NBA Handicapping Articles

Free NBA Picks Saturday, January 4 and Opening Line Report
by Jason Radowitz - 1/3/2020

There's no more college football on Saturday and there's only a couple of NFL Playoff games. Basketball is about to take over Saturdays between college and the NBA. The NBA slate has 11 games with some pretty intriguing matchups. The Nets are favorites against the Raptors at home, while the Pacers are single-digit favorites on the road against the Hawks. Here's the early lean for the 11 games on the slate.

Free NBA Picks Wednesday, January 1 and Opening Line Report
by Jason Radowitz - 12/31/2019

Happy New Year! Most people will be watching the New Year's 6 Bowls in College Football, but for the diehard NBA fans, there's four New Year's Day basketball games to bet on featuring Carmelo Anthony's return to the Garden as a Trail Blazer. Also, the Lakers and Bucks are dealt low-tier teams to begin their 2020 run. The question is if the Lakers and Bucks will be able to cover such hefty spreads. Here's the early leans for the first NBA games in the year 2020.

Free NBA Picks Tuesday, December 31 and Opening Line Report
by Jason Radowitz - 12/30/2019

There's a seven-game slate in the NBA for New Year's Eve, including intriguing matchups like the 76ers against the Pacers and Nuggets against the Rockets. The Celtics and Clippers will be playing teams with long losing streaks, while the Warriors and Spurs project to have a lot of scoring. Make sure to get your bets in for the early games as the 76ers/Pacers and Celtics/Hornets start at 3pm EST. Here's the early lean for the seven games on New Year's Eve.

Free NBA Picks Saturday, December 28 and Opening Line Report
by Jason Radowitz - 12/27/2019

Saturday NBA basketball has a 14-game slate, with a couple back-to-backs for some teams. This week the NBA has seen some of the craziest upsets of the season. After the holiday, things are going to start trending back to the way they were. The Lakers have lost four straight games, and realistically, that won't happen again. Furthermore, the Nets shot historically bad yesterday, allowing the Knicks to claim New York for a day or two.

Free NBA Picks Friday, December 27 and Opening Line Report
by Jason Radowitz - 12/26/2019

The Cavaliers, Warriors, and Thunder are on winning streaks coming into Friday's NBA slate. The 76ers and Celtics are coming off big-time wins, while the NBA's best team in the Bucks take on the worst team in the NBA in the Hawks. There's some interesting matchups to say the least. Here's the breakdown and early lean for Friday's games.

Free NBA Picks Saturday, December 21 and Opening Line Report
by Jason Radowitz - 12/20/2019

Saturday football is back. However, if you're a real NBA junkie, that won't matter. There are nine games on the Saturday slate, with most teams playing a second game on a back-to-back. Usually, I will always take the team with more rest. However, there are games with both teams playing a second game on the back-to-back. It's a fun slate with east vs. west games. Here's the early preview on the games.

Expert NBA Handicapping: Which West Teams Could Sneak into Playoffs?
by Trevor Whenham - 12/20/2019

Things have changed so much in the NBA in recent years that much of what we had grown to believe was a fact of life is changing right in front of our eyes. Case in point - the bottom of the Western Conference playoff race. For a long time now, it has been the East that is ridiculously top-heavy and which allowed terrible teams into the postseason in the bottom spots, giving top teams a virtual first-round bye. In the West, meanwhile, we saw very good teams - teams that would have been deep into it in the East - not even making the playoffs in the West.

Betting the Golden State Warriors: Any Value after Fall from Top?
by Trevor Whenham - 12/20/2019

I don't know that I have ever seen anything like what is happening to the Golden State Warriors right now. They played in the NBA Finals this spring, and did so despite all sorts of distractions, the passage of time, and horrible injury luck. And that appearance came at the end of a stretch that made them the NBA team of my lifetime - and I'm not that young.

Free NBA Picks Thursday, December 19 and Opening Line Report
by Jason Radowitz - 12/18/2019

Thursday's slate includes four games featuring potential NBA Championship teams and a huge western conference showdown. The Lakers will travel to Milwaukee to face the Bucks with both records at 24-4. NBA fans across the world are hoping Anthony Davis will be healthy in time for this one. The Clippers and Rockets will face off against each other as well. The Rockets have been forgotten in the west coast with the Lakers and the Clippers taking over the division.

Free NBA Picks Wednesday, December 18 and Opening Line Report
by Jason Radowitz - 12/17/2019

As the NBA season progresses, we have many questions that need answers. Isaiah Thomas of the Wizards is starting to play like Boston Isaiah Thomas. If Thomas can keep this up, Thomas and Beal could become a top backcourt in the league. I'm not sure if you've noticed, but the Cavaliers are actually three-point favorites against the Hornets. Yes, the Cavs are favorites, but how? The 76ers are still undefeated at home. Just like the Heat were a week ago. Will they end the 76ers streak? There are so many questions. I'm here to predict the answers.

Free NBA Picks Tuesday, December 17 and Opening Line Report
by Jason Radowitz - 12/16/2019

We've got six games for Tuesday's slate. All but one game is an east vs. west game. On the spread, I have the East taking home the crown. The Pacers should stay in their game against the Lakers at home, while I project the Hornets and Nets to also take wins against the spread.

Free NBA Picks Saturday, December 14 and Opening Line Report
by Jason Radowitz - 12/13/2019

Many teams will be playing their second game of a back-to-back from Friday's matchups. Usually I'd always recommend to take the more rested teams, but there's some exceptions in this article. My readers wouldn't trust me if I took the Cleveland Cavaliers over the Milwaukee Bucks going off or well rested or not rested. I wouldn't trust myself, either. Due to many teams playing on Friday, many lines haven't been released yet. Here are my picks for Saturday's basketball slate.

Free NBA Picks Friday, December 13 and Opening Line Report
by Jason Radowitz - 12/12/2019

Friday night basketball features nine NBA basketball games, including a big game between the Miami Heat and Las Angeles Lakers. The Lakers have been extremely good on the road, losing just one game in the first 12 games, while the Heat are undefeated at home. The Heat's home record was tested by the Hawks, but somehow the Heat found a way once again. This time, I don't think Miami will find a way against LeBron and the Lakers. Will Heat fans welcome him back with open arms or shower him with boos in another return to South Beach? Here are my predictions for Friday's slate.

Free NBA Picks Thursday, December 12 and Opening Line Report
by Jason Radowitz - 12/11/2019

In Thursday's four-game slate, we have two teams that absolutely stink, a big Eastern Conference matchup, and a Mexico City special. I won't spend much time on the Knicks and Cavs. Take the favorite and watch the money pile in. The 76ers and Celtics rivalry will get heated up once again as two of the top Eastern Conference teams matchup for what looks to be a thriller. But the game I can't wait to watch is the Mavericks and Pistons game in Mexico City.

NBA Wagering Tips: Teams that Should Be Strong Bets Moving Forward
by Trevor Whenham - 12/11/2019

We are more than a quarter of the way into the NBA season now. In some cases, we know a lot more about some teams than we did when the season started. And in other cases, we know a whole lot less than we thought we knew. If people haven't been paying much attention to what has been happening in the league so far - distracted by football, perhaps - then they are going to look to the standings to tell them who is good and who isn't.

Expert NBA Handicapping: Most Confusing Teams to Wager On
by Trevor Whenham - 12/11/2019

We are past the quarter mark of the NBA season (some people will say that we are past the quarter pole, but those people are idiots - the quarter pole comes with a quarter mile left in a race, not a quarter mile gone. No matter what, don't be one of those idiots). There is still a whole lot of basketball to play, but we have seen enough to know a fair bit about a lot of teams. Milwaukee and the Lakers are really, really good,

Free NBA Picks Wednesday, December 11 and Opening Line Report
by Jason Radowitz - 12/10/2019

In Thursday's NBA slate, we have the matchup everyone has been waiting for! The Knicks visiting the Warriors! This game will help decide who has a better chance at the first overall pick in next year's draft lottery! In this slate, I've taken more favorites than not. There's going to be some lopsided games with high-quality teams playing very poor teams. The favorites should cover the spread for the most part.

Free NBA Picks Tuesday, December 10 and Opening Line Report
by Jason Radowitz - 12/9/2019

Carmelo Anthony will get to compete against the Knicks on Tuesday night. Knicks fans will get to enjoy something this season. It's kind of sad for Knicks fans. Carmelo Anthony playing against the Knicks will be one of the top highlights of the season. This four-game slate isn't all that appealing outside of the Nuggets against the 76ers. To be honest, I don't agree with the NBA scheduling.

Free NBA Picks Saturday, December 7 and Opening Line Report
by Jason Radowitz - 12/6/2019

On Saturday, only the diehard basketball fans watch the NBA. I get it. The College Football Conference Championships are on all day, along with your favorite college playing a nonconference basketball game. Anyway, we've got five solid NBA games to get ready for. Wait… just four. The Knicks don't count.

Expert NBA Handicapping and Betting Advice: Home and Road Splits
by Trevor Whenham - 12/6/2019

Want a quick shorthand technique to evaluate where a team is at in the NBA - whether they are in a good place or not? Compare their road record to their home record. It's obviously easier to win at home than on the road. Really good teams, though, care much less about where they are playing. They just win. It's not as simple as saying that a team with a big gap in performance between the home record and the road record is a bad one, or one that we shouldn't trust as bettors.