The Hornets got blasted at home, the Hawks destroyed the Kings and the Heat couldn’t take down the Celtics as the NBA got even crazier on Monday night. We though Charlotte would keep their five-game roll going on their home floor but they burned us as we exited the first night of the new NBA week with a 6-2 mark. That’s still plenty solid and we’ll carry a stout 546-278 season record into tonight’s action.

Things slow down slightly with two less games on the schedule, but we’re in for some intense clashes as the Cavs/Mavs face off and the Raptors and Spurs go to war. Let’s break all of the matchups down and see who might be the safest picks for tonight:

Magic @ Pacers

Orlando can pack a punch offensively at times and getting center Nikola Vucevic back tonight (ankle) will help their cause. However, Indy is fairly solid at home and is on a nice five-game winning streak. If they put the defensive clamps down, they’ll take this one.

Pick: Pacers 95, Magic 93

Pelicans @ Nets

Anthony Davis dropped 43 points last night and continues his surge since returning from an injury. He should be the focus even more with Tyreke Evans out tonight. That puts New Orleans back a bit in this matchup, but Brooklyn is struggling (lost three straight), while the Pellies have won eight of 10. The Brow shall feast.

Pick: Pelicans 105, Nets 101

Cavaliers @ Mavericks

LeBron James and co. head to Dallas, where the Mavs have oddly had trouble against Eastern Conference goes. That’s good news for Cleveland, who has taken over the Central division. Dallas hasn’t looked great lately, so it’s hard to imagine them thwarting off a strong Cavs squad.

PickL Cavs 109, Mavs 104

Raptors @ Spurs

Toronto is reeling with three straight losses and the Spurs have caught fire, entering tonight with a solid five wins in a row. Tony Parker has looked fantastic in his past two outings, which could spell trouble for the visiting Raptors.

Pick: Spurs 102, Raptors 99

Knicks @ Jazz

Utah’s defensive dominance should continue when they host the Knicks tonight. New York is on the second of a back-to-back and they’re, you know, the Knicks.

Pick: Jazz 104, Knicks 88

Pistons @ Lakers

L.A. has been a tough out for a while now and they play host to a Pistons team that is falling apart in the midst of a six-game skid. This should be the perfect game for Reggie Jackson and co. to get off the schneid.

Pick: Pistons 106, Lakers 103

Sunday night capped a pretty crazy week, so it shouldn’t have shocked us to see some upsets. We saw most of them coming, as we escaped the night with a solid 4-1 mark (bringing us to 540-276 on the year). Things get a little more intense with a solid eight-game slate on the docket, so dive right in with us as we issue our NBA picks for Monday, 3/9/2015:

Wizards @ Hornets

Washington has been all over the place the past month and the Hornets are at home with a nice five-game winning streak. Now isn’t the time to bet against the surging Hornets.

Pick: Hornets 99, Wiz 94

Kings @ Hawks

The Kings are still very much figuring themselves out under new head coach George Karl, while the Hawks are arguably the best team in the league. Atlanta is also at home, where they almost never lose.

Pick: Hawks 107, Kings 102

Celtics @ Heat

Boston ran cold last night in a loss to Orlando, so they’ll look to pick things back up in Miami tonight. There’s a good chance they turn it on, too, considering the Heat are severely banged up and could be without several bodies.

Pick: Celtics 105, Heat 103

Grizzlies @ Bulls

Pau Gasol and Marc Gasol face off in what could be a pretty gritty battle. Chicago is started to dip a bit due to injuries, though, so it’s easy to take the Grizzlies here.

Pick: Grizz 102, Bulls 100

Pelicans @ Bucks

Milwaukee finally snapped an ugly four-game skid, but taking down the Pelicans is another stiff challenge. Anthony Davis has been flat-out unstoppable since returning so the Bucks could be in some trouble.

Pick: Pellies 104, Bucks 97

Knicks @ Nuggets

Denver has seemingly turned over a new leaf since firing head coach Brian Shaw and they’re running again. New York has Andrea Bargnani to get excited about. So, yeah…

Pick: Nuggets 107, Knicks 101

Warriors @ Suns

Golden State loses some of it’s fire on the road and they could be in for a foot race in Phoenix. That being said, the Suns are slowly dropping out of the playoff picture and forcing the Warriors to run is actually a horrible game plan.

Pick: Warriors 114, Suns 109

Timberwolves @ Clippers

Chris Paul can be added to the banged up bodies in L.A., which could have the Clips taking on the T’Wolves without CP3, Blake Griffin and Jamal Crawford. With how good Ricky Rubio has looked lately, that’s not good news.

Pick: Timberwolves 104, Clippers 102

Saturday night wasn’t light on the crazy when it came to our NBA picks. We did have an awesome call go our way (Timberwolves over the Blazers), but we got burned by the Wizards and Hawks pretty badly. Washington couldn’t take down Milwaukee, while Atlanta was the shock of the night with a loss in Philly to the 76ers. That snapped the Hawks’ six-game winning streak and helped keep us grounded at just 5-3 on the night (536-275 on the year).

Some early games already got Sunday going, so we’ll by pass those and jump right into the 6 pm and later contests. There’s still five to work out way through, so let’s get right to it:

Hornets @ Pistons

These two teams are going in completely opposite directions, with Charlotte coming in with four straight wins and the Pistons reeling with five straight losses. Charlotte has defense down to an art these days and Mo Williams is absolutely crushing it on offense, so the Hornets are the easy pick.

Pick: Hornets 104, Pistons 97

Jazz @ Nets

Deron Williams hosts his former team in what should be an interesting content. Utah has some nasty defense and could easily put the Nets under wraps, although the Jazz haven’t been good on the road (12-20) all year. We like the Jazz to keep it close due to their inside defense, but the Nets should pull away late.

Pick: Nets 99, Jazz 90

Celtics @ Magic

In what could be the best offensive game of the night, Boston rides five wins out of their last seven games into a nice showdown with the Magic. Orlando has been back and forth since firing their head coach but there is no denying they’ve been better. If Nikola Vucevic is able to go (he sat out the last game) Orlando may take this one, but if not they’re in trouble.

Pick: Magic 108, Celtics 104

Raptors @ Thunder

Russell Westbrook is somehow even more dangerous with a mask on and the Raptors have been dreadful (3-7 in last 10). OKC is a different monster on their home floor, too, so we love the Thunder tonight – and most nights.

Pick: Thunder 107, Raptors 102

Mavericks @ Lakers

Another offensive face-off could be on display when Dallas heads to the Staples Center to try to take down the Lake Show. The Lakers have been active and competitive thanks to stellar play from Jeremy Lin and Jordan Clarkson, but they’ll have their work cut out for them tonight. A potential Chandler Parsons return could give the Mavs (5-5 in last 10) the lift they need.

Pick: Mavs 105, Lakers 101

We figured we were in for another crazy night of NBA action on Friday, and we were right. The Celtics topped the Pelicans, the Hornets beat the Raptors and the Pacers took down the Bulls (we called that one!) but we still worked our way to a solid 8-4 record (531-272 on the season) in a jammed up Friday night. We also got a sweet overtime game out of the Suns and Nets, a sick triple-double out of James Harden and a second straight huge scoring game out of Orlando’s Victor Oladipo.

Things slow down ever so slightly as the weekend gets going, as we have four less games on the docket. There are still plenty of games to pick and plenty of variables in each matchup. Let’s break it all down and get to our NBA picks for Saturday, 3/7/2015:

Grizzlies @ Pelicans

New Orleans just dropped a winnable game last night and now hosts the Grizzlies, who have won two in a row and have been a solid 6-4 over their last 10 games. The home team is winning these matchups right now, though, so we’ll stick with the Pelicans on their home floor tonight.

Pick: Pellies 101, Grizz 98

Suns @ Cavaliers

Phoenix outlasted the Nets for a nice overtime win last night but that’s bad news since they have to travel to Cleveland. The Cavs are one of the best teams in the league right now and Phoenix is simply going to be too worn down to handle them, especially on the road.

Pick: Cavs 109, Suns 103

Kings @ Heat

Miami is broken down, so much so that is was frankly kind of amazing they came close to taking down the Wizards last night. Dwyane Wade, Luol Deng, Mario Chalmers and Goran Dragic could all potentially sit out, so it’s hard to pick against the Kings.

Pick: Kings 102, Heat 96

Pacers @ Knicks

Indy destroyed the Knicks in each of their last two meetings and we all know the Knicks aren’t great, so it’s silly to expect much to change here.

Pick: Pacers 102, Knicks 94

Hawks @ 76ers

Kyle Korver takes on one of his former teams but that’s where the drama likely ends in this one. Philly is still starved for talent and Atlanta has won six games in a row. They’re not about to slip up against the lowly Sixers.

Pick: Hawks 106, 76ers 98

Trail Blazers @ Timberwolves

Minny actually stole the last meeting between these two , plus they play host and Wes Matthews is done for the year with a torn Achilles. There is some momentum here for a T’Wolves upset.

Pick: Timberwolves 107, Trail Blazers 104

Wizards @ Bucks

Milwaukee is struggling right and enters tonight with four losses in a row. They do host this game and the Wiz are also struggling but the Wizards have taken care of the Bucks this year (2-0) and they’ll be looking for a nice, clean sweep.

Pick: Wizards 106, Bucks 101

Rockets @ Nuggets

Ty Lawson and Kenneth Faried have been playing fantastic ball with the Nuggets going 2-1 and playing faster basketball since firing head coach Brian Shaw. That’s great, but now they get James Harden and the Rockets. Make that 2-2 since Shaw got canned.

Pick: Rockets 107, Nuggets 104

Thursday night was a fun night of NBA action despite seeing Wesley Matthews go down, as we went 1-1 (bringing our season record to  523-268) but it ultimately holds nothing to what Friday night could be. Tonight we get a fully stuffed 12-game slate, and if we’ve learned anything from 10+ game nights, they’re a whole lot of fun. They’re a little more difficult to call correctly, as craziness tends to hit us hard on the more packed nights. We’ll still try to call the games the best we can, so let’s dive right into another chaotic night of NBA action:

Bulls @ Pacers

Chicago got a nice win last night but will enter Indiana pretty tired. That could spell trouble given the fact that the Pacers have been playing pretty well and come into the night riding a three-game winning streak.

Pick: Pacers 101, Bulls 98

Kings @ Magic

It’s the battle of centers as DeMarcus Cousins and Nikola Vucevic go at it in Orlando. Neither of these teams play much defense, so we can expect a good amount of points, while Orlando is tougher to roll with given their four-game losing skid.

Pick: Kings 104, Magic 102

Jazz @ 76ers

Utah has turned it on ever since the All-Star break and will go into Philly as winners of seven of their last 10. The Sixers got enormous efforts out of Isaiah Canaan and Nerlens Noel in their last outing but they’re not consistent enough to get past Utah’s defense.

Pick: Jazz 97, Sixers 90

Heat @ Wizards

Miami seems to be rounding in playoff form at the right time (6-4 in last 10), while the Wiz have been falling apart the past two weeks. Washington could easily figure things out at home, but the Heat have all of the momentum.

Pick: Heat 103, Wizards 97

Raptors @ Hornets

Charlotte hosts Toronto on a hot streak (three straight wins), while the Raptors are struggling again as losers of six of their last 10. Kyle Lowry is due back tonight, though, and could be just the jump start the Raps need.

Pick: Raptors 101, Hornets 99

Cavaliers @ Hawks

Cleveland is the latest team to have to head into ATL and try to take down the league’s best team. The Hawks have a brand new winning streak rolling (5 in a row) and are a formidable 28-4 on their home floor. The Cavs can certainly take them down, but it’s not the best bet in the world.

Pick: Hawks 104, Cavs 102

Celtics @ Pelicans

Anthony Davis returned in a big way the other night, dropping 39 points in a big Pelicans win. He’ll likely dominate the Celtics weak interior defense in another Pellies win.

Pick: Pelicans 106, Celtics 99

Pistons @ Rockets

James Harden has been an absolute beast and Houston is a tough task to handle at home. Reggie Jackson can be explosive but he and Detroit’s bigs will have their work cut out for them tonight.

Pick: Rockets 106, Pistons 100

Suns @ Nets

Phoenix tries to run the Nets out of the gym in Brooklyn tonight, in what should be a solid matchup. Brooklyn is pretty weak at home for some reason, so if the Suns can hit their shots they should win in a shootout.

Pick: Suns 108, Nets 104

Lakers @ Grizzlies

Memphis has dropped a few winnable games (at home, no less) lately, so they probably know they need to take down the Lakers on their home floor tonight. This one shouldn’t be close.

Pick: Grizz 109, Lakers 92

Nuggets @ Spurs

Denver has played well for the most part since canning Brian Shaw, but the Spurs have picked up their defensive intensity lately and should be a rough ticket for the Nugs in San Antonio.

Pick: Spurs 103, Nuggets 98

Mavericks @ Warriors

Dallas caps the night in Golden State, where the Splash Brothers will be waiting to go off behind the arc. The Mavs could be worn out after a loss on Thursday night, while the well rested Warriors are already impossible to take down (25-2) on their home floor.

Pick: Warriors 113, Mavs 108

On a wild 13-game night that included two overtime games, we made it through the fire with a stellar 10-3 finish (bringing us to 522-267 on the season). Things calm down considerably on Thursday (as they normally do) with just two games featured on TNT, but the competitiveness is one thing that isn’t bound to cool down.

We still have two intense matchups on the schedule, with the Thunder and Bulls squaring off early and the Blazers and Mavericks closing out the night late. Let’s break down both of these intense showdowns and see who we can expect to emerge victorious tonight via out NBA picks for Thursday, 3/5/2015:

Oklahoma City Thunder @ Chicago Bulls

On the surface you might think the Bulls should win this game. They appear to be a more complete team than the Thunder, they’re at home and OKC is a weak 14-19 away from their home court. The Thunder will also be without Kevin Durant, making it easy for anyone to convince themselves that the Bulls could have this one in the bag. Of course, Chicago has their own injury woes to deal with, as Derrick Rose and Jimmy Butler are both out until late March and big man Taj Gibson is also out for 1-2 weeks. Add in a torrid run that superstar point guard Russell Westbrook is on, and it’s actually impossible to like the Bulls in this matchup.

OKC has been red hot lately, winning eight of their last 10 and looking like a team no one will want to face in the Western Conference playoffs. Chicago could always hold serve at the United Center tonight, but they don’t currently have a healthy point guard that can slow down Westbrook – let alone stop him. Chicago does have some good post play out of Pau Gasol and Joakim Noah, but with Enes Kanter and Serge Ibaka potentially off-setting them, the favor lies with the Thunder tonight.

Pick: Thunder 107, Bulls 104

Dallas Mavericks @ Portland Trail Blazers

As good as the early game is, this rivalry showdown between the Mavs and Blazers could be even better. Rip City has been fantastic for most of the year and hosts Dallas tonight with a four-game winning streak in play. Dallas has been great on offense but with Tyson Chandler in and out of the lineup they haven’t had much continuity on the defensive end. They’ve also endured spats between head coach Rick Carlisle and point guard Rajon Rondo, as well as an injury from swing man, Chandler Parsons.

The reality is Dallas just isn’t 100% right now and asking them to come into Portland and get a win in a place where the Blazers have lost just six times all year is a little silly. Dallas did steal a nice overtime win in their last showdown, though, and this game is sure to carry a sick offensive punch. Expect a bunch of points and possibly a vintage performance from Dirk Nowitzki to make this one interesting, but the Trail Blazers should still ultimately come out on top.

Pick: Blazers 104, Mavs 102

Tuesday night offered up two disgusting 30+ point blowouts, but fans were also blessed with intense showdowns between the Rockets/Hawks, Lakers/Hornets and Bulls/Wizards. In all, it was a solid night of basketball with seven games on the slate and we made it out alive with a 6-1 mark (509-264 on the year). We could have been a perfect 7-0 had the Memphis Grizzlies not laid an egg on their home floor against the Utah Jazz.

While last night’s seven-game pack was fun, it’s going to be remembered as nothing compared to a whopping 13-game slate set for Wednesday. Let’s keep the analysis short and to the point as we pick every NBA game for 3/4/2015:

Knicks @ Pacers

New York got housed last night and we all know they’re trash, while Indy has actually been quite solid with a healthy George Hill running the offense. The Pacers should roll at home.

Pick: Pacers 99, Knicks 87

Suns @ Magic

Fans should be in for a bit of a fast-paced outing with little defense with the Suns visit Orlando. Both of these teams are struggling, but Phoenix is the better team on paper.

Pick: Suns 108, Magic 104

Jazz @ Celtics

Utah had a great defensive win over the Grizzlies last night and has been somewhat hot ever since trading away Enes Kanter. The Celtics don’t play much defense at all, so the Jazz should hold the edge tonight.

Pick: Jazz 109, Celtics 98

Hornets @ Nets

Something has to break when the Hornets visit Brooklyn, as both teams enter with a nice two-game winning stareak. The tiebreaker may have to go to the Nets, as Deron Williams is starting and playing at a high level and they’re also at home.

Pick: Nets 104, Hornets 101

Cavaliers @ Raptors

Toronto has been sluggish (5-5 in last 10 games) and the Cavs look borderline unstoppable these days. With everyone healthy, Cleveland seems like the logical pick.

Pick: Cavs 106, Raptors 102

Pistons @ Pelicans

Anthony Davis returns tonight and the Pelicans have been rock solid even without him, so they’re the easy pick at home.

Pick: Pellies 103, Pistons 101

Grizzlies @ Rockets

Both Memphis and Houston are fresh off of tough losses, but James Harden returns from a one-game suspension tonight and he’ll be too angry for the Grizz to handle in Houston.

Pick: Rockets 106, Grizzlies 102

Lakers @ Heat

Jeremy Lin has been ablaze lately but it hasn’t helped the Lakers avoid two straight losses. Aside from Chris Bosh being out, the Heat are pretty healthy these days and host a team they should be.

Pick: Heat 104, Lakers 96

Nuggets @ Timberwolves

Denver won it’s first game without Brian Shaw (fired) so they could start looking like a new team, while Minnesota hasn’t done much to win the nod here (three losses in a row). Ty Lawson vs. Ricky Rubio will be a fun battle to watch, but in the end the Nuggets should get their second straight win.

Pick: Nuggets 107, T’Wolves 105

76ers @ Thunder

Russell Westbrook returns with a vengeance (and a face mask). Sorry, Sixers.

Pick: Thunder 112, Sixers 90

Kings @ Spurs

San Antonio started getting back on track after taking down the Kings barely a week ago. Look for them to do so again at home tonight.

Pick: Spurs 109, Kings 104

Bucks @ Warriors

Milwaukee is skidding into Golden State with three straight losses and it’s highly unlikely they stop the bleeding against an elite Warriors squad. Golden State is a disgusting 24-2 on their home floor. Enough said.

Pick: Warriors 109, Bucks 97

Trail Blazers @ Clippers

Rip City and Lob City end the night with arguably Wednesday’s top matchup. The Clippers have won both previous meetings and are at home, but no Blake Griffin could hamper their bid to go up 3-0 in the season series.

Pick: Blazers 112, Clippers 110

We were hit with just five NBA games on Monday night, but we were able to brave the storm and escape with a rock solid 4-1 record (503-263 on the year) to get the week started. In fact, it could have easily ended up being a sweet 5-0 sweep, but the Nets dashed our hopes of perfection with a Jarrett Jack shot with just one second left. Things pick up slightly on Tuesday night with seven contests on the docket, so let’s jump right into it and see who should be coming out on top:

Celtics @ Cavaliers

Kyrie Irving could be back tonight but even if he and Kevin Love both sit, LeBron James is more than enough to help his Cavs take down the Celtics in Cleveland.

Pick: Cavs 107, Celtics 103

Kings @ Knicks

New York has gotten some random wins lately and the Kings are still without DeMarcus Cousins, but the Kings are still the better team and have Rudy Gay to lead the way.

Pick: Kings 102, Knicks 96

Lakers @ Hornets

Al Jefferson should have his way down low and Mo Williams should do the trick at the point for Charlotte, who needs every win with a heated race going on for the East’s 8th playoff seed.

Pick: Hornets 103, Lakers 100

Rockets @ Hawks

James Harden will serve a one-game ban, which puts the Rockets in a tough spot on the road against a very good Hawks squad.

Pick: Hawks 106, Rockets 102

Wizards @ Bulls

Chicago is down Derrick Rose, Jimmy Butler and Pau Gasol but the Wiz have been so bad lately that it’s easy to side with the Bulls at home.

Pick: Bulls 104, Wiz 101

Jazz @ Grizzlies

Utah has been playing great defense lately but the Grizz are at home and play just as good on that side of the ball. Mike Conley and Marc Gasol should carry Memphis to a nice home win.

Pick: Grizz 99, Jazz 95

Bucks @ Nuggets

Milwaukee would love to end a two-game losing streak, but with the firing of head coach Brian Shaw, something tells me the Nuggets will get up to play at home tonight.

Pick: Nuggets 105, Bucks 101

Don’t pick the Lakers. This is what I said in my head after they went into Sunday night with a three-game winning streak. But with no Russell Westbrook or Kevin Durant, I got caught up in Lake Show fever. What happened? L.A. lost and ended up being our long blemish on a 5-1 night (499-262 on the season). “Don’t pick the Lakers” is something I’ll be saying next time they play, too.

While that one misfire is a bummer, we still fared well last night and you should have, too. The difficulty dies down a bit tonight as we have just give games to get the new week started. Join us, won’t you, as we dive into our NBA picks for Monday, 3/2/2015:

Raptors @ 76ers

Kyle Lowry is out tonight but it’s hard to see the Sixers topping a solid Raptors squad. Lou Williams could have a big scoring night against his former team, while DeMar DeRozan could also go off. Either way, Toronto should win this one easily.

Pick: Raptors 104, Sixers 98

Suns @ Heat

Goran Dragic is questionable to face his former team, but the Suns have been in a downward spiral and Miami hosts this one. If the Heat can keep the pace slow and Hassan Whiteside can avoid foul trouble, they should get a nice home win.

Pick: Heat 101, Suns 97

Warriors @ Nets

Andrew Bogut and Draymond Green are both in danger of being rested tonight, but the Warriors can still get by the Nets thanks to their awesome balance and depth. Stephen Curry went nuts last night, so don’t be shocked if it’s Klay Thompson’s turn tonight.

Pick: Warriors 104, Nets 101

Clippers @ Timberwolves

Chris Paul has the Clippers marching strong despite Blake Griffin still being out, while the T’Wolves try to hold serve at home with both Kevin Martin and Nikola Pekovic possibly out. If they can’t go, the Timberwolves will be playing with their backs against the wall.

Pick: Clips 109, T’Wolves 103

Pelicans @ Mavericks

New Orleans has somehow won five in a row without Anthony Davis, Jrue Holiday or Ryan Anderson, but that streak is going to come to an end tonight. Tyson Chandler and Chandler Parsons are out but the Mavs are solid at home and still have plenty of pieces to put up points.

Pick: Mavs 105, Pellies 102

The Knicks kept winning, the Wizards finally got it together and the Spurs obliterated the Suns as we went 4-3 on a seven-game night. We actually took the Wiz to finally break their ugly six-game losing streak, but we think it’s safe to say no one saw New York coming. The Nets and Spurs also got two somewhat unlikely road wins, but we’ll take a slightly above .500 record (now 494-261 on the year).

We’ve got another six games to take a look at tonight (skipping the two early games), so let’s get to our NBA picks for Sunday, 3/1/2015:

Warriors @ Celtics

Golden State isn’t quite as elite on the road, but this is a Celtics team lacking elite talent or any defensive ability. The Warriors should roll.

Pick: Warriors 106, Celtics 98

76ers @ Pacers

Philly stole a win last game over the Wizards and they could have a shot at another in Indy tonight. The Pacers still play solid defense and do their best on their home floor, though.

Pick: Pacers 91, 76ers 88

Hornets @ Magic

Orlando is back to their losing ways, while the Hornets need to start taking gimme games if they’re serious about the playoffs. Look for a big game out of Al Jefferson tonight.

Pick: Hornets 90, Magic 87

Trail Blazers @ Kings

DeMarcus Cousins is out again so it’s up to Rudy Gay to keep Sacramento in this one. That’s going to be easier said than done with Damian Lillard and LaMarcus Aldridge to contend with.

Pick: Blazers 109, Kings 106

Thunder @ Lakers

Russell Westbrook (face) will sit this one out, so it’s up to D.J. Augustin and Serge Ibaka to lead the Thunder. NBA bettors might want to give the Lakers a shot at home (they’ve won three in a row).

Pick: Lakers 104, Thunder 101

Pelicans @ Nuggets

Anthony Davis sits again and we’re probably in for a fast-paced marathon game featuring a great duel between Tyreke Evans and Ty Lawson. The better team should prevail, though, getting New Orleans a nice road win.

Pick: Pellies 104, Nuggets 102