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Fans of NBA betting or basketball in general are in for a real treat on Wednesday, as a whopping 12 games are on the schedule. LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers get an immediate chance to bounce back from a sorry effort in Portland on Tuesday night, while the San Antonio Spurs finally return to action after a nice break.
Our NBA Picks for Tuesday night were hit by the Bucks upsetting the Pacers and the Blazers holding serve at home, but a 5-3 mark kept us above .500 and put our picks record at a solid 29-9 on the year. It’s a huge day for pro basketball betting, so we’re at it again, trying to predict each matchup:
Magic @ 76ers
Both of these teams are young, but Orlando is stacked full of talent and the Sixers severely lack it. Philly is still without last year’s rookie sensation, Michael Carter-Williams, too, so they’ll be the underdogs at home. The Magic are on the second night of a back to back but it’d be a shock if they didn’t get their first win of the season here tonight.
Pick: Magic 107, 76ers 100
Heat @ Hornets
Miami lost for the first time on Tuesday night, while Charlotte has slid to a tough 1-3 start. Part of that has been due to a stagnant offense, which has been driven into the ground by poor shot selection from star point guard Kemba Walker. Chris Bosh continues to crush skulls for the Heat, who are still the more complete team. It will be tough to drop the Hornets on the road, but Miami isn’t a great bet to lose two games in a row this early in the year.
Pick: Heat 95, Hornets 92
Knicks @ Pistons
New York fell apart on Tuesday night and has been inconsistent (2-2) through four contests, but they at least are playing solid defense. The Pistons haven’t been able to find a win yet and are still searching for their offense (averaging just 86 points per game). Carmelo Anthony should look to have a big game to help keep Detroit winless.
Pick: Knicks 101, Pistons 90
Raptors @ Celtics
Boston fights hard on a nightly basis but Toronto is way better across the board, so it’s hard to envision this one staying close. Center Jonas Valanciunas could be a surprise sit (face, hand), but if he plays there should be little doubt in this one.
Pick: Raptors 111, Celtics 102
Timberwolves @ Nets
Brook Lopez had a solid debut in Brooklyn’s last game and the Nets are oddly one of the best scoring teams in the league right now, which doesn’t bode well for a T’Wolves squad that is quite challenged defensively. With this one being in Brooklyn, the Nets hold the edge in a potential shootout.
Pick: Nets 112, Timberwolves 107
Pacers @ Wizards
Indiana continues to struggle with injuries and no clear offensive direction, while their defense also isn’t quite as suffocating as it once was. That bodes well for the Wiz, who host this game and are off to a nice 3-1 start. They also have the interior depth to challenge Roy Hibbert, who is easily Indy’s only real threat on either end at the moment.
Pick: Wizards 99, Pacers 94
Bulls @ Bucks
Chicago has dealt with some nagging injuries but their depth has shone through in a nice 3-1 start. Milwaukee plays spirited ball and could actually have a shot at home if this turns into a defensive battle. Whether or not Derrick Rose suits up (out the last two games with an ankle injury) could be the deciding factor, but for now Chicago holds the edge.
Pick: Bulls 97, Bucks 93
Hawks @ Spurs
Atlanta can fill it up offensively at times, but they really don’t make up for it defensively yet. Al Horford could ultimately help change that, but it all coming together on the road against the Spurs isn’t the safest of bets. San Antonio is well rested and rarely loses at home, so they make for one of the better locks of the night.
Pick: Spurs 103, Hawks 96
Grizzlies @ Suns
Two red hot teams clash in a huge Wednesday night battle as the Suns (3-1) try to hand the Grizzlies (4-0) their first loss of the year. Phoenix boasts a high-powered offense and is so far undefeated on their home floor, but Goran Dragic has been ice cold and will draw a very stout defense. Memphis is actually the top defense in the league, so they could get the road win if they can slow this one down.
Pick: Grizzlies 91, Suns 88
Cavaliers @ Jazz
Cleveland started hot on Tuesday and then played horribly for three quarters, as the lack of chemistry was made abundantly clear in a loss that dropped them to 1-2. Facing the Jazz tends to cure all ailments, though, as Utah is one of the worst defensive teams in the league. Cleveland stinks on defense right now, too, so this should be a shootout. Look for LeBron James and co. to bounce back and get to 2-2, however.
Pick: Cavs 111, Jazz 104
Nuggets @ Kings
The Nuggets and Kings square off for the second time in the past few days, as Denver will try to repay Sac-town for a recent loss. The Kings have been quite impressive thus far and come in at 3-1 and oddly boasting one of the better defenses in the NBA. They should be the favorites at home.
Pick: Kings 105, Nuggets 99
Clippers @ Warriors
The last game of the night is a good one, as the Clips take on the Warriors in a rematch of last year’s first round playoff series. These two teams hate each other and these games are always close, so we can expect it to go down to the wire. L.A. could always get the win but Golden State has been way more complete on both sides of the ball to this point and has to be the slight favorite.
Pick: Warriors 103, Clippers 101
