Free NBA Picks For Sunday, 4/12

After a fairly light Saturday evening of NBA action, Sunday offers up a fully loaded schedule, starting with two 3:00 pm ET games and capped by a late showdown with the Mavericks and Lakers in Los Angeles. That puts nine NBA games on the docket a day after we only had to worry about six, which makes NBA betting a little more exciting to close out the weekend.

We got burned by the Magic, Heat and Blazers on Saturday, all of which lost games at homes they either badly needed to win or probably should have won. That gave us a weak 3-3 record on the night, but we’ll take .500 for a bad night, any day of the week.

We get five more games that carry some playoff implications today, but we still need to be on the lookout for star players resting. DeMarcus Cousins and Rudy Gay have already been shut down for the year, while Cavs, Mavs, Spurs and Hawks players are all in danger of playing limited minutes or sitting out, entirely. Keep up with the news and join us as we carry our 707-353 season record into tonight’s NBA action:

Cavaliers @ Celtics

Boston just took the Cavs down the other day in Cleveland, which is pretty good evidence that the Cavs don’t care about winning with their #2 seed locked up. That being said, it’s really tough to buy Boston beating LeBron James and co. in back to back games.

Update: The Cavs are sitting all of their top players, so it looks like Boston will be solid bets to get a second straight win over the Cavs.

Pick: Celtics 103, Cavs 98

Nets @ Bucks

This matchup has been intense all year, as these two very evenly matched squads have enjoyed two triple overtime contests. Milwaukee has won two of three clashes and has a slight edge at home, but Brook Lopez has been unstoppable during a wild 8-2 run over Brooklyn’s last 10 games. Look for the Nets to tie up the season series.

Pick: Nets 104, Bucks 102

Hornets @ Pistons

Charlotte and Detroit are both toast, so they’ll just look to end the year on a high note. With Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Al Jefferson down for the count, the advantage lies with the Pistons at home tonight.

Pick: Pistons 99, Hornets 92

Kings @ Nuggets

DeMarcus Cousins and Rudy Gay are out for the year, so the Nuggets should be feeling pretty good at home tonight. The Kings will need huge games out of Omri Casspi, Derrick Williams and Jason Thompson, which should keep you from betting on them on the road tonight.

Pick: Nuggets 107, Kings 101

Thunder @ Pacers

This could be Indiana’s last stand as they try to sneak into the playoffs, while Russell Westbrook also tries to will his Thunder into the West’s tourney by staying one game ahead of the Pelicans. Indiana has Paul George back and is at full strength, but OKC is the more dangerous squad. We could be in for an epic battle, but it may not be wise to bet against Russell Westbrook.

Pick: Thunder 104, Pacers 97

Hawks @ Wizards

Atlanta should limit or rest most of their guys, while the Wizards could do the same considering they can’t move up or down in the seeding game. John Wall could sit out a third straight game, but even if he plays the Hawks seem like the safer pick as they enter with a nice four-game winning streak.

Pick: Hawks 106, Wiz 102

Pelicans @ Rockets

There’s no denying the tension in New Orleans, as the Pelicans are neck and neck with the Thunder for the West’s final playoff spot. As huge as this game is for them, this might be an even bigger deal for the Rockets, who have a real shot at stealing their division. With a lot on the line, we have to go with the Rockets, who have a healthy Dwight Howard and are at home.

Pick: Rockets 108, Pellies 100

Suns @ Spurs

Phoenix has just about given up and the Spurs have stormed back from a slow start to be within striking distance of their division title. They’re not about to blow it in a loss to the Suns, while betting against their 10-game winning streak is probably silly, by itself.

Pick: Spurs 107, Suns 96

Mavericks @ Lakers

Los Angeles can just be annoying to teams down the stretch, but they don’t really want to win anyways (to protect their pick). Dallas, on the other hand, could rest some bodies but does seem to be interested in getting to 50 wins on the year. Even if they rest some guys they should still beat the Lakers, however.

Pick: Mavs 108, Lakers 104