NBA Picks

After an odd pair of games against the Philadelphia 76ers and a split, the Toronto Raptors now head to Indianapolis for a date with the suddenly hot Pacers. I say odd because Toronto won the first game without Brandon Ingram in the line-up, then proceeded to lose by double-digits when he returned on the 2nd night of that back-to-back. Once again he is on the injury report ahead of Wednesday’s game, but should be ready to play. More importantly for Toronto is the absence of RJ Barrett here. When he doesn’t play the offensive rating is at 107.9, compared to 120.6 when he play. Their record also reflects his availability, the Raptors are just 8-10 SU without Barrett and 16-7 SU with him.

Don’t look now, but the Indiana Pacers have just connected 3 wins in a row and are currently on their longest win streak of the season. It took them almost 3 months to achieve this feat, can we say they are finally out of the woods in terms of injuries? Well, not quite. Tyrese Haliburton isn’t coming back, plus Mathurin, Jackson and Obi Toppin all remain out of the line-up. A play-in tournament is probably out of reach, but the Pacers are still playing with a lot of pride and this recent run shows us that they haven’t completely given up on this season.

In two meetings this season Toronto recorded two wins, but the last time these two met only 2 points separated them. After that lackluster performance against Philly I am not sure I am able to trust the Raptors here. Indiana has finally found some stability, especially at the point guard position which has helped steady the ship a little. I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt and back them to cover at home.

Toronto Raptors vs Indiana Pacers: Pacers +2.5 is available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.

The mini 3-game road trip that the Nets are currently on finally ends tonight, as they take on the struggling New Orleans Pelicans. With just 1 win since 2026 began, the Nets aren’t exactly doing well themselves, but on certain occasions they pull off a surprise or two. Wednesday might be one of those games as they face a Pelicans team who they’ve dominated in recent meetings, going 11-3 SU in 14 games and covering in 11 of the last 15 head-to-head. There’s also good news on the injury front with MPJ returning with 28 against the Mavs the other day, he is expected to play once again which would be a major boost to their offensive capabilities.

New Orleans is also on a losing streak, following their 122-116 defeat to the Nuggets the other day. Unlike the Nets who are struggling for quality offense, the Pelicans are having major issues defending the basket. Teams are scoring 122.4 points per game on them, that ranks the Pels 28th in the NBA only ahead of the Wizards and Jazz. In home games they are even worse at 123 points allowed per game, so even the somewhat offensively limited Nets could have an easy scoring game here if the Pelicans don’t do something about it. It takes time to change bad habits, I feel like until major roster changes are made these Pelicans won’t be able to stop teams from scoring the basketball.

About a month ago these two teams met in Brooklyn and the Nets won 119-101, getting 35 points from MPJ and holding the Pels to just 36% shooting from three. With the Pelicans winning only once in 12 games and currently on a 6-game losing streak, I cannot justify backing them here. Take the Nets.

Brooklyn Nets vs New Orleans Pelicans Predictions: Nets -2 is available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.

The New York Knicks make the third stop in a four-game trip through the Western Conference. While this game certainly looks like a favorable matchup, with the Sacramento Kings 20 games under .500, be very careful. The Knicks picked up a 123-114 win as 5.5-point favorites on Sunday in Portland, and they’re 2-1 straight up (SU) and against the spread (ATS) in the past three games. However, New York is still just 2-7 ATS in its past nine games, and 4-10 ATS across the previous 14 contests. The Knicks have failed to cover in seven of the past eight road games, too.

The Sacramento Kings have struggled all season, but lately they’ve been a big thorn in the side of some contenders, especially the Houston Rockets. Sacramento won 111-98 at home as a 14.5-point underdog on Sunday against the Rockets, and it turned around on no rest to dispatch the Los Angeles Lakers 124-112, winning outright as a 9.5-point home ‘dog. The Kings are 3-1 ATS in the past four games, and it is a respectable 8-6 ATS across the past 14 games since Dec. 18. Let’s look for the Kings to cover as double-digit underdogs.

Kings +11 (-110) at time of publishing. Playable to +9.5.

The Washington Wizards pull into Los Angeles for the second stop on a four-game road trip. It didn’t start very well, falling 112-93 in Phoenix on Sunday, coming nowhere near a cover as a 15-point underdogs. Washington is 0-3 against the spread (ATS) in the past three games. The Under is 3-1 in the past outings, too, and 7-2 in the past nine games since Dec. 28. It’s scary playing the Under in Washington games, as their defense has been terrible at times, including 128 or more points in three of the past five games. But, the offense is struggling mightily, going for just 103.3 PPG on offense in the past three games.

The Clippers topped the suddenly resurgent Charlotte Hornets 117-109 as 5-point favorites, cashing for the third consecutive game. L.A. has also won three in a row. While the Wizards have been going Under frequently, the Clippers are 3-1 to the Over in the past four games, so that’s a bit of a concern. However, the Clippers have allowed 109 or fewer points in three straight games, and 10 of the past 12 games. Washington is going to have a whale of a time trying to select the Clippers, especially on their road in their place. Go low, and feel confident in doing so.

Under 224.5 (-110) at time of publishing. Playable to 223.5.