Monday night was a crazy night for basketball. Duke stormed back to take down Wisconsin in the NCAA Men’s title game, while the Nets held serve at home against Portland in the only NBA contest of the night. Perhaps that had something to do with March Madness coming to an end and the 2015 MLB season getting started.

The NBA is back in full swing on Tuesday night, though, as fans and NBA bettors alike are graced with a nice six-game slate. We correctly picked the Nets over the Blazers last night and march into the fire with our stout 677-344 season record:

Suns @ Hawks

The only trick to this game is that ATL could rest or limit a good amount of their players, as they’ve been doing for a while now. While that’s possible, they are still at home and the Suns have nothing to play for. Atlanta should get the win at home, where they rarely lose.

Pick: Hawks 107, Suns 101

Hornets @ Heat

Miami could be at full strength tonight and they’re at home, while Al Jefferson should remain out due to a balky knee. If he suits up the Hornets would have a slight chance here, but Miami near 100% at home could be too much.

Pick: Heat 103, Hornets 98

Warriors @ Pelicans

Anthony Davis was awesome against the Warriors last time out and the Pelicans have a ton to play for, so it’s hard not to give New Orleans a chance tonight. That being said, the Warriors are the best team in the league and they just got destroyed by the Spurs. They’ll be out for blood.

Pick: Warriors 108, Pellies 102

Spurs @ Thunder

San Antonio has turned back the clock lately and will stroll into OKC with seven straight wins. Russell Westbrook has been great but it’s just him and Enes Kanter these days. The Spurs still have a shot at their division and the #2 seed in the West, so they are going to have their eyes on the prize tonight.

Pick: Spurs 106, Thunder 104

Timberwolves @ Kings

DeMarcus Cousins will fear no one on the T’Wolves down low tonight, while Rudy Gay (pictured) may also work his way back from a concussion. Now is a good time to bet on the Kings snapping an ugly five-game skid.

Pick: Kings 109, Timberwolves 103

Lakers @ Clippers

The Clippers demolished the Lakers in their last game and there’s little reason to think tonight’s end result will be much different.

Pick: Clips 116, Lakers 94

One of two isn’t bad, as we nailed Duke getting past Michigan State in our Final Four picks, but missed the Badgers getting the best of the undefeated Kentucky Wildcats. We definitely saw the potential for the upset, but like just about everyone else, still are pinching ourselves a bit in the disbelief that it actually happened.

Believe it or not, the NCAA Men’s championship game is here and the Badgers will be playing in it for the first time since 1941. They happened to win it back then, and they just might have a pretty good chance at doing so again, almost 75 years later. More history is on their side than people may realize, as Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski is winless in the title game against fellow #1 seed teams. The Badgers are tougher than your run of the mill one seed, too, since they’ve taken down the highest possible ranked opponent in every game throughout the tournament. That’s involved winning hard fought games against Oregon, North Carolina, Arizona and even Kentucky.

Along the way, it’s been easy to see how the Badgers get it done, as they execute one of the most efficient offenses college basketball has ever seen, they play sound defense, work to take away what you do best, avoid turnovers and strive to make more free throws than their opponents even attempt. This season, during Wisconsin’s 36-3 run, they’ve largely done all of those things on a game by game basis. Their run is even more impressive considering big man Frank Kaminsky wasn’t even on hand for one of their losses, a second loss was to a very solid Maryland team, while their only other loss on the year was to – you guessed it – the Blue Devils.

After just dispatching the favored Wildcats in the most hyped rematch in some time, the Badgers get a chance to exercise yet another demon – and on college basketball’s biggest stage, no less. The real question, of course, is can they actually defy the odds yet again and win a national title? Let’s break down the matchup a little further to find out:

Wisconsin Badgers (1) VS. Duke Blue Devils (1) 9:18 pm ET on CBS

Star Potential

Every game in this tournament has seen some terrific players carry their teams, and the further we get into March Madness, the more we see future NBA prospects show up big. For Wisconsin that’s been center Frank Kaminsky and swing man Sam Dekker. Kaminsky isn’t the best athlete in the world, but he is as versatile and balanced as they come. If Duke wants to out-muscle him down low, he can still make an impact with his size and length on both ends. And even if they do beat him with strength and athleticism in the paint, he can still kill you with his shooting from outside.

Dekker is a totally different problem, as he’s shown a knack for hitting big shots and when he gets hot from outside, it’s lights out. He’s just a piece to Wisconsin’s elite shooting/efficient puzzle, especially since he’s more than a shooter. Dekker has also done a terrific job at poking holes in defenses by taking the ball to the rack and finishing around the rim with his craftiness. If he can do it against Kentucky, there’s plenty of reason to suspect he can do it again Duke.

The darkhorse could end up being Nigel Hayes, who can clean the glass and finish around the rim or kill you from outside. His shot doesn’t always fall, but he seems to chime in with the deep ball when you least expect it, and also can least afford to allow it. If he comes up with a big game, he won’t just raise his draft stock, but he just might help the Badgers secure a national title.

The Blue Devils have their fair share of NBA talent, too. Potential top pick Jahlil Okafor has some of the best footwork you’ll see in this draft, while he also has the size, strength and athleticism to dominate at the college basketball level. That could mean a tough time for Kaminsky on the defensive end, although it’s worth noting Okafor isn’t exactly an elite defender. That being said, Okafor could be a huge transitional piece to Duke’s defense, as his elite offense down low could lead to some uncharacteristic foul trouble for the Badgers.

Whether or not Okafor steps up to the plate in the biggest game of his life, Duke will still have the versatile and explosive Justise Winslow to lean on. Winslow has shown the ability to take over at times for Duke, as he can hit open jumpers or create for himself and attack in the paint. If he’s finding a way to dominate in this matchup, he’ll be carrying a heavy stick offensively as a guy who can create for himself and open the floodgates for his teammates.

Strategy 101

The general strategy for Wisconsin is to simply keep doing what they’ve been doing. If they play sound defense, control the tempo, don’t turn the ball over and win the battle at the charity stripe, they should be able to emerge as the winner. For Duke, they will probably have to beat Wisconsin offensively by winning with dribble penetration and hitting their outside shots. They won’t win in a defensive battle, while their strength (making free throws) could be tough to maximize due to Wisconsin playing a low risk defensive style that avoids too many fouls.

The specific game strategy for the Badgers is going to play sound defense and get Sam Dekker involved. The last time these two teams faced, in was a floor race that had the Blue Devils up by just three (35-32) at the break, and saw them pull away late for an 80-70 win. That game was in Wisconsin at the Kohl Center, too, so it’s worth noting that the Badgers got out-played in a huge game on their home floor. That was just the eighth game of the year, however, and the Badgers have obviously become a much more disciplined team since then. They also relied heavily on star point guard Traevon Jackson in that game (25 points) and should spread things out a lot more offensively this time around.

And the Winners is…

Wisconsin already seeing Duke’s best up close and personal this year could work in their favor. They know the mistakes they made in general, as well as how they specifically relate to the Blue Devils. Their main problems were dribble penetration, closing out on outside shooters and poor shooting on offense. Sam Dekker, Nigel Hayes and Bronson Koenig have all been huge players for the Badgers during their run through March Madness, yet in the previous battle the combined for 12 points. That’s extremely unlikely to happen again. Defensively, we just saw Wisconsin go to battle and win against a superior post team in Kentucky, so despite Okafor’s presence, it’s doubtful they’ll let him abuse them all day. The key will be the dribble penetration and outside shooting, which helped Duke shoot a ridiculous 65% in the last meeting. That isn’t likely to happen again, either. If the Badgers can bring the defense and remain efficient on offense, they should prove that their run isn’t some random fluke and that they simply just truly are the best team in the nation this year.

Pick: Badgers 71, Blue Devils 67

We took a break from our daily NBA picks on Easter (hope you had a good one!) but we’re back to kick off another week of intense NBA action. We left off with a sweet 676-344 record despite struggling through a 4-6 Saturday night. In our defense, the Wizards won in Memphis, the Hornets beat the Sixers by one, Orlando won in Milwaukee and the Celtics won in Toronto in a thrilling overtime battle. It just wasn’t our day, but we’ll continue on and hope Monday goes a little better.

The good news is Monday is about as light as it gets, as we have just one NBA game on the docket. The Portland Trail Blazers head to Brooklyn to take on the Nets at the Barclays Center. Brooklyn had previously put together a nice five-game winning streak before getting absolutely trounced by the Hawks on Saturday. They should have a decent chance at holding their own at home tonight, of course, as Portland will be resting key players in LaMarcus Aldridge, Nicolas Batum and Chris Kaman. With Wesley Matthews already out for the year, this puts the Blazers at a pretty big disadvantage on the road.

Let’s see if that translates into a nets win by breaking this one down a little further:

Portland Trail Blazers @ Brooklyn Nets 7:00 pm ET on NBA TV

The Blazers are extremely average on the road (19-18), but it doesn’t hurt that the Nets aren’t even that on their own floor (16-20). Still, the Blazers are without their top offensive weapons in Ridge, and losing both him and Batum hurts their defense. The Nets, on the other hand, are completely healthy and have been looking pretty good ever since they correctly figured out their offense should be built around center Brook Lopez.

Lopez is going to be the key to this game, just like he is with any Nets game moving forward, but specifically tonight perhaps due to the interesting battle between himself and his brother, who plays center for the Trail Blazers. The first two meetings earlier in their careers were absolutely abysmal, but since then the brothers have exchanged good game after good game, with Robin’s Blazers narrowly getting by the Nets in their only meeting with Robin in Portland. The other meetings have seen Brook score the ball well, but the Nets have fallen to Robin Lopez’s team five out of eight total contests.

As key as the Lopez matchup might be, the other big matchup will be Deron Williams versus Damian Lillard. Lillard has been terrific once again this year, while neither of these star point guards plays enough defense to get anyone excited. If D-Will can show up along with Lopez, the Nets are going to have the offensive edge in this one, with Thaddeus Young and Joe Johnson hopefully chipping in to round out the more balanced attack. Of course, the Blazers have been getting great play out of guard C.J. McCollum, and if he shows up the Blazers could keep things interesting. Brooklyn is at home and plays solid defense, however, so with more bodies to help out, they’ll probably have the slight edge. These types of games aren’t the most reliable for NBA betting, but the odds ultimately do favor the Nets in this one.

Pick: Nets 103, Blazers 101

The NBA serves up a second straight batch of 10 games on Saturday night, featuring a huge battle in Dallas between the Warriors and Mavericks. There are playoff implications abound, but anyone conducting any NBA betting will want to mind resting players (looking at you, Hawks) and injuries. We made it through the fire on Friday with an 8-2 mark (brings us to 672-338 on the year) and gear up for another full slate.

Let’s break down tonight’s games and see which NBA teams we should be picking for 4/4/2015:

76ers @ Hornets

Charlotte is down Al Jefferson and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, and they’re slowly slipping out of the playoff conversation. Their dream may officially die with a home loss to the Tankers.

Pick: Sixers 91, Hornets 90

Nets @ Hawks

Brooklyn has won a staggering six straight games and gets a true test on the road against the beast team in the East. It’s worth wondering how hard ATL will play and how much they use their big names, as they have literally nothing to play for. That being said, they’re at home and they are still the better team.

Pick: Hawks 106, Nets 101

Heat @ Pistons

Dwyane Wade won’t sit out so the Heat are mostly at full strength as they continue their playoff push tonight. It’s not going to be easy to beat a surging Pistons team on the road, but Hassan Whiteside is back to regular minutes and Detroit is still without Greg Monroe.

Pick: Heat 102, Pistons 97

Celtics @ Raptors

Boston has been pretty solid lately and even has Jared Sullinger back, but winning in Toronto is a tough task. The Raptors play very well at home and even without Kyle Lowry they matchup well against the Celtics.

Pick: Raps 109, Celtics 105

Wizards @ Grizzlies

Washington continues to be an up and down team and now they’ll be severely test on the road in Memphis tonight. They should be without Nene Hilario and Paul Pierce could also be out, so taking down the Grizzlies isn’t too likely.

Pick: Grizz 104, Wiz 98

Warriors @ Mavericks

Possibly the most explosive game of the night has Stephen Curry and the Warriors marching into Dallas to take on the Mavs. Dallas has been up and down over their past 10 games (5-5) and while they might be able to run with the Warriors, Golden State’s edge on defense is alarming. Draymond Green returns to the lineup and Chandler Parsons (knee) is out, so the Mavs could be in trouble.

Pick: Warriors 112, Mavs 108

Magic @ Bucks

Orlando got a big road win last night and will try to make it two in a row in Mil-town tonight. The Bucks aren’t nearly as good as they were earlier this year but they’ve stolen two in a row and are at home. If they bring their trademark defense to this one they should win, although it should be close.

Pick: Bucks 102, Magic 99

Clippers @ Nuggets

The Clippers got a huge road win in Portland the other day and still have a shot at the #4 overall seed out West. Denver is completely lost and got whooped by the Spurs last night. Banking on them responding by even competing with a much better L.A. squad is a big risk.

Pick: Clips 114, Nuggets 102

Jazz @ Suns

Utah brings the defense and Phoenix can bring the offense, but the Jazz might have the more imposing edge here. The Suns will be without Alex Len and Brandon Knight, while they’ve dropped five in a row and seem spiritless. Utah struggles on the road but if they bring their A game on defense they’ll be fine.

Pick: Jazz 101, Suns 97

Pelicans @ Trail Blazers

Portland has their division locked up but they can still chase the #3 overall seed by winning more games. New Orleans, meanwhile, won’t go down easy as they come in with four straight wins, eyeing the 8th playoff spot. The Pelicans should give Portland a fight, but the Blazers are simply the better team. They also rarely lose at home.

Pick: Blazers 107, Pellies 104

Harrison Barnes helped us remain perfect on Thursday night, as the Golden State Warriors forward made the game-winning shot to top the Suns, while the Cavs and Rockets took care of the Heat and Mavericks, respectively. We also saw both Dwyane Wade and Chandler Parsons succumb to injuries, which reminds us more than ever to keep up to date with the latest NBA news when considering doing an NBA betting.

We had a nice 3-0 run on a quiet night, but things pick up quite a bit with a massive 10-game night on Friday. Join us as we carry our stout 664-336 season record into the fire:

Hornets @ Pacers

Al Jefferson has been grinding it out despite a sore knee and this game features two teams still scratching and clawing to stay in the Eastern Conference playoff race. Both teams play sound defense but the Hornets have a slight offensive edge at the moment.

Pick: Hornets 87, Pacers 84

Knicks @ Wizards

Washington trounced the Knicks the last time they faced, and rightfully so. The Knicks don’t really want to win games anyways and the Wiz are at home, so this should be the easiest call of the night.

Pick: Wizards 107, Knicks 95

Bucks @ Celtics

Milwaukee and Boston are both fighting for playoff seeding, so we could enjoy a barn burner when the Bucks take on the Celtics tonight. Milwaukee has the edge defensively, but they’ve been in a downward spiral for a while now. Jared Sullinger (foot) returns to action tonight, potentially giving Boston a huge boost down low.

Pick: Celtics 104, Bucks 102

Raptors @ Nets

Normally the Raptors might be the easy call here, especially since they come into the Barclays Center riding a nice three-game winning streak. However, the Nets are at home, play the Raptors well and have a five-game roll of their own. Kyle Lowry also remains out, so it’s hard to hate on the Nets tonight.

Pick: Nets 106, Raptors 103

Pistons @ Bulls

Reggie Jackson has slowed down the past two games and Chicago can’t afford to keep losing ground in their race for the Central division title. They need to take care of business at home tonight, so look for them to pull this one out behind a big game from Jimmy Butler – who happens to own the Pistons this season.

Pick: Bulls 108, Pistons 101

Magic @ Timberwolves

Orlando (four losses in a row) and Minnesota (five) are in free fall mode, we might be able to bank on a tooth and nail fight tonight. Neither of these teams win much and they’ll see a golden opportunity tonight. Orlando has the numbers here with the T’Wolves being down so many guys, though.

Pick: Magic 105, T’Wolves 103

Thunder @ Grizzlies

Russ Westbrook returned to form with a big triple double in his last outing but he’s got a tough task in going into Memphis and trying to take down the Grizzlies. OKC might have a chance if Zach Randolph sits this one out, but winning in Memphis is just not easily done.

Pick: Grizz 102, Thunder 98

Nuggets @ Spurs

Denver has dropped two in a row and doesn’t even seem to be trying these days. They’re in trouble when they head to San Antonio tonight.

Pick: Spurs 107, Nuggets 101

Pelicans @ Kings

The battle between Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins rages on, as the Pelicans try to remain in the playoff hunt. New Orleans comes in hot with three wins in a row and should have an edge with Ryan Anderson back and Rudy Gay still being out for the Kings.

Pick: Pellies 104, Kings 99

Trail Blazers @ Lakers

Los Angeles can be tough at home and tends to be more competitive than you’d think, but the Blazers are one of the best teams in the West. Damian Lillard and LaMarcus Aldridge should have their way with the Lakers’ weak defense in a big win.

Pick: Blazers 109, Lakers 103

James Harden erupted for 51 points, DeMarcus Cousins and Russell Westbrook both dropped sick triple doubles and the 12-game NBA Wednesday night was everything we thought it’d be. It was more, actually, as Chris Paul put the Clippers on his back in Portland, the Mavs and Thunder combined for an ungodly 266 points and only half of the home teams took care of business. Through it all our NBA picks made out OK with an 8-4 run, bringing us to a steady 661-336 on the season.

Things quiet down considerably on Thursday, as fans get two solid TNT games and three quality matchups, total. Let’s break all three down and see who you should be siding with tonight:

Heat @ Cavaliers

The Heat have had Cleveland’s number this year, but that’s been in South Beach and tonight this game goes down in Ohio. That bodes well for LeBron James and co. who really are the better team when you get down to it and they’ve been great on their home floor, as well. There is a lot to consider in this one with a ton of stars questionable. Kevin Love has a bad back, Dwyane Wade always has something going on with his knees and Kyrie Irving is iffy with an illness. If Wade is out you’re taking the Cavs all day, and you probably should, regardless.

Pick: Cavs 106, Heat 98

Rockets @ Mavericks

Houston and Dallas were both involved in intense, high-scoring affairs last night, so there’s a pretty good chance their legs are dead tired come tonight. Dallas might have a slight edge at home, but James Harden is playing out of his mind, Terrence Jones is back (7 blocks last night!) and Dwight Howard could play in this one. This should be the closest game of the night, so you can chase the Total but take the Rockets.

Pick: Rockets 107, Mavs 105

Suns @ Warriors

Golden State has lost twice at the Oracle Arena all year and we’re supposed to bite on the Phoenix Suns coming in and taking them down? The Warriors could pick tonight as a fun time to rest a ton of guys, seeing as they have so very little to play for, but Steve Kerr seems like a guy that likes to keep things consistent. Golden State would still be the favorite, as the Suns seem to be in “quit mode” with the playoffs no longer a real possibility. Look for the Warriors to roll.

Pick: Warriors 109, Suns 97

The Sixers and Lakers delivered arguably the best game of the night and we withstood a Celtics upset in Charlotte to end the week’s opening night with a solid 5-2 mark (651-330 on the year). Our other miss was the toss up to end all toss ups, as we picked the home team Sixers to take down the Lake Show and of course they couldn’t do it.

Things quiet down even further with just four NBA games slated to go live on Tuesday night, giving NBA bettors only a few chances to make some green. Let’s maximize those opportunities by breaking down each matchup and picking the eventual winners:

Hawks @ Pistons

Greg Monroe is out again but the Hawks will still have their hands full in Detroit, as Reggie Jackson has been white hot during the Pistons’ last 10 games. As solid as Detroit has been, they haven’t been able to touch Atlanta, who owns a 3-0 season series lead. The Hawks will be looking for a big sweep tonight.

Pick: Hawks 106, Pistons 101

Pacers @ Nets

Indiana has been sliding over their past 10 games (3-7), while the Nets come into tonight with a three game roll. Deron Williams and Thaddeus Young will both be OK to suit up, so Indy will be getting the Nets at their best at the Barclays Center. That’s bad news for Pacers fans.

Pick: Nets 101, Pacers 96

Spurs @ Heat

San Antonio is turning it on with three straight wins and a nice 7-3 run in their last 10 games. The Heat are a little banged up but have been about just as hot (6-4 over last 10 contests) and playing at home could give them a nice edge. The Spurs won the first meeting fairly easily, though, and they’re at full strength. Look for the Spurs to make it four in a row.

Pick: Spurs 103, Heat 100

Warriors @ Clippers

Golden State hits up Lob City in what is easily the game of the night. It’s also arguably the hardest to predict, as both of these teams are coming in insanely hot (Warriors have nine straight wins, Clippers have seven). The Warriors won both meetings on their home floor pretty easily, but the Clips took care of business the last time they met in L.A. We’re going against the grain a bit here and taking the Clips on their home floor.

Pick: Clippers 106, Warriors 103

We did well with out NBA picks to close last week, as we went a blistering 8-1 over nine Sunday games. In fact, had Dallas just edged out an inferior Pacers squad in Indy, we would have gone a perfect 9-0. We’ll take the 8-1 record (646-328 on the year) and confidently march into a new week with Monday’s NBA picks:

Lakers @ 76ers

In a toss up game no one will bet on confidently, the Lakers travel to Philly to take on the Sixers. Philly will be without Jason Richardson and boasts a dreadful 12-25 home record, while the Lakers have a changing rotation of bigs and will be without Jeremy Lin. L.A. is also 8-29 away from home. Things figure to be working against the Lakers, especially considering Nerlens Noel has really came into his own lately. He could dominate as Philly wins a close one at home.

Pick: Sixers 101, Lakers 97

Celtics @ Hornets

A banged up Al Jefferson (knee) will continue to give it a go for the Hornets, who are limping to the finish line almost literally with seven losses in their last 10 contests. Boston’s defense leaves a lot to be desired, though, while Charlotte tends to save their best ball for the home crowd.

Pick: Hornets 102, Celtics 98

Bucks @ Hawks

Atlanta’s main players are well rested and all should be in the lineup tonight as they host a Bucks squad that continues to struggle with consistency. Atlanta is obviously the better team and is pretty much unbeatable at home (31-5), so you can’t take the Bucks and feel good about it.

Pick: Hawks 107, Bucks 102

Rockets @ Raptors

Dwight Howard is down again and Houston is extremely banged up down low. That’s going to put a ton of pressure on James Harden, while Toronto may have a field day in the paint. If the Raptors can take advantage, they should be able to thwart off Houston at home.

Pick: Raptors 105, Rockets 103

Jazz @ Timberwolves

Two home teams lost last night and the home team typically should be favored when the matchup isn’t obviously against them. That theme stops here, as Utah plays great defense and could be at full strength tonight. Even if Derrick Favors sits out for the second game in a row I like them, as Minnesota is down to Justin Hamilton as their top center. Yikes.

Pick: Jazz 104, T’Wolves 96

Kings @ Grizzlies

DeMarcus Cousins has been ruled out for this contest in Memphis and Rudy Gay could be rested, as well. The Kings are under-manned on the road against a much better team, so picking them would be a grave mistake tonight.

Pick: Grizz 105, Kings 101

Suns @ Trail Blazers

Phoenix is sliding out of the playoff picture just as the Blazers are putting the finishing touches on wrapping up a division crown. Portland is almost at full strength again and is really tough to beat at home (29-7 on the year), so the Suns could be in for a rough ticket.

Pick: Blazers 106, Suns 103

Saturday largely offered up the results we expected, as four of five home teams secured wins and we marched to a solid 4-1 mark (638-327 on the year). We could have had a perfect 5-0 night, but the Thunder couldn’t top the Jazz in Utah. We’ll take the near perfection and dive into a jam-packed Sunday that has the first game tipping off at 12:30 pm ET.

Unlike last night, today’s NBA games aren’t so easy to predict, as five battles feature potential playoff teams. Let’s dive into each matchup and see who we should be riding with via NBA betting today:

Rockets @ Wizards

Houston and Washington get today’s action started in D.C. and 12:30, as the Wizards will try to make it two wins in a row. That’s easier said than done with Dwight Howard back in the saddle and James Harden playing out of his mind. The Wiz tend to be better at home but they’re not really much of a match for the Rockets.

Pick: Rockets 106, Wizards 102

Lakers @ Nets

L.A. has been fairly competitive lately but the Nets are at home and have won two straight. Brooklyn can ill afford to drop gimme games right now as they’re in the thick of a playoff race, as well.

Pick: Nets 103, Lakers 98

Timberwolves @ Pelicans

Minnesota has a lot of talent and can explode on offense at any time but they’re severely banged up still and winning on the road hasn’t been their thing all year. Look for Anthony Davis to shine in a big Pellies home win.

Pick: Pelicans 109, T’Wolves 97

76ers @ Cavaliers

Philly can randomly play opponents tough but they’re on the road against a rising Cavs team. They’re going to get destroyed.

Pick: Cavs 112, Sixers 89

Clippers @ Cetics

Doc Rivers takes on his former team, or what’s left of them, in a matchup that obviously favors the Clippers. Blake Griffin has been quiet since his return from elbow surgery and this might be a nice game for him to go off a bit.

Pick: Clips 111, Celtics 103

Pistons @ Heat

The Heat are banged up down low and the Pistons are coming into South Beach red hot (four straight wins). Reggie Jackson seemingly can’t be stopped, but Goran Dragic has done a good job defensively. If Hassan Whiteside (hand) can suit up, the Heat could kill Detroit’s run.

Pick: Heat 104, Pistons 102

Mavericks @ Pacers

Indiana should get Rodney Stuckey and David West back in the lineup tonight and they’ll be at home when they try to take down the visiting Mavs. Dallas has been very up and down over their last 10 contests (5-5), but an offensively challenged Pacers team is a matchup that should work well for them.

Pick: Mavs 108, Pacers 100

Grizzlies @ Spurs

The Grizz and Spurs battled to a 3OT game earlier this year and we could always be in for another marathon game like that. Either way, San Antonio is a different (healthier/better) team now and should take care of business at home.

Pick: Spurs 106, Grizz 104

Thunder @ Suns

OKC is falling out of the running for their division, but if Russell Westbrook can regain the form he had just a week ago his Thunder can still sneak into the playoffs. Phoenix is fighting for the same eighth and final spot, so this could prove to be a crucial game. Overtime wouldn’t be shocking, while NBA bettors can probably chase the Total on this one. The Suns are the healthier and more complete team at this point, but something tells me Westbrook just won’t be denied.

Pick: Thunder 109, Suns 107