The Hornets won in overtime in a game where they scored just 80 points, the Timberwolves won for the second time in three games and Memphis held it’s ground at home against Portland to hand us a 5-3 record on Saturday night (333-175 on the year). Had it not been for those odd finishes, we would have had a perfect 8-0 run and anyone using out picks for NBA betting would have had one sweet night on the town.

The weekend isn’t over and we still plan on getting a perfect slate out of this weekend. Let’s dive into Sunday’s NBA picks, where just three games reside:

Pelicans @ Raptors

Anthony Davis sat out the Pellies’ last game and watched them get housed by the Sixers, of all teams. Needless to say, they aren’t remotely close to the same team when he’s out of the lineup and you can pick them at your own risk (so we’ve learned). He and Jrue Holiday (shin) are both iffy for the early game today, so if you’re getting your picks in before everyone else, you may want to be a tad cautious. The Raptors should probably be the favorite, either way, as they have a healthy DeMar DeRozan back and are pretty solid at home.

Pick: Raptors 106, Pelicans 101

Thunder @ Magic

Orlando has struggled overall with Tobias Harris (ankle) missing time, while they’ve taken a slide over their last 10 (3-7). Victor Oladipo and Nikola Vucevic have stepped up in his absence, but it really hasn’t been working out in the wins column. Orlando does host this game tonight, but Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant looked sharp in their last outing and should be able to get the road win if they play like they can.

Pick: Thunder 107, Magic 98

Jazz @ Spurs

The Spurs and Jazz cap a slow NBA night and with this one in San Antonio, it’s a likely Spurs win. That’s backed by a healthy trio of Tony Parker, Kawhi Leonard and Tiago Splitter, although it’s certainly worth noting that Utah stole the first meeting, 100-96. Look for San Antonio’s defense to be much more sound tonight as they start picking up the pieces of a mediocre season at home.

Pick: Spurs 111, Jazz 104

Friday was as loaded of a NBA night as we get, yet we found a way to sift through the madness and come out at the other end alive with a respectable 8-5 mark. On a 13-game night we’ll take that record, but it’s worth noting that the Pelicans dropped the ball against the lowly Sixers, the Wizards lost as home to the Nets and the Clippers couldn’t handle the Cavs at home. If those three games went the way they were supposed to, we were looking at an awesome 11-2 night.

The cards fell like they did, however, and we all have to deal with the lumps. We’re still a solid 328-172 on the year and walk into the fire of Saturday night unphased:

Hawks @ Bulls

In one of the better games of the night, the red hot Hawks (11 straight wins), visit the Bulls, who are expected to be without center Joakim Noah for the second game in a row. Advantage: Hawks.

Pick: Hawks 107, Bulls 104

Pacers @ Hornets

Kemba Walker is out and Al Jefferson has yet to return, so the Hornets are going to be fighting an uphill battle tonight. Lance Stephenson faces his former team, though, adding to the intrigue.

Pick: Pacers 96, Hornets 90

76ers @ Pistons

The Sixers have been a pain when it comes to NBA picks, as they randomly beat opponents they shouldn’t. I don’t expect that to happen in Detroit tonight, however, as the Pistons have been quite good over the past two weeks.

Pick: Pistons 104, 76ers 95

Warriors @ Rockets

Another stout game brings the Warriors to Houston, where the Rockets will try to avenge two earlier losses this year. The Rockets are 100% healthy, but Golden State lost last night and isn’t one to drop two games in a row.

Pick: Warriors 109, Rockets 107

Wizards @ Nets

Brooklyn surprised us with a win last night, but they’re severely under-manned and the Wiz are one of the more balanced teams in the league. We like the Wiz, even on the road.

Pick: Wiz 104, Nets 102

Timberwolves @ Nuggets

Minnesota is back to their losing ways and comes into Denver without many key players. This game shall surely pack an offensive punch, but the Nuggets have won four of their last five and should be able to take care of business at home.

Pick: Nuggets 106, T’Wolves 102

Trail Blazers @ Grizzlies

Portland is in a weird spot with a random two straight losses, so they’ll try to keep it from leaking into three in Memphis tonight. The Grizzlies play some mean defense and are a formidable 15-4 on their home floor, but Portland is too good to drop three in a row. Right?

Pick: Blazers 104, Grizzlies 101

Clippers @ Kings

The Clippers just lost a home game to the Cavs last night, so they’ll either be tired or out for blood. Sacramento has been sliding backwards lately, despite elite play by big man DeMarcus Cousins. L.A. should get the win.

Pick: Clips 109, Kings 104

The Knicks went all Knicks on us, the Rockets smoked the Thunder and the Cavaliers got their groove back in L.A. as we handed our viewers a decent 2-1 Thursday night. Our aim continues to be perfection, and while we’ve only made it happen a handful of times this year, our 320-167 season mark should serve as a solid consolation.

There were just three NBA games last night and things get hot and heavy again on Friday as a ridiculous 13 games hit the schedule. That means only four NBA squads aren’t playing and you need to check your wallet twice as you get ready to conduct some serious NBA betting. Let’s run through each matchup and see who tonight’s safest plays are:

Grizzlies @ Magic

Orlando has won two in a row and plays host tonight, but so have the Grizz who happen to be a solid 12-7 on the road and boast a healthy Zach Randolph (as well as new trade piece, Jeff Green). If Memphis brings their defense, a Tobias Harris-less Magic team could be in trouble at home.

Pick: Grizzlies 106, Magic 101

Bulls @ Celtics

Chicago will be without Joakim Noah, so they could lose some defense on the road, but they’ve oddly been great away from home. The Celtics, meanwhile, have lost seven of their last 10 and play zero defense. We like Da Bulls.

Pick: Bulls 107, Celtics 103

Nuggets @ Mavericks

Denver took care of the Mavs in Colorado the other night, but the Mavs were resting key starters and this one is in Dallas. As long as Dirk Nowitzki, Rajon Rondo and Tyson Chandler are a full go, they’re the heavy favorites in a fast-paced marathon game.

Pick: Mavs 109, Nuggets 107

Timberwolves @ Suns

Minnesota just snapped a nasty 15-game losing streak, but they’re not likely to start up a winning streak on the road against a solid Suns team. We can expect offense from both sides, but Phoenix should pull it out in the end.

Pick: Suns 112, T’Wolves 104

Lakers @ Jazz

Kobe Bryant will rest on Friday night, hurting L.A.’s chances of getting a win in Utah. The Jazz need to take advantage anytime they have a shot at a win, so they should so so tonight at home.

Pick: Jazz 104, Lakers 102

Pistons @ Pacers

Detroit has been on quite a tear since they dropped Josh Smith and they took the Pacers down last time they faced. Even in Indy, they look like a solid bet to do so again.

Pick: Pistons 103, Pacers 99

Pelicans @ 76ers

Jrue Holiday and Anthony Davis will both miss Friday’s night’s clash with the ‘Tankers, but Tyreke Evans and Ryan Anderson provide enough offense to get the Pellies the win over one of the worst teams in the league.

Pick: Pelicans 108, Sixers 102

Nets @ Wizards

Brook Lopez is in trade rumors and Deron Williams is out with an injury, so there is a lot of negativity surrounding the Nets these days. That won’t help them win they travel to D.C. to take on a very balanced Wizards squad that happens to be a blistering 17-4 on their home floor.

Pick: Wiz 104, Nets 101

Hawks @ Raptors

Toronto enjoys DeMar DeRozan in his second game back, but they’ve still been pretty sluggish over the last month or so. Until their defense picks back up and DeRozan gets comfortable again, they’ll be iffy bets. It doesn’t help that they host a red hot Hawks team that is riding a 10-game winning streak, either.

Pick: Hawks 106, Raptors 102

Warriors @ Thunder

OKC is 0-3 against Golden State this year, but they’ll try to avoid the season sweep at home tonight. They haven’t looked very good on either end lately and got whopped by Stephen Curry and co. last time, so picking the Thunder is a little risky.

Pick: Warriors 105, Thunder 102

Trail Blazers @ Spurs

Portland is a little more human on the road and the Spurs have both Tony Parker and Kawhi Leonard at full strength finally. Portland is tough to pick against, but so is a healthy Spurs squad.

Pick: Spurs 107, Blazers 106

Heat @ Kings

Dwyane Wade could sit out again (hamstring), but his absence could be somewhat off-set by Rudy Gay also resting for the Kings. Miami will need to slow this one down to keep it close, but nothing can really prepare them for DeMarcus Cousins, who has been absolutely unstoppable lately.

Pick: Kings 110, Heat 100

Cavaliers @ Clippers

LeBron James is back in top form and has the Cavaliers back at .500, but dispatching the Clippers in L.A. is not an easy task. Los Angeles is a stout 17-6 at home this year and we’ll need to see a lot more out of the Cavs before we trust them in big games on the road. A Kevin Love back issue doesn’t help matters.

Pick: Clips 109, Cavs 106

After a heavy Wednesday night, NBA bettors get a bit of a breather on Thursday night, with just three games on the docket. That won’t necessarily be cause for relaxation, though, since the Rockets and Thunder face off in an intense clash in Houston, LeBron and Kobe face go toe to toe in L.A. and Carmelo Anthony could make his return (knee) to the court overseas.

It’s a hectic night despite just three games being rolled out, and we’ll do our best to get you prepped to make the right bets. We’re fresh off of a solid 6-4 night and roll into Thursday with a 318-166 season record:

Knicks @ Bucks

Carmelo Anthony (knee) could suit up in this battle with the Bucks that takes place in London as a an early game. The Knicks certainly would increase their odds of snapping a disgusting 15-game losing skid if Melo were to hit the floor, while this is a neutral setting that arguably helps both teams out. Milwaukee definitely holds the upper hand as the more consistent squad, but they may be vulnerable here. If Melo plays, we like the Knicks to get the upset.

Pick: Knicks 97, Bucks 95

Thunder @ Rockets

In what should easily be the game of the night, James Harden hosts his former team in Houston as the Thunder try to inch closer to a playoff spot. Houston is on the second game of a back to back and just gave up 120 points to the Magic last night, but they’ll be back home and Harden won’t want to lose to his former squad. Expect a big game out of Harden and if Dwight Howard can be half of what he was against the Magic (at least offensively), we like the Rockets.

Pick: Rockets 106, Thunder 103

Cavaliers @ Lakers

Probably the second best game of the three, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James give this otherwise meaningless battle some much-needed star power. The Black Mamba could always sit out due to rest, but he’ll want to battle King James. The Lakers are pretty bad and Cleveland isn’t great, so fans will be in for a show that involves a lot of offense and very little defense. L.A. actually has a solid shot at taking this one, given how badly the Cavs have been, but Cleveland can’t afford to lose this game.

Pick: Cavs 111, Lakers 109

Donald Cerrone is the most active fighter in the UFC by having fought 15 fights in a span of three years. But he took that to the next level by accepting a fight against former UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson on a two week notice. Whether that move will make Cerrone a genius or a fool will be known on Saturday night when he meets Henderson for the third time in their MMA careers.

Third Time’s the Charm?

Saturday won’t be the first time Donald Cerrone will share the Octagon with Benson Henderson because the two have fought twice when they were still with the WEC promotion. Henderson won both bouts, including the 2010 WEC lightweight title bout where Henderson submitted Cerrone in the first round with a guillotine. Their other bout was a thrilling five round decision which was named Fight of The Year. But despite Henderson’s dominance over Cerrone in the past, a lot has changed since then. Henderson is just 2-2 in his last four bouts and is coming off a stunning first round loss to Rafael Dos Anjos last August 2014. On the other hand, Cerrone has been on a tear, winning six consecutive fights since November 2014 including four stoppages and four consecutive post fight awards. Cerrone had just defeated then unbeaten prospect Myles Jury at UFC 182 last January 3. But when Eddie Alvarez pulled out of his bout with Henderson, Cerrone didn’t hesitate to pitch in for Alvarez even though the fight was two weeks away. Asked why he took the fight on such a short notice, Cerrone was quick to reply “why not?” via twitter. And Cerrone may have a point. With the way he’s been fighting, the third time may finally be the charm for The Cowboy.

Fight Prediction

Cerrone is a rhythm kick boxer who is most effective when he is on the attack and moving forward. The former Muay Thai professional fighter has a very efficient jab-cross combination which is ably supported by a lot of leg kicks. He also is a very competent wrestler who is hard to put on the ground and even when he is on the mat, he possesses very sound defense. Offensively, Cerrone has a very good guard and can easily transition into a submission attempt or move in for a vicious ground and pound.

Despite the vast improvement in his all-around game, Cerrone is a notorious late starter who often gives up the first round trying to find his rhythm. That will be to his disadvantage against Henderson who is known to be one of the sport’s fast starters who is relentless in throwing bombs at his opponent. Henderson has also evolved into a very complete fighter and has dramatically improved in every facet of the game.

Henderson is a monster and dominates the opposition with his brute strength. He wears down his opponents by dragging them against the fence and punishing them in the clinch. Unfortunately for Cowboy, fighting against the fence has been his weakness and exposes the remaining deficiencies of his defensive game. Henderson is the slight favorite in this one at -150 while Cerrone is the underdog at +150. Most fight experts believe this fight will go the distance with Henderson winning a unanimous decision score of 29-28. But this doesn’t mean that Cerrone will be an easy prey for Bendo. Cowboy is on a roll and personally asked for this fight not only because he wants to settle the score with Ben but because this could be the shorter route to a title shot.

Mo Williams dropped 52 points, LeBron James returned and Dwyane Wade went down again as we enjoyed a sweet 6-1 Tuesday night. We blame the Indiana Pacers for not knowing how to cover Mo freaking Williams, while allowing Minnesota to snap an ugly 15-game losing streak (on the Pacers’ home floor, no less). Other than that, we had a terrific night and if you went with our logic and NBA picks, you probably did, too.

Wednesday is always good for a chaotic night of pro basketball, and tonight is no different with an insane 10 games waiting to be broken down. We enter a new night of chaos with a 312-162 season record:

Spurs @ Hornets

Don’t look now, but the Hornets are riding a sweet five-game winning streak and have returned to playing stingy defense. That’s bad news for the Spurs, who will search for a win on the road after going just 5-5 in their last 10. The problem is it’s still Charlotte and they have to lose sometime. Tonight against the Spurs makes sense.

Pick: Spurs 99, Hornets 94

Rockets @ Magic

Orlando got a big win over the Bulls the other night and tonight they’ll host the Rockets, while also welcoming Dwight Howard back to his old stomping grounds. Orlando can compete with just about anyone, but Houston has won four straight and is playing extremely balanced basketball. As long as Howard suits up, I like the Rockets.

Pick: Rockets 109, Magic 107

Grizzlies @ Nets

Kevin Garnett is out thanks to a one-game suspension and Jeff Green might make his Grizz debut, but the reality is Memphis is quite good and the Nets are reeling with six straight losses. It’s going to be awfully hard not to take Memphis in this one.

Pick: Grizzlies 105, Nets 102

76ers @ Raptors

Toronto has tripped up a bit, going just 4-6 in their last 10, but they’re still pretty tough at home (15-5 on the year) and this is the Sixers we’re talking about. Philly is on the second of a back to back and is atrocious on the road (and in general), so the call is easy.

Pick: Raps 111, Sixers 97

Pelicans @ Pistons

Detroit’s hot run keeps on trucking, as they’ve won nine out of their last 10 and don’t appear to be slowing down for anyone. New Orleans is a tough opponent, but Jrue Holiday (ankle) is out and the Pistons get this one at home.

Pick: Pistons 104, Pellies 102

Wizards @ Bulls

Chicago might be the most inconsistent elite team in the East, but they should have a decent chance of upending the visiting Wizards tonight. The season series is split to this point and the Bulls will want to pay the Wiz back for a 102-86 loss last week.

Pick: Bulls 101, Wiz 98

Hawks @ Celtics

Atlanta rested their key players and still smoked the 76ers last night, so they’ll be all rested up to take on the Celtics in Boston. Boston can run with Atlanta but their defense is trash, so the Hawks are one of the easier picks on the night.

Pick: Hawks 106, Celtics 100

Mavericks @ Nuggets

Dallas just got done with an intense overtime win in Sacramento, so they’re a dangerous team to pick tonight. They’ll surely be tired and will have to to try come out and run with the Nuggets in Denver. That makes the Nuggets (winners of four straight) a sneaky upset pick.

Pick: Nuggets 108, Mavs 104

Clippers @ Trail Blazers

The game of the night has the Clips heading to Portland, where the Blazers will try to even the season series. L.A. stole the first one in an obvious shootout, and we’re likely headed for a similar showdown tonight. Portland is virtually unstoppable at home, though (18-3), so we’ll take the Blazers.

Pick: Blazers 109, Clippers 106

Heat @ Warriors

Dwyane Wade hurt his hamstring last night and is extremely doubtful to face the Warriors in Golden State. The Heat were probably going to lose anyways, but now it’s almost official with Stephen Curry’s crew having lost just one game on their home court all year.

Pick: Warriors 107, Heat 95

Kevin Garnett used his head and we went 2-2 on a light Monday evening, which naturally sets us up for a heavy Tuesday (but hopefully not head-butting). That makes us a solid 306-161 on the year, but once again thing could have gone so much better for us if two teams would have just manned up. The Pelicans let the Celtics get by them in Boston despite not having any true stars and the Bulls looked helpless at home against the visiting Magic.

It was an odd night, but since when does the NBA give us anything normal? See: Garnett bumping heads with Dwight Howard. Yeah, that’s pro basketball.

Onward and upward we go, as Wednesday begs for our NBA picks to be a tad more accurate. We’ll try our best, but let’s first take a close look at each matchup and see how things might unfold on a fairly busy night:

Timberwolves @ Pacers

Minnesota could get Kevin Martin and/or Nikola Pekovic back tonight, but the team could take it slow with both and they’ll be on the road in their return. Shabazz Muhammad is also out, putting further pressure on rookie swing man Andrew Wiggins to score. The Pacers have been solid (5-5) in their last 10, so look for Minny’s dreadful 15-game skid to continue.

Pick: Pacers 96, T’Wolves 93

Spurs @ Wizards

Two very balanced teams clash in Washington tonight, where the Wiz have been very tough (16-4). The Wiz might be the pick at home on a normal night, but the Spurs have been pretty pedestrian dating back to the beginning of December. That makes picking the Wizards easy.

Pick: Wiz 105, Spurs 102

Hawks @ 76ers

Atlanta has won eight in a row and is easily the hottest team in the league right now. This game is on the road but they ran over the Sixers earlier in the year and will probably do so again.

Pick: Hawks 106, 76ers 94

Warriors @ Jazz

Golden State brings their nasty offense to Utah, where the Jazz are just 6-11 at home. Derrick Favors is dealing with a sore ankle and could miss this game, which would leave an already over-matched Jazz squad extremely short-handed.

Pick: Warriors 106, Jazz 97

Cavaliers @ Suns

LeBron James (knee/back) could make his return tonight, which would naturally give Cleveland (1-8 without James) a huge lift. We’d give the Cavs a decent shot if he’s for sure back, but they’ve been awful without him and his return is no guarantee for a win, either. The Suns, meanwhile, are very tough to keep up with offensively.

Pick: Suns 107, Cavs 105

Mavericks @ Kings

In what could potentially be the offensive showdown of the night, Dallas visits DeMarcus Cousins and the Kings. Sacramento is still trying to put the pieces together on defense, but they have the goods to run with Dallas, who has lost two straight. The Kings should keep it interesting in Sac-town (where they’re 10-11), but Dallas gets the win in the end.

Pick: Mavs 108, Kings 106

Heat @ Lakers

Kobe Bryant should be available on Tuesday night after taking the past two games off (rest), but he’s not going to be enough to stop a healthy Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. Big man Hassan Whiteside has also been a bit of a revelation for the Heat, who will shoot for their second win in a row.

Pick: Heat 104, Lakers 101

NCAA football fans couldn’t ask for a better National Championship game. The first ever College Football Playoff has arguably been a great success, as the four-team tourney showed that top-ranked Alabama wasn’t actually the best team in the country and that the undefeated Florida State Seminoles weren’t close to championship material.

Instead of the Crimson Tide or the Seminoles, we get the Oregon Ducks and Ohio State Buckeyes, two teams with entirely different journeys, but the same ultimate goal – to win a national championship. Oregon searches for it’s first ever national title, while Urban Meyer’s Buckeyes try to reclaim the elusive trophy. Either way we get a first in Monday night’s showdown, as the winner will be the first team to work their way through a playoff to be crowned the champs. And if the Ducks are the ones to do it, history is made with a first ever college football champion being born, as well.

The big question is, who wins it? Both teams enter tonight’s matchup with a 13-1 record, with the Buckeyes losing only to Virginia Tech, while Oregon’s only lost came against conference rival, Arizona. With just one blemish on each team’s record, both will enter on insane hot streaks (Buckeyes have won 12 straight and Oregon has won nine straight) but only one can win. Let’s find out who by taking a look at the matchup and odds:

The Matchup

This is your classic offense vs. defense battle, as the Buckeyes enter the biggest game of the year with the 17th ranked defense and Oregon boasts the nation’s third best overall offense. The kicker? Ohio State’s offense hasn’t been to shabby, either, as they ranked just a few spots behind the Ducks at 8th, overall.

In the scoring department, Oregon hasn’t been that bad defensively, though. Just four teams were able to put up more than 30 points on them, while they held an opponent below 21 points eight different times, including each of their last four contests. That pales in comparison with the Buckeyes’ defense, though, which blanked the Badgers 59-0 in the Big 10 title game and allowed an opponent to top 30 points just three times all year.

Ultimately, this might be as evenly matched as a title game might get. Some will say Oregon’s defense showed against Florida State last week that it can create havoc (they forced 5 turnovers) and that their offense, led by Heisman winner Marcus Mariota, cannot be tamed. On the other side, Ohio State is the Cinderella as the fourth seed and has displayed a true grit like no one else in all of college football this year. It just so happens, they also bring the numbers offensively and defensively to hypothetically matchup with Oregon, as well.

The Odds

Regardless of numbers or big names, Oregon enters tonight as the favorites with a -6 line. While the actual pick could be a virtual toss-up, the total (74) should be obtainable, and might be the friendliest bet to place for tonight’s action. Both defenses appear highly capable of stifling the other, but with both offenses managing to top 30+ points in 13 of their 14 contests, a low-scoring defensive battle probably isn’t in the cards.

The Pick

It’s tough to call spreads in the college football scene, but the safe bet could be on Ohio State to beat the spread. They have the stingier defense, arguably are led by the better coach (Meyer) and also have a good enough offense to go toe to toe with Mariota’s crew if need be. The Ducks are still this writer’s pick to ultimately get the win and secure their first ever national championship, but they’ll do it by just three points.

Pick: Ducks 41, Buckeyes 38

The Grizzlies and Suns engaged in a crazy overtime thriller, the Heat dismissed the Clippers and LeBron was out again in a crazy Sunday night that left us staring at an average 3-2 record. We still come into Monday at a solid 304-159 on the year and should have a decent shot at escaping the first night of the week with a perfect run (just four games grace the schedule tonight), however.

Let’s break down tonight’s matchups and see who are the safest picks to win:

Pistons @ Raptors

Detroit has been awesome ever since they traded away Josh Smith (8-1) and that doesn’t figure to change much when they head into Toronto. Normally it might, but the Raptors have struggled mightily on defense over the past month and have now gone just 5-5 in their last 10 contests. They’re also losing their hold at home, but still boast a stout 15-4 record. Detroit has been too hot to ignore, so we’ll give them a fighter’s chance in this one, especially with DeMar DeRozan (pictured) still out.

Pick: Pistons 104, Raptors 101

Rockets @ Nets

Dwight Howard (knee) could rest on Monday, but the Rockets will walk into Brooklyn the favorites tonight, either way. Brook Lopez and Mason Plumlee have been awful on defense together lately, as the Nets have dropped five in a row and just look completely lost. The odds aren’t in their favor of putting the pieces back together against Houston – even at home.

Pick: Rockets 106, Nets 99

Pelicans @ Celtics

The Jeff Green trade finally went through, which means the Celtics will be even more short-handed than usual. They have struggled mightily over their last 10 contests (2-8) and that trend figures to live on tonight. With little resistance down low, Anthony Davis should tee off and the rest of his Pellies teammates could follow suit.

Pick: Pelicans 107, Celtics 103

Magic @ Bulls

The Magic continue their attempt to get something going on the road, but it clearly hasn’t been going as planned as they enter tonight with a six game skid. That’s great news for Chicago, who hasn’t been amazing on their home floor this year (just 12-7), but gets Derrick Rose back (knee).

Pick: Bulls 104, Magic 98

Sunday brings a light slate with just five NBA games to pick, as we come off an elite 8-1 run (301-157 on the year) on Saturday night. Let’s run through Sunday’s matchups and see who should come out on top to close the week:

Suns @ Grizzlies

Memphis hosts the high octane Suns tonight after dropping two straight and six of their last 10. They’ll hope to get their defense back under wraps, but it won’t be easy with such a potent Suns offense in town (winners of seven of their last 10). Memphis is a different team at home, however (14-4), so they should hold the slight edge.

Pick: Grizzlies 104, Suns 101

Wizards @ Hawks

Atlanta welcomes John Wall and the Wizards into Atlanta after winning seven straight games, and they’ll aim to go 10-1 in their last 11 contests, as well. The Wiz have been one of the more balanced squads in the East, and have a nice three-game run of their own coming into this matchup. Atlanta edge the Wiz in their first meeting this year and with this being on their home floor, we have to favor the Hawks.

Pick: Hawks 106, Wiz 102

Heat @ Clippers

The Miami Heat have done okay on the road this year (8-9) but have struggled lately overall and could be walking into the fire when they visit the Clippers at the Staples Center tonight. Los Angeles has taken care of business at home (17-5) and has been solid over their last 10 (6-4). The Clippers should be able to handle Dwyane Wade and co. tonight and get the win.

Pick: Clips 111, Heat 104

Cavaliers @ Kings

Cleveland will try to snap a four-game losing streak tonight when they visit DeMarcus Cousins and the Sacramento Kings. The Cavs will have to do so yet again without LeBron James (knee/back), but the Kings have been up and down over their last 10 (4-6) and could be vulnerable against a Cleveland team that has reinforcements in J.R. Smith and Timofey Mozgov.

Pick: Cavs 106, Kings 104

Trail Blazers @ Lakers

The Lakers host the red hot Blazers, who will enter L.A. with a three game winning streak and with eight wins in their last 10 games. Portland is at their best at home, but they’re one of the most balanced teams in the league and aren’t about to drop one to the lowly Lakers.

Pick: Blazers 104, Lakers 97