NBA Picks

Charlotte looks to bounce back from consecutive defeats to Milwaukee and Golden State, as it heads to Fiserv Forum for another date with the Bucks. This matchup concludes a 4-game regular-season series, with Milwaukee leading 2-1. How exactly do the Hornets get a win here? For starters, they’ll need to improve defensively after allowing 123 and 132 points in their last 2 games. But is it realistic to expect from them to slow down Giannis? Charlotte is among the worst teams in the league when it comes to opponent points in the paint. The Hornets allow 53.5 points per game in that area — and with Ryan Kalkbrenner and Mason Plumlee both out, they will be at Giannis’ mercy in the paint.

The Greek Freak’s return sparked the Bucks to back-to-back wins at Chicago and at Charlotte, but they fumbled the ball in their last game — which they lost by a point to the lowly Wizards. Even 33 points and 15 rebounds by Giannis weren’t enough to beat a team that’s not even close to the play-in tournament. I’m hoping the loss is a wake-up call of sorts, as the Bucks cannot afford to lose those types of games if they want to make up ground in the Eastern Conference. Winning the next 2 is a must for head coach Doc Rivers and his men, because the schedule gets a lot tougher toward the middle of January.

Just 4 days ago we saw the Bucks win by 10 points in this matchup, being ahead for 60% of that game. As Giannis gets back into rhythm following his injury, the minutes played will only go up — and so will his productivity. His Bucks are 8-2 SU in 10 meetings and a perfect 5-0 SU in 5 games at home against Charlotte. I’ll roll with Milwaukee.

Hornets vs Bucks prediction: Milwaukee -6 (-110) available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.

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Friday night will feature a matchup between the Orlando Magic and the Chicago Bulls, and it will be the third time these teams meet this season. The Bulls defeated the Magic 110-98 on October 25th, and the Magic defeated the Bulls 125-120 on December 1st. The Magic have a record of 19-15 and a road record of 8-9. Orlando has won 2 of its last 3 games, and its last win came against the Indiana Pacers 112-110. Paolo Banchero led the team in scoring with 29 points, including a go-ahead shot with 7 seconds remaining.

The Bulls have a record of 16-17 this season, and they are 9-8 when playing on the road. Chicago has lost 2 of its last 3 games, but the Bulls are coming off a 134-118 win against the New Orleans Pelicans. Isaac Okoro led the team in scoring with 24 points, and Tre Jones added 20 points and 12 assists. 

Injuries have played a major factor on both teams in the past month. The Magic have been playing without their top scorer Franz Wagner, who averages 22.7 points per game, but overall, they are starting to get healthier. Jalen Suggs returned to the lineup against Indiana, and he contributed 11 points.

The Bulls are trending in the opposite direction with injuries, as both Josh Giddey and Coby White went down with recently. Giddey and White are the Bulls’ two main playmakers, and most of the offense is run through one of these two on most possessions. We saw the Bulls adjust against New Orleans, but the end result may change against a team with a winning record. The Bulls have been inconsistent all season, and I don’t feel comfortable backing them without their two best players.

Magic vs Bulls prediction: Orlando Magic -5 is available at the time of publishing. Playable at that number.

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It’s not easy to write off a team just 2 months into the season, but I think the Sacramento Kings are pretty much out of the playoff race for good. With just 8 wins in 34 games and injuries to Zach LaVine and Domantas Sabonis, there seems to be no end in sight for their woes. They’ve lost 3 consecutive games by double-digits, and on the road, they are just 3-15 SU and in the midst of a 5-game losing streak. It’s hard to win in today’s NBA without a consistent three-point shot, and Sacramento is currently 30th in threes made per game and 23rd in three-point percentage.

Phoenix, on the other hand, ranks top-10 in both of those categories, and that’s been their calling card this entire season. Well, that and effort on the defensive end. The Suns own the 11th-best defensive rating in the Association, and in their last 3 of 4 wins, they’ve held opponents to 108 or fewer points. Jalen Green’s return from injury is nearing, as he has been out for a while with a hamstring problem. Grayson Allen has also had minor knee issues which have cost him a few games, but he too should be available soon. The situation in Phoenix is very bright at the moment, especially from a betting perspective, as the Suns have covered the spread in 6 of 7 games overall and in 12 of 16 at home.

Covering as double-digit favorites is never easy, but the Kings are in disarray right now. Russell Westbrook appears to be the only one who’s still putting in the effort; the last 3 games have seen them score only 106, 90 and 101 points. I’ll back the Suns who are 10-5 SU in home games this season.

Kings vs Suns Predictions: Phoenix Suns -11.5 is available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.

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The Oklahoma City Thunder and Golden State Warriors will go head-to-head for the third time this season when they meet again at Golden State on Friday night. Oklahoma City dominated the first 2 matchups, and it would be no surprise if more of the same transpires in this one. My Thunder vs. Warriors pick is for the visitors to win and cover. OKC cruised 126-102 at home on November 11; even when the defending NBA champions had to go on the road, they still took care of business against the Dubs 124-112 on December 2.

Exactly 1 month later, I see no reason why the tide will turn. Oklahoma City is without big men Isaiah Hartenstein (calf) and Jaylin Williams (heel), but reserve center Branden Carlson knows what he’s doing out there. The Utah product delivered 12 points, 7 rebounds and a block in 20 minutes of work during Wednesday’s 124-95 rout of Portland. Moreover, Golden State isn’t really a team that can exploit an opponent’s weakness down low. The Warriors, of course, are led by PG Stephen Curry and SF Jimmy Butler. Their center is Quinten Post — not exactly someone the Thunder have to worry about when they are playing defense. Head coach Steve Kerr’s crew is decent at home, but it is coming off an Eastern Conference road trip in which it played 3 games in the last 5 days. Even with a day off on Thursday, fatigue could be a factor. Give me OKC to win big…again.

Thunder vs Warriors prediction: Thunder -7 (-110) available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.

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