Fright Night: Which NBA Teams Are The Scariest to Face on Halloween?

As the NBA preseason draws to a close and with the regular season in sight, Halloween is nearly here, which is, of course, associated with horror stories, scary films and haunted houses - but for ardent NBA fans, the scariest tales are told on the court. 

Whether it be the daunting prospect of facing a peak Michael Jordan with a dominant Chicago Bulls team in the ’90s, or a modern day LeBron James with the Los Angeles Lakers, some players probably think the game is over before it’s even started when facing these nightmare opponents. 

With all this considered, Gambling.com took a look at the “Scariest (best) NBA teams on Halloween” — ahead of the spooky celebrations. The research team analyzed historical NBA data from 2001 to identify which teams have won (and lost) the most games when playing on Oct. 31 — as well as which franchises have clocked up the most points per game. 

So what teams are the biggest nightmare for their opposition to play against? And which players dish out more tricks than treats? 

After the numbers were bone-crunched, the Utah Jazz are statistically the scariest (best) NBA team when it comes to playing on Halloween. Their win rate of 71%, with a total of 781 points, should send a shiver down the spine of many opposition teams. The Jazz have played seven times on Oct. 31 since 2001 with an impressive record of five wins and two losses.

The runners-up are the Lakers. Los Angeles had the same win rate of 71% but clocked up a lower points total (760) than the Jazz, which contributed to the Lakers missing out on top spot. Also playing seven times on Halloween since 2001, the Lakers have an identical record of five wins and two losses — hard luck, LeBron.

The Toronto Raptors are third and take the final place on our cobweb-covered podium. The Raptors, like the two teams above them, have the same win rate of 71% but have the lowest points total of the Top 3 with 724. You think Drake would have bet on that?

The Dallas Mavericks and Miami Heat are 4th and 5th, respectively, with a tied 67% win rate — and both teams also share a record of four wins and two losses on Halloween. 

At the other end of the rankings, the Detroit Pistons are the least scary team to face on Halloween. The Michigan team had a dismal win percentage of just 14% — the lowest by far. The New York Knicks and Washington Wizards are next in the inverted rankings.

As the new basketball season finally gets underway this month, sports bettors will be considering whether historical trends should be factored into their wagers when they place bets with the Best NBA Betting Sites — but as the Halloween fixtures approach, it would be worth taking into account what a team’s record is like on fright night!

H2: Methodology 

In order to work out the "Scariest NBA teams on Halloween," Gambling.com analyzed historical NBA data from Basketball Reference for the following:

• NBA team wins when played on Oct. 31 from 2001 to 2022
• NBA team points when played on Oct. 31 from 2001 to 2022
• A win percentage was generated by games played and wins per NBA team
• NBA teams were then aggregated from top to bottom by win rate. Teams are ranked by highest win % and then by most total points if tied. 
• All data collected and correct on 10/20/2023. 

Source- Basketball Reference