In my pre-season prediction of each team’s record, I believe I had the Jazz in the mid-50s and the 3-seed in the Western Conference. Even with Donovan Mitchell’s objectively putrid shooting splits, I didn’t anticipate Utah slipping down as far as they have. But there’s evidence that a heel turn is on the horizon. Will that be today? Read our free pick.

After limping out of the gate with an 0-4 start, the Thunder have reclaimed their status as a Western Conference powerhouse by downing 14 of their last 17 opponents. Stop me if you’ve heard this before, but Russell Westbrook is currently 0.2 assists per game shy of averaging a triple-double, and the Thunder are 8-2 in games when he’s taken the floor. More importantly, OKC has cobbled together a competent supporting cast for Westbrook for the first time in his post-Durant life. The names don’t fly off of the page – Hamidou Diallo, Jerami Grant, Nerlens Noel, Dennis Schroder – but they play hard and try on defense, and with Westbrook puppeteering the rest of the show, it’s a recipe for success. Will the Westbook Train get the -1 cover for sports bettors?

If it weren’t for the Kings and the Hawks and their recklessly quick offenses, the New Orleans Pelicans would be playing at the fastest pace by an NBA team in the last 25 years. But unlike those two teams, the Pelicans rank in the top-7 in Offensive Rating, and Alvin Gentry has finally found a formula to tap into Anthony Davis’ true potential. It turns out that revolving every personnel decision and offensive scheme around one of the five most athletic and talented forwards in NBA history might be a good thing for the Pelicans. They’ve got the scoring part down – Can they do it at the Hornets pace? KC has your NBA pick!

We’ve already talked about Portland’s sizzling start before, so let’s not bang on about it any more than we already have. But as of late, there have been a couple of cracks in their armor. It’s nice to beat up on the Wizards and Magics of the world, but three straight losses to Milwaukee, Golden State and then the Clippers has me second-guessing whether or not Portland has fought off the demons of their past. Have they simply been taking advantage of a soft opening schedule (6th easiest in the NBA) and beating up on weaker opponents? The Blazers are +2.5 tonight and KC has your NBA Pick!

I’ll be the first to admit that I was dubious about the prospects of Kawhi Leonard returning to his MVP-level form after going through the weirdest non-Markelle Fultz story in NBA history. It seems as though Kawhi’s quad may not have been as big of a hindrance as his out-of-nowhere contempt for Coach Popp. He’s still working his way back to full health by picking and choosing which games he plays, but he’s still in the conversation for MVP. What better way to show you deserve the hardware than taking down the champs…while covering the spread of course.

The Knicks have been playing decent ball as of late, covering 5 in a row and six of their last seven. Even more impressive, most of these games have been vs. formidable opponents including the Blazers, Celtics, Pelicans and at Memphis. Statistically speaking, it appears that the team is putting forth more effort on the defensive end as they haven’t allowed an opponent to shoot over 50% from the field in their past 5 games. Kevin West looks at if this trend is enough to take the Knicks and the points.

Stop me if you’ve heard this story before: The Sixers limp out of the gate and look disjointed on the defensive end, but thanks to MVP-level play from Embiid and Simmons, they manage to stay afloat. Meanwhile, the consensus 1st overall pick looks lost on the court while shooting like Phillip Seymour Hoffman in Along Came Polly, then gets shut down to see a specialist for a mysterious injury. No, this isn’t Groundhog Day – it’s the 2017-18 season all over again. Also familiar? Playing a lottery-bound Knicks team as double digit favorites!

The Lakers lineup looks a little bit different than in their meeting with the Nuggets earlier this year. Brandon Ingram was suspended last time, and it was Josh Hart and Kyle Kuzma filling in his minutes that made the difference in the game. The jury is still out on Brandon Ingram’s potential, but he’s not really a guy that Denver has an answer for defensively; he’s too quick for Millsap and too long for Gary Harris. Do the Lakers have the matchup advantage if not the better team? KC breaks down this game and offers his NBA pick.

The situation on the court is nearly as bad as the one off of it. Washington sits at 18th in Offensive Rating and 29th in Defensive Rating with a 7-12 record and 11th in the Eastern Conference – and we’re not even sure those numbers are a poor enough representation of the team. One thing to note is that slotting Kelly Oubre Jr. into the starting lineup to allow Otto Porter to play the power forward position has done wonders for Porter. Can the Wizards moves help them stay within 4 points? KC has his NBA prediction.