NBA Picks

LaMelo Ball has found the right balance of scoring and playmaking in what has quickly turned into a breakthrough season in Charlotte. As a result, the Hornets have reeled off win after win, and I like the LaMelo points prop tonight against an Indiana squad missing Andrew Nembhard and Aaron Nesmith.

Ball made seven of his 12 shots in his previous meeting with the Pacers, and he’s reached the 20-point mark in six of his last nine contests, while being flanked by Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel. There are some creaking gaps in the Indiana defense, too, with the Pacers giving up 120.7 PPG, fifth-most in the league.

The Pacers have played at the 2nd-fastest tempo in the NBA over the last 5 games, which should raise plays for the Charlotte Hornets.. Offensive rebounds retain possession and generate extra chances for scoring and assists, and the Charlotte Hornets rank best in in the NBA while on their home court with 13.6 offensive rebounds per game over the last 25 games.

Let me grab the home team here on the moneyline. The 76ers are coming off another 150+ point performance against the Wizards and are catching Minnesota on the back end of a back-to-back against a good Detroit team. I'll say fatigue plays a factor, and the Sixers' offense stays hot. 

The 9th-speediest pace-of-play away offense in the league this year has been the Timberwolves.. The Philadelphia 76ers have played at the 3rd-quickest tempo in the league over the last 10 games at home, which should boost opportunities for the Minnesota Timberwolves.

With Jock Landale out, Okongwu gets extra run again versus a bad Nets defense. Okongwu has scored 16 and 20 points in the past two games and with his minutes peaking with Landale out, player projections call for between 14 and 16 points versus Brooklyn tonight. My number comes out to 14.8 points with respect to a much higher ceiling knowing the Nets suck inside and out.

The Atlanta Hawks will likely experience a decrease in possessions in this contest from being pitted against the 4th-most lethargic pace team in the league this year (the Brooklyn Nets).. Offensive rebounds maintain possession and generate extra opportunities for scoring and assists, but the Atlanta Hawks rank 8thworst in in the league while on the road with just 10.2 offensive boards per game this year.. The matchup against Brooklyn is a difficult one for getting to the foul line; the other team's starting PGs have attempted just 2.5 free throws per game this year when the Brooklyn Nets are on their home court (3rd-least in the league).

Karl-Anthony Towns averaged 12.5 rpg last month and has Over 11.5 boards in 12 of his last 17 games.

The Bulls rank 23rd in opponent rebounds and 29th in opponent field goal attempts, which sets up plenty of scoring and rebounding opportunities for KAT and the Knicks.

The Chicago Bulls are expected to suffer a drop-off in possessions today from being pitted against the most lethargic tempo offense in the league over the last 15 games (the Knicks).. The Chicago Bulls check in as the 5th-worst offensive rebounding offense in the NBA when playing on the road this year (offensive rebounds maintain possession, and a lack of them can therefore eliminate further opportunities for scoring and assists).. The matchup against New York may be a tough one for drawing fouls; the opposing team's starting SGs have attempted a lowly 1.9 foul shots per game over the last 10 games when the Knicks are on their home court (3rd-least in the NBA).

Sandro Mamukelashvili is averaging a career-best 11.2 ppg and has been even better down the stretch, logging Over 11.5 points in six straight games and averaging 17.7 ppg during that span.

The depleted Memphis Grizzlies have already given up on their season, losing 15 of their last 17 games while giving up 125.7 ppg during the skid.

The Grizzlies have played at the 5th-fastest tempo in the NBA over the last 15 games with the home court advantage, which should raise possessions for the Toronto Raptors.. The Raptors have been the 10th-best offensive rebounding offense in the league over the last 5 games (offensive rebounds maintain possession and may therefore create added chances for scoring and assists).

Over the last 5 games, opposing starting SFs have scored 19.8 points per game (3rd-most in the league) vs. the Milwaukee Bucks, designating this as a positive matchup for offensive performance.. The Celtics have been the 6th-best offensive rebounding offense in the league while playing on the road this year (offensive rebounds maintain possession and can therefore produce new opportunities for scoring and assists).. The matchup against Milwaukee may be a strong one for drawing fouls; the opposition's starting SFs have attempted an enormous 5.6 free throws per game over the last 5 games when the Milwaukee Bucks are playing at home (3rd-most in the NBA).

The Celtics have been the 6th-best offensive rebounding offense in the league while playing on the road this year (offensive rebounds maintain possession and can therefore produce new opportunities for scoring and assists).

Kevin Durant hit the Over in three of his previous four contests at home, where he is averaging 24.2 PPG. The Jazz are considered an easy matchup for opposing small forwards, allowing 26 points per night to the position.

Durant should ball out tonight as the Rockets look to extend their win streak to five games.

Alperen Sengun has 33 double-doubles in 67 appearances this season, including six in his last nine. While rebounds are his bread and butter, Sengun is also logging 6.2 dimes per game – the second-most at his position.

The Jazz have allowed 128.3 papg during their current 1-11 run, so Sengun and the Rockets will have no trouble padding their stats tonight.

Dallas sits 24th in defensive rating since the All-Star break and was busted for points like a pinata in March, giving up almost 123 per game last month. The Mavericks watch opponent rack up the fourth most assists (28.3 apg) and wrangle the fifth most rebounds (55 rpg). Bane and the Magic beat Dallas 115-114 at home on March 5 and he finished with eight rebounds and three assists (along with 14 points) in 38 minutes of action. Tonight’s projections have his assists between 4.4 and 5.0 while his rebounding forecast bounces between 4.5 and 5.4 boards.

This year when they have the home court advantage, the other team's starting PGs have averaged 4.9 three attempts per game (3rd-lowest in the NBA) against the Magic, designating this as a difficult matchup.. Offensive rebounds maintain possession and create additional opportunities for scoring and assists, but the Dallas Mavericks grade out 8thworst in in the league with only 10.4 offensive rebounds per game this year.. The matchup against Orlando is a challenging one for getting to the charity stripe; the other team's starting PGs have attempted just 2.2 foul shots per game this year when the Orlando Magic are on the road (3rd-least in the NBA).

The Kings have seen the Over cash in three of their last four, while NOLA has topped the Over in three if its last five.

The Pelicans rank as the 6th-least efficient 3-point shooting team in the NBA this year.. The 6th-slowest tempo away team in the league over the last 5 games has been the Pelicans.