The NBA schedule slows down a bit for us all to catch our collective breath on Thursday night, which may be good if they went against our NBA picks from Wednesday night (we went 7-2). In fact, we may have done even better if the Celtics kept up their early pace (they were destroying the Thunder in the first quarter), while the Heat really laid an egg at home against a bad Pacers team.

We don’t like to pat our own back too much, though, as we actually strive for perfection every night. Still, we’ll take winning by a wide margin with our picks, and walk confidently into Thursday night’s action with a solid 66-33 mark on the year:

Kings @ Grizzlies

Sacramento has been a gritty team on the road so far this year (3-2), but after a hot start they seem to be slowly falling back down to earth. They could give Memphis a fight, but they’ll need quite the effort to top Memphis on the road, as the Grizzlies are undefeated on their own floor and have been flat out elite overall on defense.

Pick: Grizzlies 94, Kings 89

Bulls @ Raptors

Derrick Rose’s status changes on a nightly basis, while the Bulls continue to be unsure of whether or not several of their key players will suit up on a regular basis. The Bulls are very balanced and could easily win with Rose starting, but even his presence isn’t enough to make them a safe lock. Toronto hasn’t lost at home yet this year (5-0) and currently is the better team on both sides of the court.

Pick: Raptors 105, Bulls 103

76ers @ Mavericks

Philly may be getting Michael Carter-Williams (knee) back for Thursday night’s clash in Dallas, but he should be limited and won’t provide enough to shock the Mavs. Dallas is an elite offensive team that should take full advantage of this cakewalk matchup. They could let the Sixers hang around for a while, though, as their defense does leave a lot to be desired.

Pick: Mavs 115, 76ers 107

Nets @ Warriors

Stephen Curry (pictued) and Golen State cap the night, as they try to hold off a pretty solid Brooklyn squad. This should be an easy pick ultimately, as the Nets are on the second of a back to back and aren’t nearly as good defensively as the Warriors. Golden State is also always tough at home, so Deron Williams and co. will have their work cut out for them.

Pick: Warriors 107, Nets 101

Thursday Night Football tends to be ugly and often even one-sided. In week 11, it might just be neither of those things. The Miami Dolphins seek revenge against the Buffalo Bills after getting housed earlier in the year. Both teams are jockeying for position behind the New England Patriots in the AFC East, with the winner having a shot at either the division crown later in the year, or a wild card playoff spot. The loser could tumble down the standings.

A lot is on the line in tonight’s prime time affair, so let’s break down the key notes and see who might come away with a big win on a short week:

Lack of Bodies

The Bills have taken a hit on offense this year, as running back C.J. Spiller is probably out for the year, while running back Fred Jackson and wide receiver Sammy Watkins both are iffy for this game. It’s a huge contest, so there’s a decent chance they both suit up, but those would be mammoth losses for the Bills if they can’t.

The Real Ryan Tannehill

Ryan Tannehill has been the definition of a mixed bag this year, as he’s looked like a seasoned pro at times, while other times the Miami coaches have threatened to pull the plug. Tannehill still gives the Fins the best chance to win by far, but he and the rest of his team played horribly against the Bills earlier in the year. Tannehill should look to redeem himself in a huge divisional clash that could help show everyone exactly what kind of a quarterback he truly is.

Buffalo’s Run Defense

Lamar Miller is banged up but even if he were fully healthy one would have to wonder just how much success he and the rest of Miami’s rushing attack can have against an elite Bills run defense. Miller oddly ran pretty well the last time these two teams met (4.2 yards per carry), but Miami was playing from behind all game and couldn’t stick with Miller. Whether they’re able to do that this time around is going to tell us a lot about their chances to win this game.

The Pick

Miami and Buffalo both sit at 5-4 and sorely need to keep winning to have a shot at the playoffs. With every team in the AFC North having five or more wins, a loss here dramatically hurts either team’s chances of snagging a wild card spot, while they can certainly kiss the division goodbye, as well. Considering Buffalo stole the first game and this one is in Miami, logic suggests the Dolphins hold the slightest of edges.

Naturally, the Bills are in fact the underdogs (-6) in this one. That’s a solid spread in a game that should end up being decided by a touchdown or less. You can’t take that spread for Miami, but the Dolphins could be worth a shot as the straight up pick.

Pick: Dolphins 27, Bills 23

It’s back to the hardwood crystal ball we go, as we once again try to help those making NBA bets decide which teams are worth banking on. Last night was mostly good to us again, as we survived a couple of scares to produce a solid 4-2 mark. The Bucks won and the Spurs didn’t look old, otherwise we may have had a chance at perfection.

Perfection is always goal number one, but Wednesday may make that difficult with a full schedule of nine NBA showdowns. That makes for good NBA betting, though, at the very least. To help you guide through the murky waters, we give you our NBA picks for Wednesday with our solid 59-31 season mark:

Pistons @ Wizards

Washington could be matched by Detroit’s awesome size down low, but the Wiz are the much more balanced team and Detroit has been dreadful (0-3) on the road, both this year and dating back over the last several years. They could keep it close, but the Wiz should lock this one down and get to 6-2 on the year.

Pick: Wizards 98, Pistons 94

Thunder @ Celtics

OKC is just now getting healthier, which makes them more competitive, but they’re still tough to gauge without Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. Their 0-5 record on the road certainly doesn’t help matters as they travel to Boston, where a healthy Rajon Rondo (hand) awaits.

Pick: Celtics 109, Thunder 107

Jazz @ Hawks

Neither the Jazz or Hawks play particularly good defense, so we’re probably in for a bit of a shootout when the two sides square off in Atlanta tonight. That makes this a tough matchup to predict, but given Atlanta is 2-0 at home and the Jazz are shaky on the road, the Hawks are the safer pick.

Pick: Hawks 111, Jazz 105

Pacers @ Heat

This isn’t the matchup it would be if Paul George were healthy and LeBron James was still in Miami, but it could still be a defensive battle if the Pacers bring their A game. That’s unlikely to happen in Miami, especially given Indy’s sorry efforts on the road so far this year (0-3).

Pick: Heat 107, Pacers 96

Magic @ Knicks

Orlando isn’t defending the post all that well, but luckily Carmelo Anthony and co. aren’t the most prolific scoring team right now thanks to some issues with the Triangle offense. Even though the Knicks are at home, they’re awfully tough to bank on as they continue to slide on their current five-game losing streak.

Pick: Magic 103, Knicks 99

Lakers @ Pelicans

Los Angeles finally has a win and has played very tough basketball the past few games, but winning on the road is never easy and their defense has been pretty bad, overall. Expect a lot of The Brow and the Pellies move to 4-3 with a big home win.

Pick: Pelicans 118, Lakers 112

Nets @ Suns

Phoenix continues to give up way too many points defensively, but they still have a shot to win on a nightly basis thanks to their own high-powered offense. Both will need to be in check tonight, though, as the Nets bring quality offense to the table, as well, and are a much better defensive team. The difference could be that this one is in Phoenix, where the Suns are at their best.

Pick: Suns 104, Nets 102

Blazers @ Nuggets

Denver’s interior defense has been atrocious, making life likely hard on them tonight when LaMarcus Aldridge and the Blazers come to own. Ridge should have his way inside, as could centers Chris Kaman and Robin Lopez. The Nuggets are free falling and could drop their sixth straight.

Pick: Blazers 105, Nuggets 95

Rockets @ Timberwolves

The last game of the night has James Harden and Dwight Howard heading to Minnesota, where they’ll try to keep pace with the Memphis Grizzlies atop the Southwest division. That shouldn’t be too difficult against the T’Wolves, who are giving up over 101 points per game and have just one win at home.

Pick: Rockets 109, Timberwolves 94

The hardwood action gets going again on Tuesday night, following a successful 3-2 run through our NBA picks. That brings us to 55-29 on the year. We head into Tuesday night trying to improve on that record and help our readers decide on who they’ll be betting on in NBA contests tonight:

Magic @ Raptors

In one of the better NBA matchups of the night, Orlando heads to Canada to take on the Toronto Raptors. The Magic have been extremely competitive and could be sneaky in a win, but the Raptors are the superior team at home.

Pick: Raptors 107, Magic 103

Thunder @ Bucks

OKC is beaten down in the injury department but scorer Jeremy Lamb has returned to help out, while the Bucks are far from formidable on the road. We could be in for a gritty defensive battle when these two hit the court tonight.

Pick: Thunder 95, Bucks 90

Lakers @ Grizzlies

Los Angeles finally played some defense and finally won their first game of the year on Sunday, but going into Memphis and out-witting the Grizzlies at their own game seems like quite a stretch.

Pick: Grizzlies 98, Lakers 93

Kings @ Mavericks

Sacramento and Dallas aren’t stopping anyone defensively right now, while both are executing beautifully on offense. With this one being in Dallas, the Mavs have to hold the slight edge. The Kings have been impressive on the road (3-1), but that hot run needs to go cold eventually.

Pick: Mavs 104, Kings 102

Hornets @ Blazers

Two solid defenses wage war on Tuesday night as Al Jefferson and the Hornets take on LaMarcus Aldridge and the Blazers. Portland is pretty tough at home and is the better offensive team right now, so they should hold a slight edge.

Pick: Blazers 99, Hornets 97

Spurs @ Warriors

Golden State has just one loss on the year and appears to be the most balanced team in the entire league at the moment. With injuries and potential deactivations leaving San Antonio cloudy on the road, Golden State looks like the safe pick out of this matchup tonight.

Pick: Warriors 106, Spurs 102

More NBA action is on the table on Monday, while pro basketball fans get a mild breather with just a solid five games instead of another ridiculous run of games.

Tonight’s schedule offers up a couple high-scoring outings as well as some defensive battles. Naturally, both make getting your bets right pretty tough. We continue to track our own success and enter Monday night with a solid 52-27 mark.

We could have been even better than our 5-3 mark on Sunday night, but the Lakers actually won a game, the Warriors actually lost one and the ravaged Thunder decided to show up and beat a good Raptors team.

Needless to say, we chase perfection and you can too if you join us along the way. Let’s shoot for a 5-0 start to the week as we take a quick look at tonight’s NBA contests:

Jazz @ Pacers

Utah has one of the worst defenses in the league and Indy’s offense leaves a lot to be desired. If Roy Hibbert misses this contest, there’s little reason to have faith in the Pacers. That might be the case, regardless.

Pick: Jazz 103, Pacers 101

Pelicans @ Cavaliers

Cleveland seemed to get things going in their last win, are at home and the Pellies didn’t get to their hotel until 2 am today. Needless to say, everything is working against The Brow and his crew for tonight, so it’s hard to take New Orleans on the road.

Pick: Cavs 107, Pellies 101

Hawks @ Knicks

The Hawks burned the Knicks in their last meeting recently and they’ll be out to do it again. New York has a slight edge at home, though, while their defense has proven to be better than Atlanta’s. Carmelo Anthony can only be held down for so long, too.

Pick: Knicks 104, Hawks 102

Pistons @ Bulls

Chicago could be without Derrick Rose and a number of stars that continue to be questionable on a nightly basis, but it shouldn’t matter. They’re at home, play defense and have the depth to contend with an inconsistent Detroit Pistons squad.

Pick: Bulls 95, Pistons 90

Spurs @ Clippers

Could we be seeing the death of the Spurs? San Antonio was once ageless and borderline unstoppable, but they’re just 2-3 so far and now they have a tough path to get back to .500 as they take on the Clippers in L.A. It’s a good thing the Clips haven’t looked great so far, so we gotta give the defending champs a chance at righting the ship early.

Pick: Spurs 104, Clippers 99

Saturday was a bad day for picking NBA games, as we turned in a putrid 1-7 record on a pretty crazy night. In our defense, logic certainly did not prevail, as the Spurs, Bulls and Rockets all lost at home. The Clippers had been playing terribly and somehow beat the Blazers, while the Bucks topped the Grizzlies by one point, as well.

That’s the beauty of the NBA, though, as any team can beat any other team on any given night. Logic usually should prevail, though, so let’s get back to it for Sunday’s games, as we walk into the fire with a 47-24 record on the year:

Magic @ Nets

Orlando travels to Brooklyn to take on the Nets in the first game of the day. Orlando has been in every game this year and is highly competitive, but that may not be enough to top the Nets on the road, who happen to be a much better defensive team.

Pick: Nets 101, Magic 95

Jazz @ Pistons

Utah and Detroit wage war as two young teams that probably won’t make the playoffs but have a ton of talent and fight in them. Trey Burke returns home to Michigan and will look to have his best game of the young season in a hopeful Jazz win.

Pick: Jazz 97, Pistons 96

Kings @ Thunder

Sacramento continues their impressive start (5-1) on the road against a severely depleted Thunder team. OKC will have to find a way to win eventually, but they’ve had just too many injuries to bet on, even at home.

Pick: Kings 96, Thuner 90

76ers @ Raptors

Philly is getting closer and closer to that elusive first win, but it’s probably not coming tonight on the road against Toronto. The Raptors are 3-0 at home and have just one loss on the year, while Philly is undermanned.

Pick: Raptors 112, 76ers 104

Heat @ Mavericks

Two 4-2 squads go to battle in Dallas tonight, with Miami holding the slight defensive edge. They’ll have a little less depth down low with Chris Anderson out, while the Mavs already have to be the tentative favorites at home.

Pick: Mavs 104, Heat 101

Warriors @ Suns

Golden State is fresh off of an awesome win of the Rockets and still haven’t lost a game this year. Phoenix could be a tough road test, but they don’t play enough defense to slow down the Warriors.

Pick: Warriors 106, Suns 103

Nuggets @ Blazers

Denver has been a mess defensively and now they have to try to win in Portland without Ty Lawson. That probably won’t work out too well.

Pick: Blazers 107, Nuggets 102

Hornets @ Lakers

The Lakers have the worst defense in the league and very little talent or depth. The only way Charlotte doesn’t win this game is if they randomly play no defense and can’t hit any shots. Al Jefferson should feast in a win.

Pick: Hornets 112, Lakers 105

Week 10 arrived in the NFL with an atrocious Thursday Night Football game. Sunday and Monday hope to bring closer, less ugly battles as well as some chances for people to win big on some NFL bets.

We offer up our week 10 NFL Picks yet again, eyeing four contests that could be worth a shot as far as picking a solid upset. They’re not locks, but whether by line or straight up, they may be worth considering:

Jaguars over Cowboys (-7.5)

The game is in a neutral setting (London), Tony Romo has a bad back and the ‘Boys will be missing some key help on defense. Jacksonville could have a real shot at stifling a reeling Dallas team has has lost two straight. Even if they can’t win, they could beat this spread.

Rams over Cardinals (-7)

Divisonal games tend to be pretty tough to predict, and that could be the case when the Rams visit the Cardinals in week 10. Arizona stops the run well and limits opponents from scoring much, but Austin Davis has a couple of impressive wins on his resume and Arizona’s shaky secondary could be a good matchup for him. St. Louis could shock with a win, but just beating the spread seems like a logical bet here.

Giants over Seahawks (-9.5)

Seattle is not the dominant team they were a year ago and they’ve already lost a home game in 2014. That doesn’t mean Eli Manning and co. will come in and win, but this spread is pretty beatable.

Upset to Chase: Bears over Packers (-8.5)

Chicago is in a free fall and badly needs a win, while they’ll be up to get revenge for a 38-17 thrashing on their home field by the hands of the Pack earlier in the year. They’re a solid straight up bet, while it’s fairly likely they beat this favorable spread.

Friday gave way to another full slate of NBA games and we once again delivered with our NBA Picks, nailing 8 of 11 games to up our season standing to 46-17. While we got the majority of the games right, it surely wasn’t an easy run, as we saw an insane three overtime games (two went into double OT) and four other games were decided by three points or less.

An exciting night of basketball, it was, and we get rolling again with more NBA action on Saturday. The games start a little earlier to tip off the weekend, so we’re rolling out our NBA Picks earlier than usual today. Let’s take a quick look at each matchup and see who might come away with a win:

Blazers @ Clippers

Portland and L.A. get the festivities going with an early 3:30 pm ET showdown between two 3-2 clubs. Portland has performed well and has displayed gritty defense, while Lob City hasn’t looked remotely like the feisty team of a year ago. Doc Rivers ripped into his team about their horrid defense and laxed offense, so it’s possible they could start figuring things out at home. It’s hard to bet on that until we see it, though.

Pick: Blazers 102, Clippers 98

Wizards @ Pacers

The Pacers and Wiz battled into overtime just a couple of days ago, so they’ll go at it again on Saturday night. Indy hosts this matchup and will be looking to get their second win of the year. Washington may be worn down after getting blown out last night, so the Pacers need to take advantage.

Pick: Pacers 96, Wizards 92

Knicks @ Hawks

New York has either played a strong defensive game and squeaked out wins, or they’ve executed their Triangle offense horribly and gotten blown out. Tonight neither may matter, as the Hawks can light it up but don’t play enough defense to crush anyone. Hopefully Melo finally finds his shot in what has the potential to be the highest scoring game of the evening.

Pick: Knicks 107, Hawks 105

Timberwolves @ Heat

Miami dropped two straight after opening the year up looking solid at 3-0, but they get a chance to get back on a winning run with a nice home battle with the T’Wolves. Despite being rather young, Minnesota has been extremely competitive so far this year. It’s not going to be easy to come into South Beach and win without star point guard Ricky Rubio (ankle), however.

Pick: Heat 107, Wolves 101

Celtics @ Bulls

The Bulls were almost upset by the 76ers on Friday night and will have to turn around and try to shake off the pesky Celtics, likely without Derrick Rose again. They should have everyone else, though, and are at home against a Boston squad that should be sans Rajon Rondo (hand) and Marcus Smart (ankle).

Pick: Bulls 100, Celtics 87

Warriors @ Rockets

A battle of undefeateds hits the court on Saturday, as something has to break in this climatic matchup between Eastern Conference powerhouse. Even more interesting is that both of these teams are playing elite defense and executing with precision offensively. Houston has the size down low and is at home, so they’ll get the slight edge.

Pick: Rockets 102, Warriors 98

Pelicans @ Spurs

The Pellies don’t normally have much success against the Spurs, but this is their first crack at them with their new set of misfits. Anthony Davis should get his, but with Tony Parker and Tim Duncan at full strength and at home, this should be a Spurs win.

Pick: Spurs 101, Pelicans 95

Grizzlies @ Bucks

Memphis and Milwaukee help cap the night and this should be a defensive battle in Mil-town. The Bucks are pretty competitive these days, but the Grizzlies boast the league’s best defense right now. It could stay close, but odds are definitely in the favor of Memphis tonight.

Pick: Grizzlies 92, Bucks 89

Only two NBA games graced the schedule on Thursday night, and we went 1-1 to bring our NBA Picks record to a solid 38-14 on the year. It’s worth noting that we made our Thursday night NBA predictions before news broke that Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili would both sit out the contest. Had we known that, we probably would have picked the undefeated Rockets at home.

This is a lesson in NBA betting, though. Always stay on top of injuries and player roles so you can appropriately assess matchups. We aim to do just that again as we take our steady NBA Picks record into a big slate of Friday night contests. Let’s run through each matchup and see which squads are the safest bets tonight:

Timberwolves @ Magic

Orlando got their first win of the year on Wednesday and should be pretty comfortable at home tonight against a shaky Minnesota defense. Magic is even worse at stopping opponents and they’re still a little shorthanded due to injuries, though, so the Wolves could get a nice road win. Expect a back and forth shootout, however.

Pick: T’Wolves 106, Magic 104

Hawks @ Hornets

Charlotte hasn’t been clicking on offense, but their defense remains among the league’s best. That should be a huge key with this one at home, while Atlanta’s defense should allow the Hornets to get something going offensively, as well.

Pick: Hornets 96, Hawks 91

Bulls @ 76ers

Philly got close to getting their first win of the year in their last game, but they’re not going to be much of a match for the Bulls. Even if Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah both sit out again, Chicago should be the heavy favorites.

Pick: Bulls 107, 76ers 89

Knicks @ Nets

The battle of New York tips off on Friday night, as Carmelo Anthony and the Knicks try to work the Triangle offense in Brooklyn. The Knicks are dying at point guard and don’t have their offense down yet, so it’s tough to see them getting a win on the road against a solid Nets team.

Pick: Nets 104, Knicks 101

Bucks @ Pistons

Milwaukee has been pretty feisty so far, while Detroit got their first win of the year in their last game. This one has Brandon Knight returning to take on the team that traded him a year ago, so there could be some extra drama. The Pistons have a major size and talent advantage in the paint, though, so they should be able to hold down the fort at home.

Pick: Pistons 99, Bucks 96

Pacers @ Celtics

Indiana is hurting badly due to injuries, so a matchup with the defensively challenged Celtics comes at a great time. Something has to break in this one, and we’ll give Indy a shot at taking the road win.

Pick: Pacers 101, Celtics 100

Wizards @ Raptors

Both the Wiz and Raps are 4-1 and lead their respective divisions, making this easily one of the better matchups to tune into for the night. It’s probably an impossible one to predict, though, as both of these teams can put up points and are also able to defend when they put their mind to it. Washington probably has the edge even with this being in Toronto, though, as the Raptors are dealing with injuries to their bigs right now.

Pick: Wizards 104, Raptors 101

Grizzlies @ Thunder

OKC has been ravaged with injuries and they’ll be hosting the best defensive team in the league. The Grizzlies should suffocate the Thunder and get a nice road win to stay undefeated on the year.

Pick: Grizzlies 104, Thunder 86

Mavericks @ Jazz

We are in for a total shootout on Friday night, as both the Mavs and Jazz are terrible on defense and oddly both boast very potent offenses, as well. Dallas has the experience and more talent, so they should still get the edge, though.

Pick: Mavs 109, Jazz 105

Kings @ Suns

Phoenix tends to be tough at home, but Sacramento has been a nice surprise this year with a solid defense and a perfect 2-0 start away from home. The Suns also aren’t getting anything out of Goran Dragic right now, so unless he shows up in this one, the Kings might extend that road record to 3-0.

Pick: Kings 104, Suns 102

Cavaliers @ Nuggets

The final game of the night could be a pretty good indicator of just how bad things are for the Cleveland Cavaliers. LeBron James and co. will try to turn their slow 1-3 start around in Denver, where a terrible Nuggets defense awaits. It’ll be shocking if the Cavs can’t get their offense going in this one.

Pick: Cavs 114, Nuggets 107

Wednesday hit us in the gut with an insane slate of 12 NBA games and quite a few of them ended up being impossible to predict. Gordon Hayward step-back jumper to lift the Jazz over the Cavaliers, anyone? That’s to be expected with so many games in one night, though. Eventually some crazy starts dropping.

Then again, perhaps Hayward has turned into a beast and we actually have to pay attention to the Jazz. Overall, we still fared well on the night, as we nailed an 8-4 record across the 12 contests. There are only two games on the docket for Thursday night, but we’ll try to go 2-0 and add to our solid start with our 2014 NBA Picks (37-13 on the year):

Spurs @ Rockets

This one is going to be very tough to call, as we haven’t seen nearly as much of the Spurs (2-1) as we have of the Rockets (5-0). One has to wonder if the Spurs will “Pop” the Rockets here and rest their big stars on the second night of a back-to-back, but if everyone is there at full strength, we could be in for a tooth and nail battle. Houston obviously is undefeated and they tend to play quite well at home, while this new nasty brand of defense they’re playing should scare other teams in the Western Conference.

San Antonio is the veteran squad, though, and they have to know falling to 2-2 and letting the Rockets get to 6-0 early in the year is not something they can allow to happen. No Tiago Splitter hurts them, but the Spurs are still playing solid defense and should have a chance to squeak out the big road win.

Pick: Spurs 101, Rockets 99

Mavericks @ Blazers

This is a fantastic battle for several reasons, as Dirk Nowitzki versus LaMarcus Aldridge could be a back and forth show. The major storyline, however, is Portland boasting one of the better defenses and going up against the Mavs’ top-scoring offense. Something may have to break here, and given the number of weapons the Mavericks have, this game is much more likely to lean toward being a shootout than a defensive battle the Blazers win on pure grit. That being said, Portland is especially tough at home. You can chase the points in this one, but if you’re making a straight up pick you probably have to ride the Blazers in this one. They can match Dallas offensively and if someone needs a defensive stop, they’re probably the ones that get it.

Pick: Blazers 112, Mavs 107