NBA Picks For Sunday, 12/27

The NBA slows down on Sunday with a light four-game schedule. We could understand if you’d want to pause and catch your breath, too, since Saturday brought us a sick 13-game slate and tonight’s matchups aren’t marquee or easy to call. That being said, there are several stars hitting the court tonight and while these might not be the best games to watch, they just might be easy to pick.

Let’s run through Sunday’s NBA games and see which way you should lean if you plan on laying any bets down tonight:

Los Angeles Lakers @ Memphis Grizzlies

Kobe Bryant and co. kick things off at 6 pm ET, but unfortunately they do so in Memphis against the Grizzlies. Memphis has not been impressive on the year when you compare them to the rest of the league, but they’re at home and are still far better than these Lakers. The Lakers are an atrocious 3-16 on the road, so I doubt they even compete in this one.

Pick: Grizzlies 110, Lakers 94

New York Knicks @ Boston Celtics

This could be the tightest game of the night, or the Knicks do one of their “not even showing up” performances on the road. It’d make sense, as the Celtics are a strong defensive team that can also fill up the basket, while the Knicks need to keep games low-scoring to have a realistic chance. New York isn’t total trash or anything these days, but they’re only 7-9 away from home and are losing steam with three straight losses.

Pick: Celtics 105, Knicks 101

Denver Nuggets @ Oklahoma City Thunder

This is another game likely to be one-sided, as the Nuggets are banged up with Emmanuel Mudiay and Danilo Gallinari out. That’s going to make this a rough game against a healthy and dangerous Thunder team on the road. It doesn’t help that OKC has won 8 of their last 10 and is a very stout 13-4 on their home floor. I expect a blowout, but also a good deal of offense in this one.

Pick: Thunder 113, Nuggets 95

Portland Trail Blazers @ Sacramento Kings

This may shoot for the highest total of the night, as Portland showcased their potential last night be destroying the Cavaliers at home. They’re on the road against DeMarcus Cousins tonight, though, where Sac-town is at their best (8-7) this season. This is a matchup set up for Boogie to feast, so I love Sacramento’s chances at home. This game could be close and involve a good amount of points, so if you’re uncomfortable with a roll of the dice, you may want to avoid it. Tonight’s other three games feel a bit easier to pick, but we’ll stick with the home team for the fourth time to close out the night.

Pick: Kings 111, Blazers 106