NBA Picks

The Atlanta Hawks will be trying to get back on the winning track when they entertain the Golden State Warriors on Saturday. Atlanta had won 11 games in a row before falling at Houston on Friday. Both teams are playing the second leg of a back-to-back situation, as Golden State lost at Detroit last night. Given that the Hawks are the much deeper side, playing on no rest should be an advantage for them. And despite the result against Houston, they are still playing great basketball in general. As such, my Warriors vs Hawks prediction is for the home team to win and cover.

Things got out of hand for the Hawks pretty quickly in the third quarter, so they pretty much punted on that game against the Rockets with plenty of time to spare. Jalen Johnson was the only player who logged more than 25 minutes. They should have plenty left in the tank for today’s contest, especially back in front of the home crowd — where they have not lost in more than a month (knee). Jonathan Kuminga (knee soreness management) sat out on Friday, so you have to think he will be good to go to face his former team — a team that he would really love to light up given how his tenure in Golden State ended. Meanwhile, the Warriors are 1-7 in their last 8 games and 3 of their last 4 setbacks have come by double-digits.

Warriors vs Hawks prediction: Atlanta -10 (-110) available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.

The San Antonio Spurs have been able to win 9 of their last 10 games, facing off against some strong opposition in the process. Just 2 of their opponents were currently outside of the playoff or play-in picture. The last time they faced a team that has been outside of those positions resulted in a 28-point win against the Sacramento Kings. Tonight, they will host the Indiana Pacers. The visitors head into this contest with an extensive list of names on the injury report. One of the 11 names is Ivica Zubac who has recently been ruled out for the remainder of the season.

This will also be a clash between the team leading the NBA in net offensive and defensive rating over the last 10 games and the team that is dead last. This Pacers team has been very poor defensively, allowing teams to score 127 or more points in each of their last 3 games. Taking on a team that is second in true shooting percentage over the last 10 contests should mean the streak is extended here. If Siakam joins Zubac on the sidelines, it is hard to see how the Pacers will get their points inside. Victor Wembanyama is already going to make scoring in the paint difficult and without the pair, the Pacers should be too short of firepower. Expect the Spurs to dominate.

Indiana Pacers vs San Antonio Spurs prediction: Spurs -19 available at time of publishing. Playable to Spurs -20.5.

The Heat and Rockets have something in common – they both got obliterated by Luka Doncic and the Lakers recently. Houston was able to bounce back from their two losses against LA, now it’s time to see if the Heat can do the same. Miami’s defense has been suspect over the past 3 games with them allowing 134, 136 and 121 points. We are 70 games into the season and head coach Erik Spoelstra is still experimenting with his starting unit. We just saw Norman Powell get benched for the Lakers game on Thursday, in my opinion moves like these can only be counterproductive this late in the season and this is exactly why the defense is struggling to adjust.

Houston’s main worry here is the fact they’re playing with no rest, following last night’s big win over Atlanta. In this scenario they’re just 5-6 SU in 11 games, against a team like Miami it could be a struggle to keep up offensively. The Heat play the NBA’s fastest pace, averaging 105.7 possessions per game, Houston is only 28th in this are averaging just 98.3 per game. The three-ball of the Rockets has also been very inconsistent over the past 10 games, with them scoring single digit threes in 5 of those games. Only 3 times during those 10 games have they shot 50% or better from the field, raising further skepticism about their chances in tonight’s game.

There’s something about Miami that gets them going in this match-up. They beat the Rockets in late February 115-105 in the first meeting of the season, it was their 10th win in 11 meetings. They are also on a 5-game win streak in games played at Toyota Center and have the rest advantage here. I’ll take my chances with the Heat.

Miami Heat vs Houston Rockets Predictions: Heat +2 is available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.

The Los Angeles Clippers travel to face the Dallas Mavericks in a Western Conference matchup where current form and roster stability give the edge to Los Angeles. The Clippers have hovered around the playoff picture, producing a balanced profile on both ends with efficient half court offense and improved defensive consistency. Kawhi Leonard continues to lead as the primary scorer and two way presence, while new acquisition Darius Garland facilitates the offense and keeps the pace under control. When healthy, the Clippers have leaned on execution in late game situations, allowing them to stay competitive against both top and mid tier teams.

The Dallas Mavericks, meanwhile, have struggled to find consistency throughout the season, particularly on the defensive end. They remain one of the lower ranked teams in points allowed per game, often giving up efficient looks both in transition and in the half court. While young contributors like Cooper Flagg have provided scoring flashes and energy, the team has had difficulty sustaining production over full games. The season series has been competitive, but overall trends still favor Los Angeles due to their defensive structure and ability to execute offensively in key moments. With more stability and clearer identity on both ends, the Clippers are in a stronger position to control tempo and create separation late in the game.

Clippers vs Mavericks Prediction: Clippers -7 (-110) available at time of publishing. Playable to that number

The Philadelphia 76ers travel to face the Utah Jazz in a matchup that leans toward offense given both teams’ defensive profiles. Philadelphia enters 38-32, averaging 115.6 points per game on 46% shooting, while allowing 116.1 points per game, highlighting their defensive inconsistency. Despite injuries, the 76ers have shown offensive upside, including a 139-118 win over Sacramento, driven by strong perimeter shooting and contributions from a young core. With both teams hitting 34.7% from three point range, this game has the potential to turn into a perimeter heavy scoring battle.

Utah has struggled defensively all season, allowing 124.8 points per game and ranking 29th in defensive rating (121.8) while sitting at 21-49. However, the Jazz can still generate offense, with Lauri Markkanen and Keyonte George capable of producing scoring runs. Recent results include a 128-96 win over Milwaukee, showing their ability to contribute to high totals. While a prior meeting ended 106-102, current trends point toward a more open contest due to pace and defensive struggles. With both teams averaging over 115 points per game, this matchup sets up well for a high scoring game.

76ers vs Jazz Prediction: Over 229.5 (-110) available at time of publishing. Playable to 230.5

The Oklahoma City Thunder have been locked in defensively of late. Over their last 7 games they have held teams to below 105 points on 5 occasions. They will not be taking on a Washington Wizards team that ranks down in 26th in offensive rating over the last 10 games. The hosts have several injury concerns ahead of this matchup with Trae Young remaining out. A player like Tr Johnson, who has given them consistent scoring of late, is questionable to play too. The Thunder will be coming into the game with a relatively clean bill of health and should have Isaiah Hartenstein back after he missed their last game. His size will make it much harder to score in the paint for the hosts.

While the Thunder have been able to put together a 10-game winning streak, they have been able to do so despite struggles from the perimeter. During that stretch they have been making just 32.7% of their 3-point attempts, good enough for only 28th in the NBA. That inefficiency could really cap their scoring potential tonight. It is no surprise then that over the last 10 games they have scored more than 125 points in regulation just once. Considering their defensive performance might require that sort of scoring from them for this line to clear, the under look like the better play to make.

Oklahoma City Thunder vs Washington Wizards prediction: Under 231 (-110) available at time of publishing. Playable to under 230.

The Cleveland Cavaliers could be in for an unexpected tough test against the New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday. The Pelicans are 21 games under .500, but they have been playing competitive basketball the past couple of weeks. New Orleans has a record of 10-4 in their last 14 games, and they have some wins over playoff teams such as the Clippers, Raptors, and 76ers during that span. The Pelicans will have the chance to add another win to their total tonight on their home floor against Cleveland.

The Cavaliers are the more banged up team heading into this matchup. Donovan Mitchell and Jaylon Tyson are both listed as questionable at the time of writing and their status should be monitored as we get closer to tip-off. Jarrett Allen will also miss this game, leaving Evan Mobely to take on a bigger role defending the paint. This could be a tough task against the Pelicans’ pair of 6 ‘8 ” slashing wings in Saddiq Bey and Trey Murphy III. Bey is averaging 17.4 points per game, while Murphy is averaging 22 points. This duo will be difficult for Cleveland to slow down, especially with Mobely’s main attention on Zion Williamson. I do think the Pelicans are alive on the moneyline for this game. They have been playing great basketball as of late, especially on the home court. They have won their last seven games on their home floor, and it is not impossible for them to extend it to eight tonight, especially if Mitchell does not play. I will back the Pelicans and the points just in case Mitchell does suit up, but regardless I don’t think the Pelicans will rollover quietly and let their home winning streak end with a blowout. 

Pelicans +4.5 is available at the time of publishing. Playable at that number.

Can we finally put to bed the debate whether or not the Lakers are real contenders? Luka Doncic is doing his best to do just that. He just exploded for 60 points in the big win at Miami on Thursday, the Lakers are now headed to Orlando in an effort to extend their win streak to 9 games in a row. Pulling off a win like that in Miami while playing on a 2nd night of a back-to-back was extremely impressive, you could see how exhausted Doncic was at the end of that game playing his 3rd game in 4 nights. Revenge will be on the mind of the Lakers who lost to the Magic about a month ago at home 110-109, in a game in which Luka went for just 22 points on 8-for-24 shooting.

Paolo Banchero excelled in that win for Orlando with 36 points, 10 rebounds and 6 assists, Magic fans are hoping he can repeat that performance on Saturday as their team tries to reverse a 3-game losing streak. Orlando has now dropped to 6th in the East, but there’s no need to hit the panic button just yet as they can still very much catch and overtake the Raptors in 5th who are just 1 game ahead. Orlando’s calling card in this game will be their home form – they’ve won 22 of 35 games at Kia Center and are 4-1 SU in their last 5 played there entering Saturday’s game.

Luka is on a heater we haven’t seen in decades from a Lakers player; he is now 2nd in the MVP race as well according to some analysts. A win here would go a long way for the Lakers, they’ve now created a 2.5 game gap for the 3rd seed in the West ahead of Houston and Denver. No team in the NBA has a better win percentage in clutch games than the Lakers (77.8%), if we get another close finish, it’s hard to bet against Luka right now. Take the Lakers

LA Lakers vs Orlando Magic Predictions: Lakers -3 is available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.

The Charlotte Hornets remain to be one of the hottest teams in the NBA. They have won 10 of their last 13 games, and continue to rise up the Eastern Conference standings. They will get another chance to add a win to their resume tonight when they take on the Memphis Grizzlies. The Grizzlies sit near the bottom of the Western Conference standings, but they have been very competitive in their last two outings against playoff teams. Last Wednesday, the Grizzlies beat the Denver Nuggets 125-118, and they took the Boston Celtics down to the wire yesterday, losing 117-112. 

If the Grizzlies want to keep this game close, they will need to do it after traveling into Charlotte from  Memphis last night. With the short turnaround for the Grizzlies, I like the Hornets and their offense to take care of business tonight. The Hornets offense has been hot during this home streak. They defeated the Orlando Magic 130-111 and the Miami Heat 136-106, shooting 53% in both games. These teams played earlier in the season in Memphis, and the Hornets controlled the game throughout, eventually winning 112-97 behind 26 points from Brandon Miller. The Grizzlies have struggled this year, only winning nine games since the year turned to 2026. If fatigue causes them to have a poor shooting night, they certainly are in danger of getting blown out. 

Hornets -17.5 is available at the time of publishing. Playable at that number.