NBA Picks

It’s hard to pass on the Knicks right now, they are white hot. But this is less about the Knicks being on a tear and more about how they’re winning right now. New York’s recent surge has been built on two things that translate a great opportunity to cash in here. First, they’re defending without fouling and secondly, they’re finishing possessions cleanly. Both are pivotal. The Knicks don’t give away free points and they don’t leave many points on the table. That puts the pressure on Denver, if they want to compete here, let alone cover.

The other angle is market expectation. New York laying this many points against a team of the Nuggets’ profile may seem a bit ludicrous. But while the instinct is to fade inflated numbers, sometimes the number being so large is telling. Here it says the Knicks are the superior team. Denver can absolutely win, but on the road, if their margin is built on offense first, their only hope is to get stuck trading baskets. New York’s current form allows them to create separation by default because the Knicks give away less points and make the most of the chances they are given. That’s a script for a cover here. New York is the call here.

Nuggets vs Knicks prediction: Knicks -5.5 (-110) available at time of publishing. Playable to -6.

Minnesota can score, but they’re a defensive team first. The Wolves are also one of the better teams in the league at turning games into half-court possessions. Minnesota is comfortable winning via defense and rebounding; Toronto is also comfortable winning via structure, not chaos. The Raptors also bode a top-ten scoring defense and hang their hat on contested attempts while lowering opponent field goal efficiency. All of this leans towards the under.

You don’t need a rock fight to cash in on this under, but that’s likely what we are going to see. The fact that the point spread (-1) is so tight, suggests that this will be a game of possessions. The thing is, this isn’t the Jazz playing the Bulls where it can turn into a track meet. Neither party prefers to play that style of basketball. A few stretches where defenses dictate and shots don’t fall leads to this contest being one that is low-scoring. This matchup is built to create those stretches naturally and that makes 225 beatable at the under.

Timberwolves vs Raptors prediction: Under 225 (-110) available at time of publishing. Playable to the number.

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Fresh off their impressive win in Dallas, Jaylen Brown and his Celtics continue their tour of Texas as they take on the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night. Boston will be looking to get revenge for a blowout loss suffered at the hands of the Rockets back in early November, it finished 128-101 in favor Houston. Whether or not the newest Celtic Nikola Vucevic makes his debut in this game remains to be seen, his ability to impact the scoring both on the inside and outside would definitely be of use against a team like the Rockets.

Houston is also on a 3-game win streak, just like their opponent. And just like their opponent all three teams they beat have losing records, so this stretch of wins shouldn’t come as a surprise. Kevin Durant decided to skip the Indiana game with an ankle issue, although he’s listed as day-to-day ahead of Wednesday’s game, chances are very high he will be able to suit up here. That’s massive for the Rockets who have had their fair share of bad luck on the injury front. They’ve coped well with the absence of Steven Adams, but I’m interested to see if they can continue doing so once the schedule gets a bit tougher.

Houston has been one of the better three-point defending teams in the NBA, however they’ve slipped in their last 3 games allowing teams to shoot 38.6% from distance which is an increase of almost 4% compared to their season average. As we all know the Celtics rely heavily on that shot, if they can get it going I can see them keeping things close or even pulling off the upset here. Boston is also 5-3 SU in 8 games when playing with no rest, plus in head-to-head meetings they’re 8-3 SU in 11 games played. I’ll give the Cs the benefit of the doubt and back them to cover.

Boston Celtics vs Houston Rockets Predictions: Celtics +5.5 is available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.

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Only the Sacramento Kings have a worse record in the Western Conference right now than the New Orleans Pelicans do. And yet, the Pels enter Wednesday’s game against the shorthanded Bucks as 4.5-point favorites. This will be their 3rd game of a 4-game road trip following losses to Philadelphia and Charlotte. Milwaukee looks like a slightly easier opponent on paper, but then again can we really trust New Orleans here after they’ve won just 4 of 20 games on the road and just 5 times in 20 games overall?

The Bucks surprised a lot of people by beating the Chicago Bulls last night and putting 131 points on them, following back-to-back games of them failing to clear the 100 point mark. With the trade deadline fast approaching all eyes will be on Milwaukee as they try to find a suitor for Giannis Antetokounmpo. Playing without the Greek Freak has been rough on this team, with their offense struggling to put up points. However, if there is a silver lining ahead of Wednesday’s game it’s the fact that this team is 3-3 SU in games played with no rest.

It’s really hard to pinpoint to either side having a clear advantage in one area ahead of this match-up. They’ve both been bad this season, but there’s one consistent that’s been trending in head-to-head meetings that I think we can count on continuing in this game as well and that’s in the scoring department. The over has cashed 15 times in 18 meetings with an average of 241 points per game scored in the 10 most recent games between these two. The projected total is set at a relatively low 222.5 points due to all the issues the two teams are having, but I still feel like it’s a solid bet. Back the points.

New Orleans Pelicans vs Milwaukee Bucks Predictions: Over 222.5 is available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.

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This matchup is a clash of basketball philosophies. Cleveland prefers to win with tempo, throwing up threes, and offensive flow. When the Cavaliers get comfortable, their spacing and pace can overwhelm opponents in waves. The Clippers, however, are built to take that comfort away. Their recent improvement hasn’t been accidental. After a rough 6–15 start, Los Angeles leaned into a small-ball identity that prioritizes switching, discipline, and forcing offenses deeper into the shot clock.

That matters because Cleveland’s attack is rhythm-based. When possessions extend and the shots don’t fall, the Cavs can hit a wall. The Clippers excel at turning games into half-court contests where shot selection and execution matter more than pace. That slows Cleveland’s scoring engine and reduces the separation their offense usually creates. Another angle is variance. The Cavaliers’ perimeter-heavy approach leaves them vulnerable to shooting swings; a merely average night can make them ordinary. The Clippers, by contrast, generate points through controlled possessions and defensive stops, which travel more reliably from game to game. In a game defined by style control, Los Angeles is positioned to dictate terms and grind out the win. Clips win this one outright.

Cavaliers vs Clippers prediction: Clippers +110 (ML) available at time of publishing. Playable to the number.

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