NBA Picks

This is the ideal moment to buy on Cleveland, even if the number looks uncomfortable at first glance. The Cavaliers have been one of the league’s worst teams against the spread this season, sitting at an ugly 8–18 ATS. That alone has soured public appetite and depressed their market value, which is exactly why this line is more attractive than it appears. When a capable team consistently fails to cash tickets, spreads soften — and that’s when opportunity emerges. Charlotte, meanwhile, looks better by comparison only because expectations are so low. The Hornets are hovering just under .500 ATS, but that doesn’t reflect genuine competitiveness. They’ve been leaking points at an alarming rate, recently allowing nearly 130 to a struggling Chicago team in a home loss. That’s a red flag, especially with a road trip looming. Now they head into Cleveland, a venue where the Cavs are far more comfortable dictating tempo and dialing up from long distance.

Cleveland’s offensive ceiling is the difference here. When their perimeter shooting gets rolling, they can separate quickly, and Charlotte lacks the defensive structure to slow that kind of run. Yes, Cleveland narrowly escaped Washington as a massive favorite on Friday, and that memory is fresh for bettors. It also enhances our position. But the key detail is this: oddsmakers didn’t flinch. Instead of pulling back, they doubled down, hanging another big number and daring the market to fade Cleveland again. That’s not accidental — it’s a signal. Charlotte is walking into a bad spot, against a team overdue for a clean, authoritative performance. The Cavs’ ATS woes have created the discount; their talent and matchup advantage do the rest. Cavaliers going away.

Hornets vs Cavaliers prediction: Cavaliers -11.5 (-110) available at time of publishing. Playable to -12.

A Joel Embiid sighting has been reported in Philadelphia a couple of days ago. Joking aside, the big man finally played his best game of the season scoring 39 points on the Pacers, leading Philly to an important 10-point win. But as soon as that game finished, Embiid’s name appeared on the injury report and now he’s questionable to play in Atlanta on Sunday. That’s the 76ers season in a nutshell, this team just hasn’t had the consistency in the injury department for us to take them seriously. They did win 4 of 5 games entering Sunday’s affair against the Hawks though. Tyrese Maxey is also listed as a game-time decision here with an illness.

Atlanta’s magic has worn off a little bit with 4 defeats in 5 games; they just got blown out by the Detroit Pistons 142-115 on Thursday. Similarly to Philadelphia they’ve been hit hard by the injury bug with Kristaps Porzingis and Trae Young both being ruled out for this one, while Nickeil Alexander-Walker is a game-time decision with an ankle issue. It’ll be up to Jalen Johnson to lead here, Atlanta just hasn’t shown quality in home games this season winning just 4 times in 10 attempts. As the return date of Trae Young nears, interesting times are ahead if you’re a Hawks fan as they try to integrate their superstar point guard back into the mix.

With so many good players questionable or out on both sides, it’s really hard to get a good read on this game. The first meeting saw double OT and 276 points scored between the two teams. The projected total is a whopping 50 points less on Sunday, that just shows how decimated each roster is currently. I’ll give the Sixers the benefit of the doubt here, they’ve been consistent on the road with a 9-2 ATS record in 11 games plus Paul George is healthy and playing.

Philadelphia 76ers vs Atlanta Hawks Predictions: 76ers +5 is available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.

Consistency has eluded Luka Doncic and his Lakers since the start of December. In 5 games played they’ve exchanged wins and losses, earlier this week they laid an egg at home against the Spurs which cost them a place in the NBA Cup semifinals. They’ll look to redeem themselves on Sunday facing a Phoenix team that beat 125-108 at the beginning of the month. In that game the Lakers were favored by 6.5 points, but a heroic effort from Dillon Brooks ended a 7-game win streak.

Speaking of Dillon Brooks, both he and Devin Booker are listed as questionable here with minor knocks so it’s unclear which starting unit the Suns will field here. Whoever comes out though, I feel like the gameplan won’t change too much compared to that first meeting of the season where the Suns knocked down 17 threes and forced 21 turnovers. That’s the one Achilles heel of this Lakers team, they rank 24th in opponent made threes per game and they also allow the 4th highest percentage from downtown as well.

Doncic’s mini hiatus has undoubtedly played a part in the Lakers losing to San Antonio on Wednesday. Things should stabilize moving forward. He had 9 turnovers vs the Suns when they last met, I’m sure that game has been stuck in his head ever since it ended. Expect better from him and his Lakers here, I’ll back LA to get the job done on the road against a potentially wounded and shorthanded Suns side.

LA Lakers vs Phoenix Suns Predictions: Lakers -1 is available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.

The Golden State Warriors are back at full strength as they prepare to visit the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday night. Stephen Curry has returned after missing 2 weeks with a quadriceps injury, which is the main reason why my Warriors vs Trail Blazers prediction is for the visitors to win and cover. Golden State’s first game with Curry back on the floor did not go particularly well (a 127-120 setback against Minnesota), but it goes without saying that the Timberwolves are a much higher-quality opponent than the Trail Blazers. Moreover, it is encouraging that Curry was immediately looking like his normal self on Friday. The Davidson product dropped 39 points on the T-Wolves while shooting 50 percent from the floor and draining 6 of 15 shots from the land of plenty.

You also have to like the Dubs’ chances simply because the Blazers are in dreadful form. In the absence of suspended head coach Chauncey Billups, early returns under interim Tiago Splitter were somewhat encouraging. Now, though, this injury-plagued squad is in shambles. Jrue Holiday, Scoot Henderson and Matisse Thybulle are all out, while centers Donovan Clingan and Robert Williams III are questionable. Portland was over .500 exactly 1 month ago but has since compiled a 3-11 record in its last 14 contests. Of it past 7 losses, only 1 has come by fewer than 6 points; the past 2 have come by a combined 46 points. This may not necessarily be a complete blowout, but Curry and company should take care of business with relative ease.

Warriors vs Trail Blazers prediction: Golden State -4 (-108) available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.

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