NBA Basketball Picks

The Mavericks are the 12th-ranked scoring defense giving up 109.2 points per game which is better than the defending champions’ 110.4 points per game. Can the Mavs use that statistical advantage to cover the spread?

Both teams enter into this contest on a two-game losing streak. Los Angeles’ most recently was upset as a 1.5-point favorite when they were defeated by the Brooklyn Nets on the road Tuesday by a score of 115-110. Most sportsbook opened LA as early morning 4 point favorites.

Despite the league’s second best record, the Milwaukee Bucks have been unable to string together long win streaks, and injured players coming in and out of their rotation is only adding to the challenge of building momentum. Can the Bucks get it going vs the surging Celtics? KC has your NBA pick.

Houston may have finally snapped back to reality and righted their sinking ship as they absolutely dismantled the dreadful Wizards. They’ve won five games in a row versus teams that were pre-season picks for playoff spots. Can they flex some muscle vs the 13-16 Heat? Sportsbooks have the Rockets as 3.5 point favorites.

The Mavericks are only 2-11 straight up on the road. When you couple this with the notion that Los Angeles has overall been in good form in the Staples Center at 9-4 SU this season, the Mavs aren’t that appealing. However this Mavs team is not the same team that was on the road last month. Can the Mavs keep it within 3? Franks has your NBA pick.

It seems crazy that a team that is on pace to double its projected win total is in line to fire their coach, but the relationship between Dave Joerger and the front office has gone nuclear. De’Aaron Fox is currently in the middle of a break-out sophomore season, and 24 hours after calling him “the next Russell Westbrook,” Joerger decided to play him 6 total minutes and allow his second-unit to get blown off of the floor. Will he set Fox and Friends lose on the the 4-point-favored Thunder.

Against the Nets, LeBron shouldn’t have any problems getting back on track – if he is engaged. DeMarre Carroll was once a fabled LeBron-stopper, but long gone are those days. In fact, LeBron has triple-doubled in three out of their last four meetings and scored at least 29 points in all four. Is this the perfect game for Lebron and cast? KC has your NBA pick.

In order to take out the Dubs, Memphis needs to do what they do best: make the game as ugly as possible. With the 6th-ranked defense and the 30th-ranked pace, Memphis thrives in low-scoring, playoff-like atmospheres. In their first meeting this season, the Grizzlies superstars failed to play as such as Conley and Gasol combined for only 17 points in a 117-101 loss. With Jaren Jackson Jr. stepping into a larger role and Grizzlies’ role players playing to their strengths, Memphis might be able to keep this game closer than sportsbooks have expected. KC has your pick!

Despite the contrasting win and loss records, the Knicks actually own edges in the turnover department compared to the Pacers. This is a significant positive for New York. To complement this, despite the injuries the Knicks still get more mileage out of their bench and own a deeper roster on paper as they average 47.7 bench points compared to Indiana’s 40. The Knickerbockers will need to tap into these advantages to make this game competitive as New York stands just 5-12 SU on the road this season. Let’s look at if there is value in betting Knicks at your sportsbook.

Thanks to their front court comprised of Forward Blake Griffin and Center Andre Drummond, the Pistons can actually beat the Celtics at their own game and outmuscle Boston on the boards. Detroit owns advantages in both the rebounding and blocks department, as Detroit sits fifth in the league in rebounding collating 47.5 offensive boards per game to Boston’s 46.5 offensive boards per game (9th in the NBA). Moreover, the Pistons produce 5.6 defensive blocks per game to Boston’s 3.7. Both of these edges are significant in a game forecasted to be determined by a possession. Does that make Detroit the pick? Franks has your NBA prediction.