NBA Picks

The Detroit Pistons will host the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday and will be encouraged by the fact that Cade Cunningham’s hip issue is not too serious, with the star listed as probable to play. He is second in the league in assists per game and will be crucial to making their offense tick. The visitors will have Michael Porter Jr. returning to the lineup after he missed their last game. In the previous 2 games he has appeared in, he managed 36 and 38 points, respectively. With his inclusion in the lineup, the Nets’ offense should reach its full potential.

Over the last 10 games the Pistons have been playing up-tempo basketball, ranking 11th in the league in pace. The Nets during that stretch have ranked 29th in the league in defensive rating, so with the tempo, the Pistons should get plenty of opportunities to exploit those weaknesses. They put up 125 points against them the last time these sides met and will have a great chance of putting up similar numbers today. The Nets have ranked in the top 10 in the league in 3-point makes per game, and with Porter Jr. available, they should be able to do damage from deep, themselves. As a result, the line being set at 215 seems too low.

Nets vs Pistons prediction: Over 215 (-115) available at time of publishing. Playable to 216.5.

This match-up between the Bulls and the Heat is starting to look like a playoff series. These two teams have seen each other twice in the past 3 days, they go at it one more time tonight less than 24 hours after their clash at the Kaseya Center. The venue doesn’t change for Sunday’s game, oddly enough the road team has triumphed in all 3 meetings so far this season. Chicago escaped with a win last night thanks to 3 players scoring 20+ points, led by Ayo Dosunmu who had an efficient 29 and 9 assists. The win stopped the bleeding for Chicago who had lost 3 straight going into that game, the question is can they beat the Heat in back-to-back games?

Miami is hoping to get Norman Powell back from injury, he missed Saturday’s game due to personal reasons and the Heat offense just isn’t the same without him. With him coming back things should look substantially better, Miami is 5 games over the .500 mark in games in which Powell plays, while without him they’ve been able to win just twice in 7 games total. With 15 wins in 24 home games you could say Miami has been a reliable bet at home, they also have a 13-11 ATS record in those 24 games. This team has nurtured a run and gun style of play all year long, when the long ball starts going in early they are hard to beat.

These two play a very similar style, they’ve split the two meetings in Chicago and Miami over the past few days. Miami leads the regular season series 2-1, I think it’s time a home team finally came out on top in this match-up. As favorites the Heat are 15-9 SU this season, I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt and back them to cover at home.

 Chicago Bulls vs Miami Heat Predictions: Heat -4 is available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.

The Utah Jazz go into tonight’s visit to the Toronto Raptors with the news that Lauri Markkanen will be available for them. They will need his offensive contribution too considering that over the last 10 games they have been dead last in defensive rating. Jusuf Nurkic and Keyonte George are both listed as questionable and if they are available, it could go a long way to help them make up for those shortcomings. Over that same stretch of games, the visitors are also 4th in the league in pace. At the same time the Raptors are 2nd in the league in fast break points per game so should help set an incredibly fast tempo for this encounter.

The Raptors combined for 250 points in their last contest against the Magic and this could be set to be an equally high scoring encounter. The hosts will have plenty of opportunities to score tonight considering that no team has given up more fast break points over the last 10 games than the Jazz. The visitors should have issues slowing down Brandon Ingram too, with the forward having dropped 35 points in his last outing. They will not be helped by their lack of rim protection, averaging just 3.5 blocks per game as a team this season. In a fast back-and-forth game, expect these sides turn this into a high scoring encounter.

Utah Jazz vs Toronto Raptors prediction: Over 233.5 (-110) available at time of publishing. Playable to over 234.5.

The Lakers have been on the road for the past 11 days and so far they’ve been able to win 4 of 6 games, with two more remaining. Playing at the Garden against the Knicks is always a special feeling, for LeBron James it could be the last time he suits up at the World’s most famous arena. He didn’t have the best of games in potentially his last game in Cleveland as the Lakers got blown out by 30, but they bounced back well with a dominant win over the Wizards. Luka Doncic had a triple-double in the 1st half, it’s hard to use that game as a measuring stick given how bad Washington is right now. However, there will be optimism in the LA ranks ahead of Sunday’s game as they’ve beaten the Knicks in 5 of 7 meetings.

Right now we’re seeing a rejuvenated Knicks team that’s won five games in a row, beating some stiff competition along the way. Karl-Anthony Towns has silenced his critics with a few superb performances, but everything depends on how well Jalen Brunson plays here. He is the motor of this team, the Knicks will only go as far as he takes them. Over the past 8 games Brunson is averaging 21.3 points per game, but playing a guy like Luka Doncic who doesn’t really do much on defense might just open up the door for Brunson to have a big game here. The Knicks are one of the elite home teams in the NBA this season with 20 wins in 26 games, they’ve covered in 18 of those as well which makes them one of the more profitable bets this year.

It’s really hard to look past the Knicks right now. They’ve completely turned things around and are looking like the team that won the Emirates Cup once again. The Lakers could get Austin Reaves back from injury here, it might take them a while to implement him back into the offense so I’m hesitant to trust them here. In the end I think the Knicks are the better bet, they’ve held 4 of their last 5 opponents under 100 points. Take New York.

Los Angeles Lakers vs New York Knicks prediction: New York -5 (-110) available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.

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The struggling Orlando Magic may have found their spark again after an inspiring 130-120 win over the Toronto Raptors in their previous game. The Magic had lost four straight before the victory last Friday night. Orlando trailed by as much as 14 in the 3rd quarter before staging a big 4th quarter comeback. The Magic outscore the Raptors 44-21 in the 4th quarter to end their losing streak. They received a healthy contribution from all five starters, including 32 points from Desmond Bane, 25 points from Anthony Black, and 23 points from Wendell Carter Jr. The Magic will now be looking to make it two in a row against a Spurs team that played below its standards in the month of January. San Antonio finished the month of January with a record of 8-7 as they dealt with numerous injuries. Even with the Spurs now reapproaching full health again, they have still looked disjointed as a unit. San Antonio has alternated a win and a loss as a result since the middle of January. Two of their most recent losses came against two teams that currently sit near the bottom of their respective conferences, the Charlotte Hornets and the New Orleans Pelicans. Two players that need to step up and improve their play for the Spurs are Harrison Barnes and Stephon Castle. In the month of January, both Barnes and Castle shot near 35% from the field, their lowest output of the season. Both perimeter players are used to stretch the floor, but without a consistent shooting effort from either player, defenses have been able to collapse and keep their focus on Victor Wembanyama and De’Aaron Fox. The Magic are a tough and gritty team that will be able to take advantage if Barnes and Castle don’t have a better game. I think the Magic found something after returning home from their trip from overseas, and I like them tonight against the struggling Spurs. 

Magic +175 is available at the time of publishing. Playable at that number.

The Phoenix Suns have picked up 3 straight wins, which is a great achievement since Devin Booker is still unavailable and Jalen Green has been limited while returning from injury. They will now face a Los Angeles Clippers team that has picked up 8 wins over the last 10 games. The Suns have won 2 games against them so far this season but both of those games came in November. The visitors are a completely different team now in terms of their level of play. Over the last 10 games they have ranked seventh in net offensive and defensive rating. As a result, they will feel confident they can take down a Suns team that is missing so much of its firepower.

One of the reasons that the Clippers have been so successful is that they have been incredibly efficient, ranking sixth over the last 10 games in true shooting percentage. During that stretch the Suns are just 26th in opponent second-chance points per game, so even if they can force stops the Clippers will have a great chance to clean up their misses. Ivica Zubac is among the top 10 players in the league this season in offensive rebounds per game and will be well equipped to exploit that weakness. Look for the Clippers to continue their climb up the standings here and cover the spread in the process.

Clippers vs Suns prediction: Los Angeles -1 (-110) available at time of publishing. Playable to -2.5.

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The Cleveland Cavaliers kicked off a 5-game road trip in Phoenix with a 126-113 loss as -2 favorites in Phoenix on Friday. While that was a bummer, they are still 4-1 SU across the past 5 games, including a 129-99 annihilation of the visiting Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday. The Cavs are also 3-1 against the spread in the past 4 games while going 4-1 ATS in the past 5 outings on the road. The Cavs won 122-111 in Portland last season, cashing as a -6.5 favorite. In fact, Cleveland is 4-0 SU/ATS in the past 4 visits to PDX since January of 2022.

The Trail Blazers are coming off a 0-3 SU/1-2 ATS road trip through the Eastern Conference, wrapping up the trip Friday with a 127-97 beatdown by the New York Knicks. The Blazers have lost 4 in a row and they’re 1-3 ATS in that span. The bad news for the Blazers is that leading scorer Deni Avdija remains questionable due to a strained lower back. With Avdija shelved, this team has looked much different — and certainly not for the better. If he plays, the Cavs are still worth a look — but if he is ruled out, go a little more aggressively on Cleveland.

Cavaliers vs Trail Blazers prediction: Cleveland -2.5 (-110) available at time of publishing. Playable to -3.5.

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The Oklahoma City Thunder continue their road trip in Denver, tangling with the Nuggets on Sunday night in the late NBC game. The defending champions suffered a 123-111 loss in Minnesota on Thursday and they are just 1-3 straight up and 0-4 against the spread in the previous 4 outings. OKC has had trouble scoring the basketball, going for 114 or fewer points in each of those four non-covers, with the Under going 2-1 in the past 3 outings. Alex Caruso and Jalen Williams are sidelined, but most of the key players like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren, etc. are healthy and available.

The Nuggets could have Nikola Jokic in the lineup again, as he is back from a bone bruise in his left knee. In fact, he is listed as probable after playing limited minutes against the Clippers on Friday, posting 31 points, 12 rebounds and 5 assists with 3 steals and a pair of 3-pointers in just 25 minutes. It was his first game in over a month, and he showed no signs of rust. That’s bad news for the rest of the Western Conference. Denver was 10-6 in Joker’s absence, but it is obviously an even more dangerous team with him in the middle. Let’s back the Nuggets, as OKC can’t be trusted right now.

Thunder vs Nuggets prediction: Denver +4.5 (-110) available at time of publishing. Playable to +4.

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The Milwaukee Bucks will travel Sunday afternoon to take on the Boston Celtics. These 2 teams are trending in opposite directions as the all-star break approaches. The Bucks have lost their last 4 games and serious trade rumors surrounding their star, Giannis Antetokounmp, are circulating as the trade deadline approaches. The Celtics have won 4 of their last 6 games and are near the top of the Eastern Conference standings. Boston has shown its high-volume 3-point shooting offense can withstand even the loss of Jayson Tatum. It averages 15.6 triples per game (second in the NBA). Jaylen Brown has taken another step forward in his career and has proven to be a true star in this league, averaging 29.4 points per game on 48% shooting. The Celtics’ success has created a luxury for the Boston’s management, where they don’t need to rush Tatum back to the lineup too early. Brown should be fully rested heading into this matchup. He sat out in the Celtics 112-93 win over the Sacramento Kings last Friday.

The Bucks have struggled this season, but their style does match up against the Celtics. Milwaukee ranks seventh in the NBA in 3-pointers made at 14.7 per game. With Antetokounmpo out with injury, the Bucks have really needed to rely on their perimeter offense. In their last 10 games, they have made 139 threes on 37% shooting. In comparison, the Celtics have made 146 threes on 35% shooting in their last 10 games. With both teams well rested, I expect the perimeter shots to fall on both side and for this game to go over the total. 

Bucks vs Celtics prediction: Over 216.5 (-110) available at time of publishing. Playable to 218.5.

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