Friday night was a crazy night, as the Spurs lost their second triple overtime game this week, the Clippers lost to the Nuggets and Chicago won in Memphis. Sometimes predicting how a night of NBA action will unfold is a waste of time, and we found that out with a pedestrian 4-4 run last night.

We’ll take gracious mulligans for the Spurs, Clippers and Grizzlies losing, and if awarded we actually turned in a decent night. Still, .500 won’t cut it in any realm, so we’re back to aim for perfection as we carry our 211-102 season record into Saturday night’s seven-game lineup:

Suns @ Knicks

Phoenix enters the Big Apple to get things started early (1:00 pm ET tip off) and Carmelo Anthony will be back in uniform (knee). The Knicks are still woefully short-handed, though, so we can expect another Knicks loss at home.

Pick: Suns 106, Knicks 102

Jazz @ Hornets

Utah and Charlotte both won last night, so someone’s winning streak ends tonight. The Hornets play host but should still be without Lance Stephenson. Utah may push the Hornets around with their size down low and take this one.

Pick: Jazz 97, Hornets 94

Blazers @ Pelicans

Portland is fresh off of that insane 3OT win over the Spurs, so they’ll be dead tired when they head into New Orleans. That’s where Anthony Davis and a pretty solid Pellies squad will be waiting to take them down.

Pick: Pellies 104, Blazers 101

Hawks @ Rockets

Atlanta continues to be a quiet giant killer, as Al Horford is shutting big men down inside and has even picked things up offensively lately. He’ll battle it out with Dwight Howard down low, but with no Jeff Teague (hammy), the Hawks are going to be fighting an uphill battle on the road.

Pick: Rockets 109, Hawks 105

Spurs @ Mavericks

San Antonio has had two grueling triple overtime losses in a matter of three days and now they enter Dallas on the second of a back to back. We can safely bank on Tony Parker, Tim Duncan, Kawhi Leonard and Manu Ginobili all sitting out, which should get the Mavs the win on their home floor by default.

Pick: Mavs 107, Spurs 104

Pacers @ Nuggets

Indiana got crushed by the Nuggets the last time these two team’s faced but they should be a little more competitive now that they’re much healthier. Denver is no pushover, though, as they just upended the Clippers last night and are 7-6 at home.

Pick: Nugs 101, Pacers 97

Bucks @ Clippers

Milwaukee fights with just about everyone hard these days, but winning in L.A. just isn’t something that happens often. Blake Griffin and co. won’t be happy about losing to Denver last night and boast a strong 10-3 mark at home.

Pick: Clips 109, Bucks 101

Thursday night did us wrong, as we nailed just one of four games in a rough 1-3 run. Friday night is sure to help us bounce back, as we get a nice 10-game slate of games. While last night didn’t go as planned, we still carry a strong 207-98 season record into tonight as we try to help NBA bettors win some cash:

Jazz @ Magic

Utah heads into Orlando trying to build a mini-winning streak, while the Magic try to snap a small two-game skid. Nikola Vucevic is back and has been playing well, so the Magic should hold a minor edge in this one.

Pick: Magic 101, Jazz 98

Hornets @ 76ers

Charlotte will be without Lance Stephenson as they head to Philly to try to hand the Sixers a fifth straight loss. Philly will try to return the favor, as well, and something has to break in this ugly matchup.

Pick: Hornets 95, Sixers 93

Wizards @ Heat

Dwyane Wade proclaimed himself healthy and dropped in 42 points in his last outing, so the Heat might be ready to give the Wiz a fight in South Beach. Chris Bosh remains out, though, so Wade will have to be near perfect to make it happen.

Pick: Wiz 104, Heat 96

Raptors @ Pistons

Toronto is really on fire these days and the Pistons have won five times all year. Toronto’s four-game roll is unlikely to trip up in Detroit tonight.

Pick: Raps 107, Pistons 89

Nets @ Cavaliers

Brooklyn is so average right now and they might be the perfect team for the Cavs to face after dropping two of their last three. They did crush the Nets just a week ago in Brooklyn, so a similar result could be in order.

Pick: Cavs 108, Nets 100

Timberwolves @ Celtics

Boston hosts Minnesota in their first game without Rajon Rondo (traded to Mavericks). It will be interesting to see how they operate without him, but they can be expected to be a little letdown. Minnesota could have Mo Williams back and could be getting this matchup at the right time.

Pick: Timberwolves 104, Celtics 102

Blazers @ Spurs

San Antonio lost a killer overtime game just a couple of nights ago so their big guys could be at risk of sitting out (rest) tonight. Undermanned at home against a strong Blazers team, the Spurs might drop this one.

Pick: Blazers 107, Spurs 106

Bulls @ Grizzlies

Chicago is coming into Memphis on the second of a back to back and could be without Derrick Rose again. Even if Rose takes the floor, Memphis is going to be tough to beat. The Grizz are red hot with six straight wins and are an insane 12-1 at home this year.

Pick: Grizz 105, Bulls 97

Clippers @ Nuggets

Denver can surprise with a nice performance at home at times, but the Clippers are the superior team and have actually proven to be solid (8-4) away from home.

Pick: Clips 105, Nuggets 101

Thunder @ Lakers

The Thunder just had a nice seven-game winning streak snapped in Golden State and may be without Kevin Durant (ankle), but Russell Westbrook is more than enough to power them past the Lakers.

Pick: Thunder 109, Lakers 102

Thursday night offers a light four-game slate to help use bounce back from a rough Wednesday of NBA Picks. We dropped the ball a bit on a loaded 10-game night, as the Spurs, Cavs and Heat all lost at home. We at least were blessed with two awesome overtime games and still rounded out the night with a solid 6-4 record.

We march into tonight’s NBA action with a still strong 206-95 record:

Knicks @ Bulls

The Knicks are in a bad way as they head to the United Center tonight, as they’ll be without J.R. Smith and Amare Stoudemire and probably even Carmelo Anthony. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see that even a Knicks team with Melo is going to struggle in Chicago. Take him away, and this has to be a rout.

Pick: Bulls 109, Knicks 88

Pelicans @ Rockets

Anthony Davis and the Pellies go toe to toe with James Harden and the Rockets tonight, in a game that showcases the return of big man Omer Asik to Houston. He’ll surely look to put the clamps down on Dwight Howard (if he plays), but the Pelicans are still over-matched. Houston is 9-3 on their own floor and they have won three straight.

Pick: Rockets 107, Pellies 101

Bucks @ Kings

Milwaukee will enter Sac-town without center Larry Sanders (suspension), rookie Jabari Parker (torn ACL) and possibly even Giannis Antetokounmpo (ankle). As for the Kings, DeMarcus Cousins makes his return from viral meningitis, so it’s hard not to like the Kings at home.

Pick: Kings 102, Bucks 99

Thunder @ Warriors

Kevin Durant leads the Thunder into Golden State tonight, as OKC tries to push their winning streak to eight games and the Warriors try to start a new one after having a 16-game run snapped in their last contest. The Warriors are a ridiculous 8-1 on their home floor, but the Thunder are white hot and really tough to bet against at the moment.

Pick: Thunder 112, Warriors 110

The Dallas Mavericks could use an upgrade at point guard and the Boston Celtics don’t want to lose Rajon Rondo for nothing. The two could come together to drop a blockbuster deal on the NBA, per reports.

ESPN.com has reported that the Dallas Mavericks have suddenly emerged as the frontrunners to land Rondo. The current deal rumored to have been proposed could include big man Brandan Wright and a first round draft pick, although nothing is set in stone. Dallas isn’t alone, either, as the Sacramento Kings, New York Knicks, Los Angeles Lakers and Houston Rockets are the other big contenders in trading for Rondo.

Sacramento was a strong candidate during the off-season before signing Darren Collison to a long-term deal. The team was hesitant to hold onto Isaiah Thomas due to their interest in Rondo, but nothing ever materialized. The Knicks and Lakers are solid contenders, but it’s anyone’s guess what they could (or would) give up to land the star point guard – especially without any guarantee he’d sign to a long-term deal. With both New York and Los Angeles fully in the rebuilding stage, it’d be curious to see if they’d part with one or more first round picks and risk mortgaging their long-term future on the chance Rondo sticks around.

Houston might be more appealing for Rondo, but they might be the least likely destination in terms of what the Celtics could get back. The Rockets have their two stars in James Harden and Dwight Howard, while most everyone else beyond them should at least be in the conversation for a trade. Rondo would be a major upgrade over Patrick Beverley at the point, but it might take Beverley and a handful of picks to get the deal done.

The Mavericks look like the key team to watch, as they have a very good team as it stands and have the luxury of being able to part with both a pick (or two), as well as some solid talent. Thanks to Tyson Chandler manning the middle of their defense, Wright can be made expendable. They could also throw in any number of guards to help the deal work, as Devin Harris, J.J. Barea, Raymond Felton and Jameer Nelson could be had.

If this deal goes down, an already playoff-bound Mavs team would only be better offensively thanks to Rondo’s passing and ability to break down defenses. It’s on defense where his impact could truly be felt, however, as the Boston has just one true defensive stopper (Chandler) and could really use a force on the ball. With Rondo in tow (even for just one season), the Mavs would be legit threats to make a run to the NBA Finals.

Boston, of course, would probably fall out of the playoff race if they traded away Rondo, as he’s the key to them barely hanging onto a low seed in the East’s playoff race at the moment. With Rondo gone, rookie Marcus Smart would undoubtedly take over point guard duties and a young Celtics team would struggle to make the playoffs.

Nothing is imminent, but the Mavs appear to be very intent on getting a deal done. That doesn’t mean they get Rondo, but it sounds like the Rajon Rondo rumors are heating up and it may not be long before he’s in a new jersey.

The Milwaukee Bucks lost Jabari Parker for the year to a torn ACL, the Oklahoma City Thunder kept winning and the Golden State Warriors finally lost on a Tuesday night that was full of NBA news and action. We fared well enough in the midst of all the chaos, going 4-2 across a six-game night.

We ended up missing on the Warriors, who had their 16-game winning streak snapped in Memphis, while the Heat also won on the road. We’ll take those two minor lumps and waltz into Wednesday night with a still stellar 200-91 season record:

Hawks @ Cavaliers

Atlanta is one of the sneakiest teams in the league at a healthy 17-7, but they’ve lost most of their games (5-5) on the road. Cleveland has been fairly tough to beat on their home floor and are pretty hot with eight wins in their last 10 games. Their defense still isn’t elite, so we could see a shootout, but they have the upper hand tonight.

Pick: Cavs 109, Hawks 107

Suns @ Hornets

Charlotte’s defense could start improving now that they’re at full health, but they’ve dropped their last three and their struggles on offense are really overshadowing anything they do on defense right now. They’re at home, but the Suns could run them dead.

Pick: Suns 104, Hornets 99

Magic @ Celtics

Orlando has Nikola Vucevic back and neither of these teams play much defense, so we should be in for a fun, back and forth clash in Boston. They match up extremely well but Orlando has the advantage down low and has more efficient wing production. Look for them to get a nice road win.

Pick: Magic 104, Celtics 102

Mavericks @ Pistons

Dallas could be up for resting Dirk Nowitzki and Chandler Parsons (back), but if they don’t they should run all over the Pistons. Detroit has looked better with Jodie Meeks back and bringing some outside shooting to their lethargic offense, but even at home they probably can’t hang with the Mavs.

Pick: Mavs 110, Pistons 101

Jazz @ Heat

Miami escaped last night with a nice win and is back at home, so you have to like their chances to build some momentum against the lowly Jazz. Utah’s only chance is probably Dwyane Wade sitting out, but with possibly no Derrick Favors (ankle) again, they’re not likely to get the road win.

Pick: Heat 107, Jazz 102

Nets @ Raptors

Brooklyn is simply decent but not great right now, while they’re already under manned with Brook Lopez out. Kevin Garnett could sit on the second of a back to back (rest), too, so the Nets aren’t good bets to top Toronto on the road. The Raps are 12-3 on their home floor, so they’re one of the safest picks of the night.

Pick: Raptors 106, Nets 96

Grizzlies @ Spurs

This is a bit of a trap game for the Grizz, who just won a monster home game against the Warriors last night. It was a dog fight, so they’ll be burned out and now they have to go visit a well rested Spur squad in San Antonio. Everything says a Spurs win here.

Pick: Spurs 101, Grizzlies 98

Bucks @ Blazers

Milwaukee could be in for a letdown with Jabari Parker freshly on the shelf, while winning in Portland was probably asking a lot, either way. The Blazers just don’t lose at home (11-2) and with two straight wins could be headed for another nice, long winning streak.

Pick: Blazers 104, Bucks 97

Rockets @ Nuggets

Dwight Howard returned over the weekend and looked fantastic, and with three days rest he should be completely ready to rock out again. The Nuggets have zero resistance down low or on defense in general, though, so the Rockets have to be heavy favorites with or without their big man.

Pick: Rockets 111, Nuggets 99

Pacers @ Clippers

Indiana has a chance anytime they bring their defense, but their offense continues to lag too often. Rodney Stuckey and C.J. Watson could get going against a sometimes suspect L.A. perimeter defense, but the Clips are visibly a different beast at the Staples Center. It’s not a great idea to bet against the Clippers tonight.

Pick: Clips 107, Pacers 94

Anthony Davis and Dwyane Wade are the biggest names to watch on Tuesday night as you prepare to place your NBA bets. Wade missed shootaround and is in doubt, while early word is The Brow will face the Utah Jazz. We had our finger on the pulse of injuries and matchups to start the week on Monday night, as we went a solid 5-3 on an eight-game night. We took a stab on both the Lakers and 76ers in an otherwise awesome night.

Let’s get to it again as we carry out stout 196-89 season record into Tuesday night’s action:

Timberwolves @ Wizards

Washington is a ridiculous 12-2 at home and Minnesota is in shambles. They could get Mo Williams back tonight, but he’ll be limited even if he does return. The Wiz could win big.

Pick: Wiz 104, T’Wolves 81

Heat @ Nets

Dwyane Wade could sit out tonight, which could leave the Heat extremely short-handed with Chris Bosh already sidelined. Brooklyn isn’t a monster and will also be without Brook Lopez, but the injuries help to give them an edge at home.

Pick: Nets 96, Heat 94

Jazz @ Pelicans

Anthony Davis and Derrick Favors are due back tonight and the two will battle in the paint against each other. The Brow easily has the upper hand and the Pellies’ defense should win out at home.

Pick: Pellies 107, Jazz 101

Warriors @ Grizzlies

In what should be the best game of the night, the 21-2 Warriors visit the 19- Grizzlies in Memphis. Both teams play excellent defense but Golden State is easily the superior offensive team. As long as Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson bring it, the Warriors should get a bit road win.

Pick: Warriors 105, Grizz 102

Mavericks @ Knicks

Carmelo Anthony seems healthy again but the Knicks have other banged up players and they are flat out struggling with one win in their last 10 games. Dallas runs the floor and executes on offense about as good as anyone, so the Knicks have little chance at home.

Pick: Mavs 111, Knicks 101

Thunder @ Kings

Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook are inching toward .500 with a nice six-game winning streak going, and it’s unlikely they get tripped up by a Kings team that still is without DeMarcus Cousins and just fired their head coach. Sacramento is still a mess, so look for the Thunder to roll.

Pick: Thunder 106, Kings 88

The Lakers are suddenly winning games, the Nets and Hornets want to blow things up and LeBron James has a bum knee. It’s a crazy NBA season that seems to boast changes on a weekly basis, meaning we all need to keep our finger on the pulse of the league if we want to continue to have success with NBA picks.

That, or you just need to follow our daily NBA predictions. We made out quite well again on Sunday evening, as we finished the night with an immaculate 7-0 record.

Our fourth perfect night of the year brings us to 191-86 on the season as we head into Monday trying to help you win again:

Lakers @ Pacers

L.A. has three straight wins and with Kobe Bryant manning the point, suddenly looks fairly competitive. No one knows how long that will last, but with the Pacers struggling badly to find consistent offense, they could easily shoot for a fourth straight win tonight.

Pick: Lakers 109, Pacers 104

Hornets @ Cavaliers

Charlotte is 2-8 over their last 10 and has won just six games on the year, so they don’t look like a strong bet to upset the Cavs in Cleveland even if LeBron James is out (knee) again.

Pick: Cavs 105, Hornets 97

Celtics @ 76ers

The 76ers have just two wins on the year, but Monday night could offer a nice opportunity to get their third win of the year against a Celtics team that doesn’t play much defense. Being in Philly, we’ll give the Sixers a shot at topping Boston.

Pick: 76ers 107, Celtics 105

Bulls @ Hawks

Chicago hits Atlanta on the second of a back to back and will be without Joakim Noah, which could put them slightly behind the eight ball. They’ve oddly been better on the road than at home this year, but the Hawks are also outstanding (11-2) on their home floor and are quietly one of the best teams in the East.

Pick: Hawks 101, Bulls 100

Magic @ Raptors

Orlando has Nikola Vucevic back, which gives them a shot against just about anyone on any given night. Howard, the Raptors have lost just three times at home all year, so they get the nod tonight.

Pick: Raptors 106, Magic 101

Bucks @ Suns

Milwaukee never wins in Phoenix, which should give the Suns a nice chance to end a five-game skid. Both teams are playing .500 basketball, but due to their potent offense and just getting Isaiah Thomas back, Phoenix looks to have the narrow edge.

Pick: Suns 112, Bucks 104

Spurs @ Blazers

San Antonio did lose to the Lakers last week, but they’ve been mostly solid (7-3) over their last 10. As long as they’re at full strength, the Spurs should walk into Portland with a solid chance to win on Monday night. Portland has been pretty unstoppable at home, though (8-2), so it’s tough to go against them tonight.

Pick: Blazers 104, Spurs 102

Pistons @ Clippers

Detroit has been abysmal all year (5-19) and the Clippers need to end a two-game skid. Good thing they’re tough to beat at home (8-3).

Pick: Clips 109, Pistons 95

The Lance Stephenson experiment hasn’t gone as planned and the Charlotte Hornets appear to have buyer’s remorse. Per reports, the team is fielding trade offers for their star shooting guard and will consider moving him for the right offer.

Fast Release

The Hornets just signed Stephenson to a massive deal in free agency this summer, but after a slow start that has included a lot of losing and not much efficiency out of Stephenson, they appear to want to already move on. It’s a bit of a knee-jerk reaction to some, but the Hornets are desperate for outside shooting and scoring in general, so committing minutes to a player who lacks offensive polish clearly isn’t something they would like to keep doing.

Slow Start

You can’t blame the Hornets for being bummed about Stephenon’s start, as the former Pacers guard has jumped out to a sluggish first year in Charlotte, averaging just 10.4 points per game on 38% shooting. This comes after a breakout 2013-14 campaign with the Indiana Pacers that saw Stephenson leap to a career high 13.8 points per game, along with a stellar 49% shooting from the floor. The initial thinking was that the 24-year old Stephenson was simply scratching the surface of his potential in Indiana, and that was thrust into a bigger role, he could thrive as a superstar. That simply hasn’t come to fruition.

Potential Suitors

The Hornets had to wait until Stephenson became eligible to trade on Monday, but now that he can be, the Lance Stephenson rumors should start flying. Charlotte probably will wait to land the best possible offer, but early signs suggest they may just take anything remotely good to get rid of his deal. Getting rid of Stephenson for even nothing could be regarded as an addition by subtraction, as the Hornets would free up cash and also allow some of their more efficient scorers off the bench to help the offense.

Stephenson’s former team, the Indiana Pacers, jump out as the most likely destination, as he had the perfect role with them over his first four years in the league. Stephenson thrived in Indiana’s system and the Pacers even expressed regret after not trying hard to retain him this past summer. While Stephenson returning to Indy would make a ton of sense, they’re far from the only potential trade partners. The Nets and Clippers both could use help at small forward and are said to have preliminary interest, but other teams could quickly join mix.

Charlotte seems like a lost cause when it comes to the playoffs this year, so keeping or getting rid of Stephenson probably isn’t going to change much. Where Stephenson goes could potentially change things, however, as he is a terrific defender and can help the flow of an offense.

We had another successful run with our NBA picks on Saturday, going 6-2 on the night and raising our season record to a stellar 184-86. With just one night below .500 on the year, we continue to guide NBA bettors successfully into the night. We aim high again for Sunday’s slate of games, a nice seven-game lineup with some juicy matchups.

Let’s briskly walk through each matchup and see who the logical winners are:

Bulls @ Heat

Chicago has oddly been much better on the road this year (10-3) than at home, so they should be mild favorites tonight in South Beach. Miami may have a slight edge with Joakim Noah out, but they’ve been impossibly mediocre and are tough to trust.

Pick: Bulls 105, Heat 102

Jazz @ Wizards

Utah can bring it offensively at times, but their defense is hopeless and they could even be without big man Derrick Favors tonight. That’s not great news as they head to D.C. against Washington’s deep rotation of bigs. Washington is tough at home, so they’re not likely to drop one to the Jazz here.

Pick: Wiz 107, Jazz 99

Warriors @ Pelicans

Golden State won an incredible 15th straight game on Saturday and while they could be a bit tired after their battle with the Mavs, it’s tough not to pick them against the pedestrian Pellies.

Pick: Warriors 109, Pelicans 102

Lakers @ Timberwolves

Kobe Bryant should pass Michael Jordan on the all-time scoring list tonight, and it could taste even better with a win on the road. The Lakers even topped the Spurs recently and have quietly been respectable (4-6) over their last 10 contests. Minnesota is probably the worse team at this point and are severely undermanned, so we’ll take The Black Mamba’s crew tonight.

Pick: Lakers 111, T’Wolves 108

Suns @ Thunder

Phoenix can bring the offense against anyone, but in OKC against a Thunder squad that has won five straight, they’ll have their work cut out for them. Add in a four-game slide of their own, and it’s not looking great for them on the road tonight.

Pick: Thunder 104, Suns 103

Raptors @ Knicks

New York finally won a game in their last content, but they’ve been in a free fall for a while now. The Raptors are infinitely better, so even on the road they have to be the pick.

Pick: Raptors 109, Knicks 99

Spurs @ Nuggets

San Antonio has been slipping a bit lately against inferior teams, so it’d be nice if they can get back on track tonight in Denver. That should be doable, since the Nuggets don’t play any defense. As long as the Spurs have most of their stars playing, they look like the pick.

Pick: Spurs 103, Nuggets 96

The Lakers beat the Spurs in overtime on Friday night, which is probably as good of a sign as any that the apocalypse is upon us. But in the off chance that it isn’t, it should just show you how insane last night’s NBA action truly was. On top of that unlikely outcome, the Knicks and Pistons both snapped horrific losing streaks on the road. They had to end sometime, right?

Through it all, we still came out with our heads above water, going a respectable 7-5 on the night. Let’s see if we can’t fare a little better as we carry our 178-84 season mark into Saturday night:

Warriors @ Mavericks

Golden State has an early tip off in Dallas and they’re the best team in the league coming into this matchup. The Mavs are pretty tough to beat at home, but they’ll be without Chandler Parsons so it’s tough to roll with them today.

Pick: Warriors 109, Mavs 106

Hawks @ Magic

Atlanta and Orlando face off for the second night in a row, after the Hawks took the first game. These two teams matchup fairly well and this time the game goes own in Orlando. Considering it’s so even, we’ll give Orlando a shot to steal one on their home floor.

Pick: Magic 91, Hawks 90

Nets @ Hornets

Brooklyn is apparently falling apart at the seams, while a healthy Hornets squad has won two of their last three. With Brooklyn down some key players, we’ll give the Hornets the nod at home.

Pick: Hornets 101, Nets 98

Blazers @ Pacers

Portland just got beat by the Bulls in Chicago, so they’ll be looking for a win tonight when they head to Indiana. The Pacers could have a chance if they keep the pace slow, but they really don’t have the ammo needed to gun down the Blazers.

Pick: Blazers 104, Pacers 96

Grizzlies @ 76ers

Memphis could be tired in Philly tonight after an overtime win over the Hornets on Friday, but this is still the 76ers. A healthy dose of Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph should have this one over by the break.

Pick: Grizz 109, 76ers 93

Clippers @ Bucks

Los Angeles finally lost last night, so they’ll surely be looking to get another winning streak started. Milwaukee plays solid defense and is a decent 6-4 at home, but they tend to wilt against elite teams.

Pick: Clips 111, Bucks 102

Nuggets @ Rockets

Denver heads to Houston to take on a Rockets team that could finally be getting Dwight Howard back. The Rockets are the better team, either way, and don’t normally lose at home.

Pick: Rockets 104, Nuggets 102

Pistons @ Kings

Detroit snapped an ugly 13-game skid last night, while the Kings play host and still don’t have DeMarcus Cousins back. That should allow the Pistons to control this game down low and get a tiny winning streak going.

Pick: Pistons 99, Kings 97