2016 NBA Picks: 4 Upsets to Target on Wednesday Night

Tuesday night provided a relatively chalky slate for NBA betting, but regardless, we had ourselves a day when it came to our NBA picks.

When it was all said and done, we were a solid 6-3, despite calling our picks ahead of news that both Marc Gasol and Mike Conley would sit for the Grizzlies. Oh, and no one saw the Jazz beating the Spurs in San Antonio.

Needless to say, on a night that saw a few crazy NBA upsets, we thought we’d switch things up with our picks on Wednesday night. With tonight’s slate (10 games) even bigger than last night, there are undoubtedly going to be some fun NBA underdog picks to consider. Let’s take a look at our favorite four:

New Orleans Pelicans (+6.5) @ Memphis Grizzlies (-6.5)

This is a good spot to say two things: our mentioning of these upset picks to target doesn’t necessarily mean we think these teams will win. It’s up to you where to bet, how much and what the precise bet will be.

That being said, the 0-4 Pelicans need to win eventually and while I doubt they’ll actually get the job done on the road against the Grizz, I do think they have a decent chance of keeping it close. The reality is this team is ravaged by injuries and they are just not good right now, but a massive performance by Anthony Davis could at least give them a chance to hang around late.

Memphis hasn’t been some world beater, either. They’re just 2-2 on the year and got absolutely smoked last night while they rested Mike Conley and Marc Gasol. They’re good at home and should be pretty fresh even coming off a back to back, but New Orleans has somehow remained very competitive (four of five losses coming by 8 points or less).

I wouldn’t be shocked to see the Pellies hang tight in another loss.

Pick: Grizzlies 108, Pelicans 102

Oklahoma City Thunder (+7.5) @ Los Angeles Clippers (-7.5)

This is probably my favorite upset pick of the night, as Russell Westbrook is going bonkers right now (averaging a ridiculous 38.7-12.3-11.7 line) en route to a perfect 3-0 start for the Thunder. This is a very interesting spot for OKC, as we’ll finally learn if they’ve been merely playing down to their weak competition, or if they just are a one-man show without much substance.

Facing the Clippers on the road should tell us a whole heck of a lot, seeing as Los Angeles is sporting a strong defense (allowing just 93 points per game) and is also perfect at 3-0. Conventional wisdom says the Clippers stay hot on their home floor, but with this spread, OKC is the bet. You could go for a total upset, but at a minimum betting the spread makes good sense here. I still think the Clips win to flex their muscle a bit and show the Thunder what’s up, but this game should be close and very high-scoring.

Pick: Clippers 106, Thunder 101

Los Angeles Lakers (+12.5) @ Atlanta Hawks (-12.5)

The Lakers are probably not winning this game, let’s get that out of the way. That being said, Atlanta has not been tested at all en route to a 3-0 start and it’s very possible this could end up being a trap game with a showdown with the Wizards lying ahead for the Hawks.

The key here would be Atlanta losing focus and D’Angelo Russell coming out and having a huge game. I sincerely doubt it and it’s tough to even have the Lakers hanging here, but this is a huge spread and the logic isn’t awful.

Ultimately, we still like the Hawks all-around tonight.

Pick: Hawks 107, Lakers 94

Philadelphia 76ers (+12.5) Over Charlotte Hornets (-12.5)

The deal is similar here, as the Hornets get a tasty home matchup with a Sixers team they’ll naturally overlook. Philly is winless and doesn’t have a ton of (healthy) talent, so naturally the Hornets could yawn at this one and expect it to be a little easier than it might end up being.

This could truly be a tougher game than the Hornets anticipate, as Philly has been surprisingly competitive this year, with strong efforts against the Thunder and Magic in two close losses. They’ll be without Joel Embiid and probably won’t actually beat the spread, but a gaudy spread like this always needs to be considered.

This could be a sneaky play, but ultimately we’d favor the Hornets, overall.

Pick: Hornets 105, Sixers 90

These are probably the four best NBA upset picks for tonight based on either the spread or actual logic. Of the four, we love OKC to beat the spread and maybe even push for the win, while we also would not be shocked to see The Brow beast in a close contest in Memphis.

Hopefully any upset picks you shoot for work out. Regardless of how you bet tonight, good luck!