NBA Picks

The Jazz and Mavs run it back just 2 days after their match-up in Dallas which saw 266 points scored. From Utah’s perspective it was a game to forget. They led for only 3% of the game according to ESPN’s stats and info, being down as much as 38 points at one point. Lauri Markkanen is expected to miss Saturday’s game as well, the Jazz have not won in Dallas since the 2019-20 season and the chances of them reversing that trend aren’t all that high going into this game.

Klay Thompson turned back the clock in that game on Thursday scoring 26 points, including 5 threes off the bench. He moved into 4th place on the NBA’s all-time three pointers made list with a solid chance of catching Ray Allen in 3rd before it’s all said and done. Although the Mavs haven’t impressed with their W/L record this season, they’ve been very consistent covering the spread in home games lately, doing so 8 times in 10 outings. Cooper Flagg and P.J. Washington are both listed as day-to-day still, but they could return after sitting out Thursday’s game.

With not much changing in the last 48 hours, I would imagine both teams will stick to their style of plays here which should result in another high scoring game. The projected total did increase a bit after the outpour of points on Thursday, but that shouldn’t discourage us from backing the over once again.

Jazz vs Mavericks prediction: Over 242.5 (-110) available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.

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The Atlanta Hawks will be hoping to halt a 2-game losing streak when they host the Boston Celtics on Saturday night. Atlanta won the first 2 contests during its recent Western Conference road trip, but it failed to be competitive on the last 2 stops. Head coach Quin Snyder’s crew lost to the Lakers by 25 points and then to the Trail Blazers by 16 on Thursday. Now the Hawks have just 1 day off following a long trip before facing a top-2 team in the East. They will have to do it without Kristaps Porzingis, too, as the big man is dealing with Achilles’ tendinitis. Dyson Daniels is also questionable for Saturday due to an ankle injury.

Boston rebounded from a 2-game skid of its own by beating Miami 119-114 on Thursday. That marked the Celtics’ first game since Monday, so they are extremely well rested. Head coach Joe Mazzulla’s squad is dealing with an injury of its own with Payton Pritchard doubtful because of an ankle issue, but that should not present much of a problem for the visitors. That means more playing time for Anfernee Simons (14.1 ppg), who exploded for 37 points in the victory over the Heat. Simons has been in outstanding form for a while now. He has scored at least 13 points in 9 of the past 10 contests and at least 15 in 6 of the last 7. It’s also worth noting that Boston is a solid 13-8 on the road this season; Atlanta is a dreadful 7-11 at home.

Celtics vs Hawks prediction: Boston -3.5 (-110) available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.

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Not a lot of people saw a run of 4 wins in 5 games coming from the Indiana Pacers, but here we are. Their most recent triumph came against the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday, which means they have no rest ahead of Saturday’s game against the top team in the Conference the Detroit Pistons. As a result we get a +12.5 spread on the Pacers here, which could entice some people given their recent run and the fact that the Pistons could be without their best player here. We should also note that Indiana has covered in 8 of 10 meetings and has actually beaten the Pistons 7 times in the last 10 games, however most of those wins came when they were at full strength.

The Pistons also come into this one having won 4 of 5 games, but unlike the Pacers they do it on the defensive end holding teams to under 100 points in 3 of their last 4 wins. There’s a stark contrast in the styles of play these two teams display on a nightly basis, I’m curious to see which one prevails, especially if the Pistons are without Cade once again. The first 2 meetings went Detroit’s way, in both of them they scored 120+ points, but interestingly enough they are just 1-4 ATS in 5 home games against Indiana.

All of a sudden the Pacers look really good, but they’ve not had the best of times in games without rest this season, losing 4 of 6. Their last 3 losses in this scenario were by 26, 17 and 31 points. I’m going with the more consistent Pistons here.

Pacers vs Pistons prediction: Detroit -12.5 (-110) available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.

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No team in the NBA has won bettors more money on spread bets than the Phoenix Suns have. They head into Saturday’s game at MSG vs the Knicks as 5-point dogs, hoping to add to their 29-12 ATS record this season. They actually beat the Knicks in a home game a week ago by 5 points, however things will be a lot more difficult this time around as the Suns are just 1-4 SU in 5 games on the road. They could also be without their best player Devin Booker who is listed as day-to-day with an ankle problem. His performances at MSG are well documented, it would be a big blow not having him around.

Speaking of players that could potentially miss this game, the Knicks could also be without their best player Jalen Brunson who missed the last game at Golden State after twisting his ankle in Sacramento. Without him the Knicks didn’t stand much of a chance, losing both of those games, but their fortunes could turn around as they return back home after a 4-game West coast trip. In 20 games played at MSG they’ve lost only 4 of them, so even if Brunson isn’t able to go there won’t be a lack of confidence on their part entering this game.

I do believe the Knicks will avenge that loss from 7 days ago, but all the numbers are saying the smarter bet is Phoenix. New York has covered in just 3 of 16 games, including just once in their last 6 at home. In head-to-head meetings the Knicks are only 4-11 ATS in 15 home games vs the Suns, with all those numbers in mind I cannot trust them to win by more than 3 points here. I’ll go with the most reliable team in the NBA against the spread here.

Suns vs Knicks prediction: Phoenix +3.5 (-110) available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.

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The Minnesota Timberwolves will play their second game of a back-to-back this Saturday night when they take on the San Antonio Spurs. The Timberwolves have a record of 27-15 this season, and they are 12-9 when playing on the road. Minnesota has won three of their last five games, but they did lose last night against the Houston Rockets 110-105. Julius Randle led the team in scoring with 39 points with Anthony Edwards absent. Edwards remains listed as day-to-day heading into Saturday. The Spurs have a record of 28-13 this season, and they are 14-5 on their home court. San Antonio has won three of their last five games, and they are coming off a 119-101 win over the Milwaukee Bucks. Victor Wembanyama led the team in scoring with 22 points, and Stephon Castle added 19 points and 10 assists.

The Timberwolves have a 2-0 record this season against San Antonio. They defeated the Spurs 125-112 on November 30th and 104-103 on January 11th. Edwards led Minnesota in scoring in both of those contests, so his potential absence will give the Spurs a different look. The Timberwolves remain a competitive team, even without Edwards in the starting lineup. They are 5-4 in the nine games he has not played this season, and only one of those four losses came by more than six points. The Timberwolves have been one of the hottest teams in the NBA since late November. They have a record of 17-7 in their last 24 games, and they have increased their intensity on the defensive end. The Timberwolves are once again looking like one of the favorites in the Western Conference, and even if Edwards does not play, it is not enough to justify them as this heavy of an underdog.

Timberwolves vs Spurs prediction: San Antonio +6 (-110) available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.

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Even at just 15-26, the Charlotte Hornets are one of the more fun teams to watch on NBA League Pass. Especially when LaMelo Ball has it going, they look unstoppable. The sad part is that has not happened as many teams as their fans hoped it would, but in 2 of their last 3 games the Hornets have put up 150 and 135 points on the Jazz and Lakers. That is encouraging ahead of a game against one of the elite home teams in the NBA the Golden State Warriors. LaMelo and co. had a lot of time to rest and prepare a gameplan for this game, they’ve been one of the more reliable bets as of late, covering 7 times 9 games overall and 7 times in 8 games on the road.

With 15 wins in 21 home games, the Warriors fall into the category of elite home teams. Right now they are in midst of an 8-game homestand, having won 4 of their first 5 games at Chase Center. Their only loss came against Atlanta, a very young and athletic team, similarly constructed as Saturday’s opponent the Hornets. That fact alone should keep the Warriors on their toes ahead of this game, Steve Kerr’s team is among the oldest in the NBA. On top of that there’s also the distraction called Jonathan Kuminga, who just requested a trade. His unhappiness in the way he’s been treated is well documented, it’s only a matter of time when these two get a divorce.

Golden State is the obvious pick here, but the Hornets held their ground in the 1st meeting, losing only by 7 points at home. I’m hoping they can keep this game close, too, if the 3-ball starts going in early they’ll definitely have a chance. I’m going for the road underdog and the extra points.

Hornets vs Warriors prediction: Charlotte +6 (-110) available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.

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The Denver Nuggets will host the Washington Wizards Saturday night as the Nuggets try to stay afloat without Nikola Jokic. The Nuggets have a record of 28-13 this season, and they are 11-6 on their home floor. Denver has won their last three games, with their last win coming against the Dallas Mavericks at a score of 118-109. Jamal Murray led the team in scoring with 33 points and Aaron Gordon added 22 points. The Wizards have a record of 10-30 this season, and they are 4-17 when playing on the road. Washington has lost their last five games by an average of 17.6 points per game. Their last loss came against the Sacramento Kings at a score of 128-115. Alex Sarr led the team in scoring with 19 points, while Tre Johnson added 18 points.

The Nuggets have had some struggles, but they have ultimately continued their success this season with Jokic sidelined. Denver is 6-3 in the nine games that Jokic has missed this season. The Nuggets, a team that was considered to be top-heavy with their starting lineup, is beginning to find that they have some talent in their bench that could take this team to the next level once Jokic returns. Tim Hardaway Jr, Peyton Watson, and Zeke Nnaji have all stepped up in a big way in the Nuggets last nine games. The Nuggets are statistically the best offense in the NBA. They average a league-best 122.6 points per game, while shooting 50.2% from the field and 40.3% from 3-point range. Any momentum that the Wizards had before trading CJ McCollum is now seemingly gone. With the Wizards getting blown out in all five of their last losses, I’m not sure if they have what it takes to keep up with Denver’s offense if the Nuggets continue to roll.

Wizards vs Nuggets prediction: Denver -12.5 (-110) available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.

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Deandre Ayton, Luka Doncic, Jaxson Hayes and Austin Reaves are all expected to miss the Lakers’ game in Portland on Saturday. It’s been a tough stretch for head coach JJ Redick and his men, they’ve won only once in 4 games and have covered the spread in only 1 of those games. It’ll be up to 41-year old LeBron James to lead the charge, you have to wonder if that is a viable option against one of the more surprising teams in the NBA this season. The Lakers do have a positive head-to-head record vs Portland, but lately they’ve not done so well on the road, going just 1-5 ATS in 6 outings.

The Trail Blazers too could be shorthanded here as Deni Avdija is expected to miss only his 3rd game of the season. Unlike Luka though, he hasn’t been ruled out officially, so there is a chance he overcomes his back injury and plays. That’d be a massive boost for Portland, but even without him they were able to dispose of the Atlanta Hawks in their last game without (m)any issues. This team does not lose often in home games. In fact, it has a winning 11-10 SU record in 21 outings at Moda Center. The Blazers have also covered in 6 of their last 7 in this building, and against Pacific Division opponents they are 4-2 SU in their last 6 overall.

Playing without the engine of their team could be really problematic for the Lakers. I’m sure LeBron will put up numbers — but I am not encouraged at all after seeing the Lakers allow 135 and 124 points to the Hornets and Kings in 2 of their last 3 games. I’ll side with the more stable Trail Blazers team here.

Lakers vs Trail Blazers prediction: Portland -3.5 (-110) available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.

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