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We got through a light four-game slate with flying colors on Thursday night, as we went 3-1 on a pretty easy night. The only thing that threw us for a loop was the Mavs losing to the Kings, but we initially made the pick thinking both Rajon Rondo and Rudy Gay (questionable heading into the night) might sit the game out. They played, and the Kings won by three.
Hopefully our picks helped you win some money yesterday and the past few days, as we’ve been on a hot run and head into Friday night fully prepared to take on a mammoth-sized 10-game slate. There is a ton of action to cover, yet tonight somehow feels quiet with mega stars like James Harden, Kevin Durant, DeMarcus Cousins, Anthony Davis and Stephen Curry all taking the day off. Let’s forget about them and move ahead with Friday’s picks in our latest NBA betting preview:
Suns @ Magic
Line: Magic -13.5 Total: 217
Phoenix is all kinds of awful and they also should be tired after playing last night. We’ve seen some promise out of youngsters Alex Len and Devin Booker, but that can’t eradicate a woeful 4-25 road record. On the flip side, Orlando is at their best at the Amway Center (17-15) and have been better lately (5-5 in last 10 games). That being said, they don’t normally blow teams away. I think the Suns lose but beat the spread here.
Pick: Magic 106, Suns 96
Knicks @ Celtics
Line: Celtics -9.5 Total: 209.5
The Knicks are falling further away from the playoff picture with two straight losses and just a 2-8 record over their last 10 games. Playing the Celtics on the road in TD Garden won’t help change that. Boston has been quite strong at home (21-10) and has also had little trouble against New York (2-1 season series lead). Look for them to finish the job and win the season series, outright. The meetings have been fairly close, though, so I do think the Knicks can beat the spread.
Pick: Celtics 105, Knicks 99
Blazers @ Raptors
Line: Raptors -6 Total: 210
Toronto hosts Damian Lillard and the red hot Blazers, who have won 8 of their last 10 while Lillard has dropped 30 points almost nightly. He might flame out in Canada tonight, however, as the Raptors are 21-6 at Air Canada Centre and the Blazers aren’t great on the road (14-17). I think the Blazers put up a fight, but I’ll take the Raptors to cover at home.
Pick: Raptors 103, Blazers 95
Timberwolves @ Bucks
Line: Bucks -5.5 Total: 213.5
The Bucks have been playing quite well lately behind the rise of Khris Middleton, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jabari Parker. They cooled off in a recent loss, but here they are tonight at home (where they’re 17-11) against a bad Timberwolves team. Milwaukee should have a solid chance to live up to their billing as the favorite, as Minnesota is generally bad (9-21) away from home. They have enough offensive fire power to keep it interesting, though, so I like the Wolves to beat the spread.
Pick: Bucks 101, Wolves 97
Heat @ 76ers
Line: Heat -9 Total: 205
The Heat could rest some guys after playing last night, but that shouldn’t matter against the atrocious Sixers. Philly isn’t much better at home than on the road and they’re 0-10 in their last 10 games. I do think they’ll fight hard in this one, but I like the Heat to put it away late behind big games out of Goran Dragic and Hassan Whiteside. Philly could also be without their two best big men anyways, so their chances take a hit.
Pick: Heat 105, Sixers 90
Pacers @ Hornets
Line: Hornets -3 Total: 200
Charlotte hosts the Pacers in a pretty fun Eastern Conference clash. The obvious call here is that the Hornets are at their best in front of their home crowd (20-9), while the Pacers don’t generally travel well. Paul George is still a tough leader and can easily put the Pacers on his back, while Indy is going to badly want to prevent a 3-0 season series sweep. I call upset in what should be a tight game.
Pick: Pacers 104, Hornets 101
Wizards @ Cavs
Line: Cavs -8 Total: 213.5
Kevin Love is out, so it’s up to LeBron James and Kyrie Irving to exact revenge on the Wiz. John Wall and co. did as they pleased in an earlier meeting at Quicken Loans Arena, and that just won’t be tolerated this time around. The line is much too ambitious, though, so I like the Wiz to fight and beat the spread.
Pick: Cavs 108, Wiz 104
Jazz @ Grizzlies
Line: n/a Total: 191.5
This one is basically a pick’em, largely due to the absence of Marc Gasol and the fact that both teams can defend quite well. Usually I’d give the edge to Utah here (up 2-0 in the season series), but Memphis is 22-9 on their home floor this year. The Jazz are reeling at the moment, too (lost four straight), so they’re tough to trust.
Pick: Grizz 98, Jazz 97
Nets @ Nuggets
Line: Nuggets -5.5 Total: 208
No defense and hopefully a good amount of offense has me chasing the Over in this one, as the Nets and Nuggets try to repeat the 105-104 gem we saw back in early February. I expect even more points, while the likes of Brook Lopez and Emmanuel Mudiay shine. This one is in Denver, though, and with the Nets being an atrocious 6-22 on the road, I’ll give the Nuggets a shot at stealing the win. This should be pretty close, though, so I’ll take the Nets to beat the spread.
Pick: Nuggets 107, Nets 104
Hawks @ Lakers
Line: Hawks -9.5 Total: 206
We should fear a huge blowout here, as the Hawks are the superior team and L.A. could potentially be down Lou Williams, Jordan Clarkson and Kobe Bryant. That’s a lot of scoring and the Lakers don’t defend, so there is little to keep me away from taking the Hawks to cover. In fact, I’d take a much bigger line than this.
Pick: Hawks 110, Lakers 92
