NBA Picks

The Cleveland Cavaliers have won 4 of their last 5 games, and they will be looking to keep their win streak alive against the Orlando Magic. The Magic have struggled recently, losing by double digits against the Memphis Grizzlies and the Charlotte Hornets in their last two games. In both losses, Orlando got beaten up inside the painted area. They allowed 58 points in the paint against the Grizzlies, and they were out-rebounded by the Hornets 47 to 31. The Cavaliers have one of the best front courts in the NBA, consisting of Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley, and they could prove to be a difficult matchup for the Magic, who will again be without Franz Wagner.

Looking at the Cavalier’s backcourt, Cleveland has needed to find ways to score with guard Darius Garland sidelined with injury. Defenses have been locked into stopping Donovan Mitchell with Garland out. Mitchell is averaging 25.9 points per game in his last 10 games, a slight decrease from his 29 points per game he averages for the season. The player that has stepped up in the absence of Garland has been Jaylon Tyson. Tyson is averaging 19.6 points in his last 5 games. His effort has allowed Cleveland’s back court to operate without Garland without missing a beat. 

Cavaliers +2 is available at the time of publishing. Playable to Cavs ML (+100)

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Each of the last 4 meetings between the Boston Celtics and the Chicago Bulls have come in under the 230-point mark. It has something that has been a common occurrence for the visitors recently too, with 7 of their last 10 games following suit in regulation. That is hardly a surprise considering that during that stretch of games the team has ranked 28th in pace. Considering the Celtics will be on the back end of a back-to-back set, do not be surprised to see them slow it down even further. Derrick White looks set to make his return too after being rested yesterday and considering he is their second best player in terms of defensive rating in their starting lineup, they should be at their defensive best.

Over the last 10 games the Celtics have been one of the best teams in the league at slowing down teams in transition. They are 4th in the league in opponent fast break points per game during that time and should be able to force the Bulls to play at their tempo. The hosts have been far from great at scoring at home this season too, averaging 3.5 fewer points in front of their home fans than on the road. If they cannot improve on that here, the under should be the bet to make.

Boston Celtics vs Chicago Bulls prediction: Under 230 (-110) available at time of publishing. Playable at that number. 

Cooper Flagg and the Dallas Mavericks will have the national spotlight on Saturday when they host the Los Angeles Lakers. The Mavericks are continuing to try to work their way back to a .500, and they have gotten closer thanks to a 4-game winning streak. To make it five straight wins, the Mavericks will need to knock off the Lakers despite missing some key big men. Anthony Davis and Dereck Lively II will both continue to miss time for Dallas, but forward Daniel Gafford is expected to play through an ankle injury tonight. All eyes on this game will be looking at Luka Doncic in his second game back to Dallas since being traded away. Doncic scored 45 points in a winning effort in his first game back in Dallas near the end of last season. Doncic will need to have another big effort if he hopes to get the Lakers back on track.

Los Angeles has been in a funk in the past month, losing 10 of their last 17 games. With the trade deadline approaching, potential roster movements could be in the back of the mind of some Lakers players heading into this game. I like the Mavericks on their home floor in this matchup. They are tied for the longest win streak in the NBA, and they have been solid on the offensive end of the floor. In their last win against the Golden State Warriors, the Mavericks shot 50% from the field, and they outscored the Warriors 39-26 in the 4th quarter. Players such as Dwight Powell and P.J. Washington has stepped up in the place of the Maverick’s injuries. I would like to see Dallas get their first win tonight against Doncic since the trade.

Lakers vs Mavericks prediction: Dallas +4 is available at the time of publishing. Playable at that number.

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I was very disappointed with the Miami Heat in their last game against Portland as they allowed the Trail Blazers to run them over 127-110. The road trip resumes in Salt Lake City on Saturday against a seemingly weaker opponent, but one that cannot be underestimated. Especially since we see Norman Powell, Pelle Larsson and Davion Mitchell all on the injury report as questionable, with Kel’el Ware and Tyler Herro already ruled out. Miami’s form against the spread in head-to-head meetings isn’t ideal either, they’ve failed to cover in 5 straight vs the Jazz and are 2-5 ATS in 7 visits to Utah.

Utah’s only strength going into Saturday’s game that they can use is their offensive firepower. This is the worst defense in the league, so it’s no wonder they are 15 games under the .500 mark. They just got beat by the San Antonio Spurs 126-109, their 4th loss in 5 games by double-digits. On occasions this team can surprise opponents, especially at home where they are 10-13 SU this season. Just 4 days ago we saw them beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 127-122 at the Delta Center, thanks to 43 points from Keyonte George. The talented guard is the primary threat on offense in Lauri Markkanen’s absence, this is a massive learning experience for him with the keys of the offense in his hands.

Miami is the odds on favorite here, but after seeing their loss to Portland I am not convinced they are a good bet here. Utah plays a similar style to Portland, if they have Markkanen at their disposal here they won’t go away easily. I’ll go for the upset here and back the Jazz to get the upset win.

Miami Heat vs Utah Jazz Predictions: Jazz ML (+200) available at time of publishing. Playable to +160.

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The recent struggles of the New York Knicks have been well documented. While they were able to end their 4-game losing streak with dominant display against the Brooklyn Nets, they could find it harder up against the Philadelphia 76ers here. The Knicks have struggled on their travels this season, winning just 8 of 20 games. They also have Karl-Anthony Towns listed as questionable, which is not something you want when going up against Joel Embiid. The 76ers superstar has scored 30 or more points in each of his last 3 games. If the Knicks cannot match his offensive production from the center position, getting a win could be tricky on the road.

Efficiency has been an issue for the Knicks, with the team sitting at 23rd in true shooting percentage over the last 10 games. With the 76ers knocking on the doors of the top 10 in defensive rating, ranking 11th during that stretch, they should be able to contain the visitors. Prior to their game against the Nets, the visitors allowed a number of guards like Max Christie and Devin Booker to score at least 25 points against them. Against a backcourt containing Tyrese Maxey, they could get burned again. After all, the 76ers guard is averaging 33 points per game against them this season, with the 76ers winning both games. It’s hard to look past them today.

New York Knicks vs Philadelphia 76ers prediction: 76ers -1 (-105) available at time of publishing. Playable to 76ers -2.5.

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The Golden State Warriors meet the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday in the front end of a back-to-back set in the Twin Cities, as these teams also play on Monday. Saturday’s game is the second stop on a 4-game road trip for the Dubs. Golden State is looking to rebound from a 123-115 loss as 6.5-point favorites on Thursday, dropping its second straight outing after a 4-0 win and cover streak. The Over has cashed in 5 consecutive games for Golden State, too, which points me in the direction of a high-scoring game in this one.

Minnesota enters on a 4-game skid, while going just 1-3 ATS in the past 4 outings, and 2-5 ATS across the previous 7 outings. Defense has let the Timberwolves down lately, allowing 120 or more points in each of the past three games. The T-Wolves are allowing 124.3 PPG in the past 3 outings, too. It’s hard to trust Minnesota to lay the points when it is giving up so many points in recent games. However, the Timberwolves have won and covered 5 in a row in this series, with the Over going 4-1 in the past 5 outings. Initially, the play looked to be the Timberwolves, but the better option is going over on the total.

Warriors vs Timberwolves prediction: Over 234.5 (-110) at time of publishing. Playable to 236.

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