start Dec. 4. The championship is Dec. 11 at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. One bad night in a five-team group can end a run before Thanksgiving.

NBA Cup Opening Night | Friday, Oct. 30

• Hornets at Wizards, 7:00 p.m. ET
• Bulls at Celtics, 7:30 p.m. ET
• Pistons at Nets, 7:30 p.m. ET
• Knicks at 76ers, 7:30 p.m. ET
• Magic at Raptors, 7:30 p.m. ET
• Pacers at Heat, 8:00 p.m. ET
• Rockets at Mavericks, 8:00 p.m. ET
• Clippers at Timberwolves, 8:00 p.m. ET
• Lakers at Warriors, 10:00 p.m. ET
• Nuggets at Suns, 10:00 p.m. ET

Ten games, a dozen stars and a title race that starts immediately. Sign up with Betr promo code FOXNEWS to get $200 in bonuses plus four free picks for the NBA Cup.

Thirty teams, six groups and one trip to Indianapolis on the line. The NBA Cup opens Friday with 10 games, and BetMGM is giving new users bonus code FOXNEWS to unlock up to $1,500 in First Bet Cover. If your first wager loses, BetMGM refunds your stake in bonus bets.

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Why a Big First Bet Makes Sense Friday

Opening night of a group stage is where the market is thinnest. Books have a handful of regular-season games to go on, rosters are still settling, and every team in a five-team group knows one loss can end its Cup hopes before December. That’s the kind of slate where a backstop on your first bet matters most. Last year, the NBA Cup winner went on to win the NBA Finals. Could we see that again this season? 

Three Games Worth Your First Bet

Knicks at 76ers, 7:30 p.m. ET: The Knicks swept the Cup and the NBA title last year, but they’ve opened this season flat. Philadelphia has Tyrese Maxey and LeBron James at home in the toughest group in the East. If you think the champs are being priced on last year’s résumé, this is the spot to test it.

Rockets at Mavericks, 8:00 p.m. ET: Kevin Durant against Cooper Flagg, with Kyrie Irving back for Dallas. West Group A also includes Denver, so the Mavericks can’t afford to give away a home game on night one.

Lakers at Warriors, 10:00 p.m. ET: Luka Dončić runs the show in Los Angeles now, and Golden State’s rookie Yaxel Lendeborg has been one of the early storylines of the season. Late tip, national spotlight, two teams in a West Group C that also has San Antonio.

Full NBA Cup Slate: Friday, Oct. 30

• Hornets at Wizards, 7:00 p.m. ET
• Bulls at Celtics, 7:30 p.m. ET
• Pistons at Nets, 7:30 p.m. ET
• Knicks at 76ers, 7:30 p.m. ET
• Magic at Raptors, 7:30 p.m. ET
• Pacers at Heat, 8:00 p.m. ET
• Rockets at Mavericks, 8:00 p.m. ET
• Clippers at Timberwolves, 8:00 p.m. ET
• Lakers at Warriors, 10:00 p.m. ET
• Nuggets at Suns, 10:00 p.m. ET

The knockout rounds start Dec. 4, and the championship is Dec. 11 at Hinkle Fieldhouse. Get your first wager covered up to $1,500 with BetMGM bonus code FOXNEWS.

The NBA Cup tips off tonight with 10 games on the board, and every one of them counts twice: once in the standings and once in the race for Indianapolis. Fanatics Sportsbook is offering new users promo code FOXNEWS350 to bet $20 and get $350 in FanCash.

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The Champs Open on the Road

The Knicks won the NBA Cup and the NBA title last season, and nobody has ever repeated as Cup champion. Their defense of the crown starts in Philadelphia, where Jalen Brunson runs into Tyrese Maxey and LeBron James. New York has been sluggish to start the year, and East Group B doesn’t hand out free wins. Cleveland, Miami and Indiana are all in the same pod, and it's set to be an early-season battle. 

Durant and Flagg Headline the West

Houston at Dallas might be the best individual matchup of the night. Kevin Durant is still one of the most efficient scorers alive, and Cooper Flagg is coming off a Rookie of the Year season with Kyrie Irving looking healthy beside him. In a five-team group with Denver and Phoenix, a home loss for the Mavericks could be costly by late November, in probably the strongest group in the West. 

Late Window: Luka in San Francisco

The night closes with Lakers at Warriors at 10:00 p.m. ET. Luka Dončić has the keys in Los Angeles, and Golden State gets a measuring stick for rookie Yaxel Lendeborg, who has been one of the early-season stories. Nikola Jokić and the Nuggets tip at the same time in Phoenix.

NBA Cup Schedule: Friday, Oct. 30

7:00 p.m. ET

• Charlotte Hornets at Washington Wizards

7:30 p.m. ET

• Chicago Bulls at Boston Celtics
• Detroit Pistons at Brooklyn Nets
• New York Knicks at Philadelphia 76ers
• Orlando Magic at Toronto Raptors

8:00 p.m. ET

• Indiana Pacers at Miami Heat
• Houston Rockets at Dallas Mavericks
• LA Clippers at Minnesota Timberwolves

10:00 p.m. ET

• Los Angeles Lakers at Golden State Warriors
• Denver Nuggets at Phoenix Suns

Only six group winners and two wild cards make the knockout rounds, so there’s no margin for a slow start. Bet $20 on any game tonight with Fanatics Sportsbook promo code FOXNEWS350 and get $350 in FanCash.

The NBA Cup is back Friday night, and the league isn’t easing into it. Ten Group Play games tip off on Oct. 30, starting with the defending champion Knicks heading to Philadelphia. Underdog is offering new users promo code FOXNEWS to play for $10 and get $50 in bonus entries.

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How the 2026 NBA Cup Works

All 30 teams are split into six groups of five, and each team plays the other four in its group once. The six group winners advance to the knockout rounds along with one wild card from each conference. Every game except the championship counts toward the regular-season standings, so nobody gets to treat Friday like a preseason scrimmage.

The quarterfinals start Dec. 4 and will be played in NBA markets league wide. The title game is Dec. 11 at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, the first time the Cup final leaves Las Vegas. The Knicks won it all last year, then won the NBA title too. Nobody has ever repeated as Cup champion. Could the 1-3 Knicks use the NBA Cup to jump start its season? 

NBA Cup Opening Night Slate | Friday, Oct. 30

• Hornets at Wizards, 7:00 p.m. ET: Brandon Miller vs. Trae Young. Washington paired Young with Anthony Davis this offseason, and Charlotte’s young core gets an early test in a winnable group.
• Bulls at Celtics, 7:30 p.m. ET: Josh Giddey vs. a Boston team with something to prove. The Celtics have bowed out in the group stage two years running. East Group C is theirs to lose.
• Pistons at Nets, 7:30 p.m. ET: Cade Cunningham is the best player on the floor by a wide margin. Brooklyn needs to steal games like this to stay alive in East Group A.
• Knicks at 76ers, 7:30 p.m. ET: Jalen Brunson vs. Tyrese Maxey and LeBron James. The defending champs have stumbled out of the gate, and there’s no softer landing spot in the toughest group in the tournament.
• Magic at Raptors, 7:30 p.m. ET: Paolo Banchero vs. Kawhi Leonard. Orlando’s offense has been streaky. Toronto is balanced and dangerous at home.
• Pacers at Heat, 8:00 p.m. ET: Tyrese Haliburton vs. Giannis Antetokounmpo. Haliburton is still working his way back to form, and Miami desperately needs a win to change the tone of its early season.
• Rockets at Mavericks, 8:00 p.m. ET: Kevin Durant vs. Cooper Flagg. The reigning Rookie of the Year gets a crack at one of the greatest scorers ever, with Kyrie Irving back in the lineup for Dallas.
• Clippers at Timberwolves, 8:00 p.m. ET: Darius Garland vs. LaMelo Ball. Both guards are running new teams, and both need a fast start in a West Group B that also includes Oklahoma City.
• Lakers at Warriors, 10:00 p.m. ET: Luka Dončić vs. Yaxel Lendeborg. Lendeborg has been the talk of the early season, and Luka is the kind of test that tells you whether it’s real.
• Nuggets at Suns, 10:00 p.m. ET: Nikola Jokić closes the night in Phoenix. Denver is the clear favorite in West Group A, and the Suns can’t afford to drop a home game in a five-team group.

Every game Friday counts in the standings and in the Cup race, and a single loss can sink a team’s knockout chances. Play $10 on any NBA Cup game with Underdog promo code FOXNEWS and get $50 in bonus entries.