If you’re one of those people who doesn’t start paying attention to basketball until after the Super Bowl, then Wednesday, Nov. 19 is not for you. If you’re not one of those people, then you’re in luck.
Wednesday is a night for hoop heads, especially those capable of watching multiple games at once. At 7 p.m. ET, two of the top teams in the NBA collide when Kevin Durant, Alperen Sengun and the explosive Houston Rockets visit Donovan Mitchell and the Cleveland Cavaliers. At the same time, two college basketball teams with Final Four dreams square off when the No. 3 UConn Huskies host the No. 4 Arizona Wildcats.
The Rockets (9-3) have won four in a row, which includes a comeback, overtime victory over the Magic on Sunday. Meanwhile the Cavaliers (10-5) are 7-2 over their last nine games and have moved into second place in the Eastern Conference. Houston is a slight 1.5-point favorite on Wednesday.
In the heavyweight college basketball battle between Arizona and UConn, the Huskies put their 36-game home winning streak against non-conference opponents on the line against the Wildcats. UConn is a 7.5-point favorite.
While the basketball games are the marquee attraction on the sporting landscape on Wednesday, there are other viewing options with a nine-game NBA schedule, a full college basketball slate and two MACtion games in college football.
Below is a snapshot of what to watch and bet on Wednesday, Nov. 19. All times Eastern.
NBA best bets, where to watch
Rockets at Cavaliers
Time: 7 p.m. | Location: Cleveland | TV: ESPN | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)
SportsLine picks — Model: Cavaliers +102
After Houston’s comeback win over Orlando on Sunday, in which Durant and Sengun combined for 65 points, 17 rebounds and 14 assists and made huge plays down the stretch, national media brought up the possibility this may be the best duo in the NBA. Led by Durant and Sengun, the Rockets own the most efficient offense in the league (123.4 points per 100 possessions). That offense will face a stiff test tonight in a Cleveland defense that ranks ninth in the NBA in efficiency (112.0). Over the last two games the Cavaliers are giving up just 99.5 points per 100 possessions, the best in the league over that time. The SportsLine Projection Model, which simulates every game 10,000 times, says Cleveland has a 61% chance to win and assigns a “B” grade to Cavaliers money line (+102).
Knicks at Mavericks
Time: 9:30 p.m. | Location: Dallas | TV: ESPN | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)
SportsLine picks — Model: Mavericks +186
Life after Nico Harrison in Dallas has gone about the same as life with him. The Mavericks (4-11) are 1-3 since ownership sent the general manager packing. Much of the reason for their struggles is injuries; Anthony Davis, Kyrie Irving and a slew of others are all out. But the Knicks (8-5) have injury questions themselves. Point guard Jalen Brunson, who played his first four seasons in Dallas, is questionable for Wednesday’s game because of an ankle sprain that kept him out of New York’s last two games. The SportsLine Projection Model says the Mavericks have a 38% chance to cover and gives a “C” grade to Dallas money line (+186), but those odds can change if there’s an update to Brunson’s status.
College basketball best bets, where to watch
No. 4 Arizona at No. 3 UConn
Time: 7 p.m. | Location: Storrs, Conn. | TV: FS1 | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)
SportsLine picks — Model: UConn -7.5
Huskies forward Alex Karaban feels like one of those college basketball players who seems to have played at the college level longer than he actually has. The 6-foot-8 senior has been in the spotlight since he was a freshman starter on UConn’s 2023 national championship team. Three seasons later, he has won two national titles, played 115 games (with 114 starts) and has emerged as one of the best shooters in the country. This season, he is averaging 18.3 points a game and shooting an obnoxious 63.2% on 3-pointers. On Wednesday, he will face an Arizona defense that is just average at defending beyond the arc, allowing opponents to make 31.7% (170th in the nation). The SportsLine Projection Model says the Huskies have a 65% chance to cover and assigns a “B” grade to UConn -7.5.
No. 11 Alabama vs. No. 8 Illinois
Time: 9 p.m. | Location: Chicago | TV: FS1 | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)
SportsLine picks — Model: Alabama +142
On most other nights, this Alabama-Illinois game would be the marquee college basketball matchup. But despite playing second fiddle on Wednesday, this is still a high-level game between two teams capable of getting to Indianapolis in April. Both teams are highly efficient on the offensive end; the Illini rank fourth (124.1 points per 100 possessions), while the Tide are 11th (121.7). Illinois’ 7-foot-1 center Tomislav Ivisic, who scored 21 points in 23 minutes in his only action this season, is not certain to play because of a bone bruise that has kept him out of the last three games. The SportsLine Projection Model says the Crimson Tide have a 45% chance to win and assigns a “B” grade to Alabama money line (+142).
College football best bets, where to watch
Miami (Ohio) at Buffalo
Time: 7 p.m. | Location: Buffalo | TV: ESPN2 | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)
SportsLine picks — Model: Miami -2.5
Two MAC teams fighting to stay in the conference title hunt do battle when the Miami RedHawks and Buffalo Bulls square off at UB Stadium. The RedHawks (5-5, 4-2 in MAC) and Bulls (5-5, 4-2) are in a five-way tie for second in the crowded conference standings, one game behind Western Michigan (6-4, 5-1). Neither Miami nor Buffalo can afford a loss on Wednesday. The Bulls have had trouble with turnovers this season; they have coughed the ball over 18 times while forcing just 12 turnovers. The SportsLine Projection Model says the RedHawks have a 56% chance to cover and gives a “C” grade to Miami -2.5.
Central Michigan at Kent State
Time: 7 p.m. | Location: Kent, Ohio | TV: ESPNU | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)
SportsLine picks — Model: Central Michigan -8.5
The Central Michigan Chippewas will try to keep their MAC title hopes alive when they hit the road to face the improved Kent State Golden Flashes at Dix Stadium. Like Miami and Buffalo, the Chippewas (6-4, 4-2) are also in the five-way logjam for second in the conference and would put their chances of making the MAC Championship Game in danger with a defeat on Wednesday. Meanwhile, the Golden Flashes (4-6, 3-3), who were one of the lowest-rated FBS teams entering the season, have won three of their last five games and are two wins away from bowl eligibility. Central Michigan has seemed to have found something with its passing game, averaging 218.3 passing yards over its last three games (versus 139.1 passing yards over its first seven). The SportsLine Projection Model says the Chippewas have a 56% chance to cover and assigns a “C” grade to Central Michigan -8.5.
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