NBA Picks For Martin Luther King Junior Day

There’s always one team that seems to burn NBA bettors, and that team was the Pelicans on a light Sunday night. Tyreke Evans topped the Raptors in Toronto on a late drive to crush our dreams of a perfect night of NBA picks, but we still escaped with a solid 2-1 run. We aim for an even better outing with our NBA picks on Monday (which just so happens to be Martin Luther King Jr. Day), when we tackle a whopping 12 games and try to improve on our 335-176 season mark:

76ers @ Wizards

Philly is atrocious and brings a sorry 8-32 record into D.C, where the Wiz have lost just five times all year. Look for John Wall and the Wizards to lock the Sixers down at home.

Pick: Wiz 104, Sixers 94

Timberwolves @ Hornets

Al Jefferson will make his return off the bench this afternoon, but the Hornets host Minnesota still under-manned, as Kemba Walker (foot) may rest again. Either way, the Timberwolves are a mess and don’t normally win on the road, so it’s hard not to roll with Charlotte.

Pick: Hornets 97, T’Wolves 94

Pistons @ Hawks

Atlanta hosts the Pistons in a solid Eastern Conference battle between two of the league’s hottest teams. The Hawks have won a ridiculous 12 straight, though, and are already up 2-0 on Detroit. They’re the safer pick.

Pick: Hawks 107, Pistons 102

Celtics @ Clippers

Los Angeles has been a strong 7-3 over their last 10 and normally win at home, while the Celtics can’t defend and have dropped seven of their last 10. The Clips are the easy call.

Pick: Clippers 112, Celtics 108

Nuggets @ Warriors

Denver was winning for a bit but they’ve now dropped two straight and have to journey into Golden State, where teams rarely escape with a win. In fact, the Warriors have still lost just one game all year on their home floor, so the Nuggets aren’t a good team to roll with.

Pick: Warriors 109, Nuggets 105

Mavericks @ Grizzlies

Two losses separate the Mavs and Grizzlies in the race for first place in the brutally tough Southwest division, so tonight is a huge game for both of these teams. Luckily for Memphis it’s on their home floor, where they’re a stellar 16-4 on the year. Unfortunately, Mike Conley (ankles) might be out, so this one could lean in favor of Dallas.

Pick: Mavs 106, Grizzlies 104

Pacers @ Rockets

Houston hosts a struggling Pacers offense, although if Indy can slow the tempo down they could have a shot with Houston losing seven games at home this year. If Dwight Howard and James Harden bring their A game, though, this one shouldn’t be close.

Pick: Rockets 105, Pacers 97

Pelicans @ Knicks

Anthony Davis and Jrue Holiday could both be out again tonight, but the Pellies won in Toronto without them on Sunday and this is the Knicks. Needless to say, we still have to side with the Pelicans, even on the road.

Pick: Pellies 105, Knicks 90

Bulls @ Cavaliers

A huge Eastern clash gets underway later tonight when Derrick Rose and the Bulls head to Cleveland to take down King James and the Cavs. Cleveland seems to be piecing things together with two straight wins, so now might not be the best time to bet against them at home, despite the difficult matchup.

Pick: Cavs 102, Bulls 101

Raptors @ Bucks

Toronto has been in a slide for the past month but they have to get it right eventually. The Bucks aren’t an easy road opponent, but the Raptors are still the more talented squad. With DeMar DeRozan playing in his fourth game back, the Raptors should be the favorites here.

Pick: Raptors 102, Bucks 98

Kings @ Trail Blazers

The Kings could be without either DeMarcus Cousins or Rudy Gay tonight, but their chances look bleak in Portland, either way. The Blazers are one of the more balanced teams in the entire league and are a blistering 18-4 on their home floor.

Pick: Blazers 108, Kings 104

Lakers @ Suns

L.A. is understandably in shambles and they’ll be tasked with keeping up with the Suns in the desert. That probably won’t go too well.

Pick: Suns 109, Lakers 104