NBA Picks

What a difference one year can make. It’s like the Pistons and Cavaliers just traded spots atop of the Eastern Conference. Detroit is enjoying its most dominant season since the 2000s, while the Cavs are in the play-in tournament. If it weren’t for the two aliens from OKC and Denver having historic seasons, Cade Cunningham would have been in the MVP discussion with his 26.6 points, 6.3 rebounds and 9.7 assists per game. He has blossomed into a real leader for this team, opposing point guards are having a hard time dealing with his combination of size and quickness at the position.

Cleveland has slowly started to turn things around. They’ve now won 3 games in a row, beating 3 teams with winning records along the way, which is certainly good news. This isn’t the first time we’ve seen them do this though. They’ll connect a couple of really solid games together, tricking people into thinking they’re back on track to being the team that dominated the Eastern Conference last season. Pressure is on the Cavs on Sunday to deliver another big time performance against the Pistons, who they beat 116-95 in the first meeting back in the first week of the season.

The ending of December and start of the New Year hasn’t been the best to the Pistons with just 1 win in 4 games, but I feel like they’ll be playing Sunday’s game with a chip on their shoulder wanting to even the regular season series. Cleveland still needs to beat a few quality teams to convince me they’ve turned it around. I’ll happily side with the road team in this one.

Detroit Pistons vs Cleveland Cavaliers Predictions: Pistons +5 is available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.

If you’re looking for a new sportsbook, check out Bet365, the world’s #1 sportsbook. They have an amazing sign-up offer where you can INSTANTLY receive $150 in bonus bets from a $5 wager, regardless of whether that bet wins or loses! There’s no catch, it’s really that simple. Join Bet365 right now ⏰ in time to fade or follow our experts’ Pistons vs Cavs predictions.

It’s a new day for the Indiana Pacers and another opportunity to end an 11-game losing streak. Once again they face the Orlando Magic, only this time on the road as opposed to the duel that took place 5 days ago in Indiana. The Pacers had their chances in that game, but ultimately Paolo Banchero was too much to handle as he drained the game-winner for the Magic. Sunday’s game gets a lot tougher since it’s on the road where Indy is just 1-15 SU on the season, the spread has been upped to 6.5 points to reflect that record.

Orlando has had major issues with consistency basically since December started. Over the last 15 games they’re just 7-8 SU, while being in the bottom 10 for scoring during this stretch. Franz Wagner’s return is looming, that will be a major boost on the offensive front once he’s back. In the mean time they just lost Jalen Suggs to a knee injury, he is an integral part of the team at the guard position. Will this have an immediate effect on the team in the game on Sunday vs Indiana? Orlando enters this one having won 9 of 13 home games.

Although that home record sounds impressive, the Magic haven’t been as reliable against the spread lately covering just twice in 10 games overall. It gets even worse in head-to-head meetings vs Indy, the Pacers are 15-4 ATS in 19 visits to South Florida. Despite all the issues they’re having, I’m siding with the Pacers here and hoping they can once again keep things close like they did earlier in the week in Indy.

Indiana Pacers vs Orlando Magic Predictions: Pacers +6.5 is available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.

If you’re looking for a new sportsbook, check out Bet365, the world’s #1 sportsbook. They have an amazing sign-up offer where you can INSTANTLY receive $150 in bonus bets from a $5 wager, regardless of whether that bet wins or loses! There’s no catch, it’s really that simple. Join Bet365 right now ⏰ in time to fade or follow our experts’ Pacers vs Magic predictions.

Life continues for Denver without Nikola Jokic, but also Aaron Gordon, Christian Braun, Jonas Valanciunas and potentially even Jamal Murray who is the latest addition to the injury report with an ankle problem. They face a gritty Nets team, hoping to improve on a record of just 1 win in 4 games. Brooklyn’s defense has been tough to penetrate over the past couple of weeks, with so many players out the Nuggets could run into issues here on the offensive end. In the 2 games without their best player they’ve put up just 106 and 108 points vs Toronto and Cleveland, that was with Murray at their disposal. Without him I feel like it could be a long night.

I’ve praised the Nets defense in the past, but they’ve slipped a little over the last 3 games allowing 120, 120 and 119 vs Golden State, Houston and Washington. It was obvious that level of intensity on the defensive end wasn’t sustainable in the long run, but I have to say I was a bit disappointed with their approach in the loss to Washington the other day. Perhaps things can get better on Sunday as Michael Porter Jr. supposedly returns to the line-up. The former Nugget has missed the last 2 games, but has been listed as probable for this one as he recovers from an illness.

The Nets don’t mostly rely on defense to win games, they’ve put up less than 100 points in back-to-back games. Meanwhile, Denver is really struggling to find enough healthy bodies at the moment, The 5 players I listed that are out for this team average a combined 93.2 points per game. Do not expect a ton of points in this game. Go for the under.

Denver Nuggets vs Brooklyn Nets Predictions: Under 220.5 is available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.

If you’re looking for a new sportsbook, check out Bet365, the world’s #1 sportsbook. They have an amazing sign-up offer where you can INSTANTLY receive $150 in bonus bets from a $5 wager, regardless of whether that bet wins or loses! There’s no catch, it’s really that simple. Join Bet365 right now ⏰ in time to fade or follow our experts’ Nuggets vs Nets predictions.

The Minnesota Timberwolves will travel to take on the Washington Wizards on Sunday. The Timberwolves have a record of 22-13, and they are 10-7 on the road this season. Minnesota has won two of their last three games, with their last win coming Saturday afternoon against the Miami Heat 125-115. Anthony Edwards led the team with 33 points and 5 assists, while Naz Reid contributed 29 points in the victory. The Wizards have a record of 9-24 this season, and they are 5-11 on their home court. Washington has won four of their last five games, including their 119-99 win over the Brooklyn Nets last Friday night. Justin Champagnie led the team in scoring with 20 points, and Alex Sarr added 19 points and 5 rebounds. 

This will be the second time this season these two teams have faced off against one another. The Timberwolves defeated the Wizards 120-109 back on November 9th. Since the defeat, the Wizards have found a bit of a spark and are playing better basketball. Center Alex Sarr has been the player that has mainly stepped up for the Wizards. In his second year in the NBA, he is averaging 17.7 points and 8 rebounds per game. Sarr draws a tough matchup tonight against the four time defensive player of the year, Rudy Gobert. Another improvement for Washington has been their depth. In the Wizards last ten games, Justin Champagnie has averaged 9.8 points and Bub Carrington has averaged 13.1 points. Both totals are well above these players’ season averages. Unfortunately for Washington, Minnesota also boasts a deep bench that is led by Naz Reid. Reid has averaged 16.5 points in his last ten games. While the Wizards have been hot in their last five games, the Timberwolves have shown consistency all season long. I believe the Timberwolves have the pieces to slow down the Wizards tonight.

Timberwolves -9.5 is available at the time of publishing. Playable at that number.

If you’re looking for a new sportsbook, check out Bet365, the world’s #1 sportsbook. They have an amazing sign-up offer where you can INSTANTLY receive $150 in bonus bets from a $5 wager, regardless of whether that bet wins or loses! There’s no catch, it’s really that simple. Join Bet365 right now ⏰ in time to fade or follow our experts’ Timberwolves vs Wizards predictions.

The Miami Heat fell at the hands of the Minnesota Timberwolves last night and now find themselves on the back end of a back-to-back set as they welcome the New Orleans Pelicans. Both teams here head into the game with injuries to key cogs in their offences. The hosts look to remain without Tyler Herro and will also be missing Jaime Jaquez Jr. Both players are capable playmakers and without them, the hosts should find it harder to create. The visitors have Derik Queen and Trey Murphy III listed as questionable while Saddiq Bey and Herbert Jones both missed their last game. If they are all out, it will allow the Heat to focus in on Zion Williamson defensively.

The Pelicans are 2nd in the league in points in the paint this season but up against a frontline with the size of Bam Adebayo and Kel’el Ware, those points should be more of a struggle. Over the last 10 games the teams are 7th and 8th in pace, respectively. However, with the hosts being fatigued, do not be surprised to see them slowing the tempo down tonight. Neither team has been efficient, ranking 21st and 24th respectively in true shooting percentage during that time. As a result, with fewer possession, these sides should struggle to combine for over 243 points.

New Orleans Pelicans vs Miami Heat prediction: Under 243.5 (-110) available at time of publishing. Playable to under 242.5.

If you’re looking for a new sportsbook, check out Bet365, the world’s #1 sportsbook. They have an amazing sign-up offer where you can INSTANTLY receive $150 in bonus bets from a $5 wager, regardless of whether that bet wins or loses! There’s no catch, it’s really that simple. Join Bet365 right now ⏰ in time to fade or follow our experts’ Pelicans vs Heat predictions.

The Phoenix Suns will try to take their shot Sunday night towards being the sixth team to be able to defeat the Oklahoma City Thunder this season. The Suns have a record of 20-14, and they are 11-5 on their home floor. Phoenix has won five of their last six games, including their last win over the Sacramento Kings 129-102. Devin Booker led the team in scoring with 33 points. Booker got off to a fast start with 20 of those points coming in the 1st quarter. The Thunder have a record of 30-5 this season, and they are 13-3 when playing on the road. Oklahoma City has won their last four games, with their last win coming against the Golden State Warriors 131-94. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder in scoring with 30 points. The Thunder’s offense shot 52% from the field and 42% from three in the blowout victory.

This will be the third time this season the Thunder and Suns have played against one another. The Thunder defeated the Suns in both previous games. Oklahoma City won 123-119 on November 28th, and then they embarrassed the Suns 138-89 on December 10th. The 49-point loss is the largest margin of defeat in the Suns’ franchise history. The Thunder shot 59% from the field and 54% from three point range in the onslaught. The Suns will be looking forward to avenging the embarrassing loss, and if they want to compete, it will need to start on the defensive end. The Suns rank 10th in the NBA in defensive rating this season, and they are first in the NBA in steals at 10.8 per game. The Thunder will be without center Isaiah Hartenstein and forward Jaylin Williams, making the focus of this game more on the guards. Devin Booker and Dillon Brooks have the talent to compete with the Thunders’ backcourt, especially on their home court. I expect a competitive effort from the Suns tonight. 

Thunder vs Suns prediction: Suns +9.5 is available at the time of publishing. Playable at that number.

If you’re looking for a new sportsbook, check out Bet365, the world’s #1 sportsbook. They have an amazing sign-up offer where you can INSTANTLY receive $150 in bonus bets from a $5 wager, regardless of whether that bet wins or loses! There’s no catch, it’s really that simple. Join Bet365 right now ⏰ in time to fade or follow our experts’ Thunder vs Suns predictions.

It’s a 2nd night of a baseball series between the Grizzlies and Lakers who meet for the 2nd time in 2 days. Memphis held things close for decent chunks of Friday’s game, but they were behind for 86% of that game, with the Lakers lead ballooning to as much as 15 points at one point. Can we trust this team to make the necessary adjustments ahead of Sunday’s rematch? It all starts with the effort on the defensive end where the Grizz have allowed 139 and 128 points in their last 2 games, efforts like that won’t get them too far in today’s NBA. Morant and co. are once again 6.5-point underdogs, they’ve really struggled in this match-up losing 5 games in a row.

Luka and LeBron carried the majority of the Lakers scoring in that win on Friday, combining for 65 points. It wasn’t all bread and butter for the Lakers though, as a team they committed 20 turnovers with the aforementioned duo being responsible for 10 of those. That’s definitely something to think about ahead of Sunday’s game, head coach JJ Redick will need to re-invent his team’s approach on the offensive end if they want to sweep the regular season series. LA hasn’t been as reliable covering the spread lately, doing so just twice in 5 games.

Doncic’s numbers have been exceptional against Memphis in recent meetings, that’s the only reason why LA won that game on Friday. Pride is at stake for the Grizz here after they lost both meetings this season, they’ve kept both of those games relatively close. More often than not teams will split these so-called baseball series, I’ll side with the underdog Grizzlies to cover the spread here.

Memphis Grizzlies vs LA Lakers Predictions: Grizzlies +6.5 is available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.

If you’re looking for a new sportsbook, check out Bet365, the world’s #1 sportsbook. They have an amazing sign-up offer where you can INSTANTLY receive $150 in bonus bets from a $5 wager, regardless of whether that bet wins or loses! There’s no catch, it’s really that simple. Join Bet365 right now ⏰ in time to fade or follow our experts’ Grizzlies vs Lakers predictions.