NBA Picks

Jaylen Brown’s hairline is a big topic of discussion these days, that just tells you how bad the season has been going for the Boston Celtics. At 4-5 SU they are barely clinging on to the 10th seed and a play-in spot at the moment, and some people are even advocating for them to blow it up and go full-on tank mode to secure a top 3 pick in a loaded draft. Knowing the mentality of this organization, I do not believe that will be the case. Friday sees the C’s travel to Orlando for a date with the Magic, as 3.5-point dogs. Playing there has been difficult in years prior, as Boston has covered only once in 7 visits.

Orlando has also played below expectations so far, but unlike Boston they are actually playing for something this year. Their big time acquisition in the offseason Desmond Bane is slow to fit in, he’s averaging just 13.9 points per game and shooting a pedestrian 41% from the field to go along with his 28% from three. Not all hope is lost for Orlando though, as the season progresses its chemistry should improve – if the Magic can avoid injuries that plagued them last season. The two wings Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner are once again leading the way after averaging a combined 55.2 points per game between them in last season’s playoff series against Boston.

Boston’s gameplan hasn’t changed all that much compared to last season. The Celtics still rely heavily on the three-ball and, when that isn’t falling, they are in trouble. Orlando allows the lowest amount of attempts from deep this season at 30.4 per game, I like their chances of containing the visitors here. I’ll take my chances with the home side.

Celtics vs Magic Predictions: Orlando Magic -3.5 is available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.

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Consistency has eluded the Hornets this week, as they’ve dropped 2 of 3 games played. Now they have an NBA Cup game in Miami against the Heat, as they look to improve on their 3-5 record on the season. It’ll be the 2nd time these two teams play this season after the Heat dominated the initial match-up 144-117 a little over a week ago. Allowing that many points isn’t anything new for the Hornets, who rank 25th in defensive efficiency while also playing a high pace. Grant Williams, Josh Green and Brandon Miller are all out, while Collin Sexton and LaMelo Ball are questionable.

Coming back from a long road trip, the Heat could definitely use a win here. They won just once in 4 outings on the West coast, so playing in front of their own fans should do them good here as they’re yet to lose a game in 2 played. This being an NBA Cup game should be another motivating factor, you won’t get as many “easy” opponents in East Group C if you’re Miami. Similarly to the Hornets, the Heat will also be without their big man Bam Adebayo here as he recovers from a toe injury. Not having the big fella down low leaves the paint exposed, as we just saw the Heat allow 62 points in the paint after Bam left the game vs Denver a couple of days ago.

Both teams are missing quite a few important pieces here, I feel like Bam’s absence hurts Miami a lot more than the absence of Brandon Miller hurts Charlotte. Assuming LaMelo Ball plays, the Hornets will put up points. It might not be a popular pick, but I like the Hornets an the extra points here.

Hornets vs Heat Predictions: Charlotte Hornets +5 is available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.

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Wednesday saw the defending champions finally lose a game, as they dropped a close one in Portland. OKC led by as many as 22 points before the Blazers stormed back in the 2nd half.  It’s not common to see the defending champs blow leads like that. The Thunder have a chance to make amends on Friday in Sacramento when they take on the Kings in the NBA Cup. The Thunder head into this one as 10.5 point favorites, which is quite a lot for a team that’s trying to bounce back after a loss. On the road in Sacramento, the Thunder have triumphed only twice in 9 visits, while they are just 3-12 ATS in their last 15 games overall away from home.

The Kings actually stood their ground in the 1st meeting between these two teams a little over a week ago, losing by only 6 points in OKC. The schedule has not been kind to Sacramento in the early going, but I’m actually encouraged by their recent run of 2 wins in 3 games. The Kings took down a strong Milwaukee Bucks team and then bounced back from a loss in Denver with a win against Golden State. Most of their games this season have been close, in fact only one of them finished with a difference of more than 7 points. This roster can put up points in bunches, and whenever you have a team capable of doing that, you will see a lot of unpredictable results.

This being an NBA Cup game, I’m of the opinion that the Kings will put up a fight here and keep things close. They’ve covered the spread in 4 of 5 outings, while against OKC they are 7-2 SU in 9 meetings at the Golden 1 Center.

Thunder vs Kings Predictions: Sacramento Kings +10.5 is available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.

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