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After an insanely loaded MLK Day schedule, the NBA cools down considerably on Tuesday night, with just four games on the schedule. We do get mega stars like Anthony Davis, Paul George, Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant, but tonight’s schedule lacks any marquee matchups and at first glance might even look a little predictable.
That can at times make picking these NBA games harder than you think, as anytime you look at a matchup and feel you know “for sure” who the winner will be, you can fall into a trap. Let’s take a closer look at all four games and see which way we’re leaning for NBA betting tonight:
Milwaukee Bucks @ Miami Heat
The Bucks head to South Beach tonight in search for their third straight victory, as they try to climb out of the cellar of the East’s Central Division. The Bucks have been without head coach Jason Kidd for the past week, yet have remained fairly competitive and have been getting strong production out of Greg Monroe, Khris Middleton and Giannis Antetokounmpo. That recent success parlaying into a win at Miami isn’t a lock, but with the Heat being without Goran Dragic, the Bucks certainly have a chance. The big thing working in Miami’s favor is they’re at home and they defend. Considering they’re 15-8 at home and still have Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade and Hassan White to hang their hate on, they should pull this one out at home.
Pick: Heat 96, Bucks 94
Minnesota Timberwolves @ New Orleans Pelicans
Tyreke Evans is questionable tonight as the Pelicans try to hold down the fort at home against a bad Timberwolves squad. Both teams can pour in the offense at times and neither defend, but New Orleans has played their best ball at home this year (8-9), while the Timberwolves have been awful on the road (7-12). Minnesota continues to look the part of a young and inexperienced team, too, while they’ve lost nine of their last 10. With Anthony Davis healthy and active, tonight looks like a pretty good night to go all in on the Pellies.
Pick: Pelicans 108, Timberwolves 102
Oklahoma City Thunder @ Denver Nuggets
OKC is projected to put up the most points tonight, which makes plenty of sense considering they’re healthy, put up almost 109 points per game already and take on a terrible defensive team in the Nuggets. Denver certainly does stink on defense, while they’ll also be without veteran point guard Jameer Nelson. That puts a ton of pressure on turnover-prone rookie point guard Emmanuel Mudiay. This one could be over rather quickly.
Pick: Thunder 111, Nuggets 97
Indiana Pacers @ Phoenix Suns
The Suns remain a very tough team to bet on, even when at home, as they’ve been stripped down by injuries and often carry a hefty bag of “quit” with them. Indiana isn’t a good team to quit against, as Paul George can be a total stud on any given night and the Pacers remain a tough out. This is a great spot for Indy, too, who have dropped three in a row can could use a big road win to pick themselves up. This looks like a fast-paced matchup on paper and if George Hill (personal) sits, Indy could lose some defensive bite. I still like them to win a shootout, but not having Hill or Rodney Stuckey (foot) could keep them from running away completely in this one.
Pick: Pacers 107, Suns 103
