NBA Picks: Expert Picks Against the Spread, NBA Player Props, Best Bets & Parlays.

Rockets at Nets Picks and NBA Betting Odds
by Trevor Whenham - 2/22/2013

The Rockets might need to wear name tags for this game. The team played Wednesday night after making some deals that saw a lot of faces change locations, but everyone will be in place this time around. In the long term the moves will give the team more of a fast, run-first look that coach Kevin McHale favors. In the short term, though, the question bettors need to ponder is what impact it will have on the team now.

Spurs at Clippers Picks and NBA Betting Odds
by Alan Matthews - 2/21/2013

It’s a potential Western Conference Finals preview on Thursday night when the Spurs and Clippers meet for the third time this season, and it’s a chance for L.A. to cut into San Antonio’s 4.5-game lead over the No. 3 Clips for the top spot in the West. With the way that Spurs coach Gregg Popovich likes to rest his veteran guys, you never know what might happen to San Antonio late in the season. A win also would clinch the season series for L.A., which might have head-to-head tiebreaker implications.

Thunder at Rockets Picks and NBA Betting Odds
by Dave Schwab - 2/20/2013

The Oklahoma City Thunder return to action this Wednesday night to face off against the Houston Rockets with both teams coming off the extended all-star break. Tip off from the Toyota Center is scheduled for 8 p.m. (ET), and the game will be available on NBA League Pass.

Suns at Trail Blazers Picks and NBA Betting Odds
by Alan Matthews - 2/19/2013

Certainly the best game of Tuesday night in the NBA is when Boston visits Denver, but these picks aren’t about choosing the marquee matchup, rather the game in which I have the most confidence in my pick. And that’s the case with the Phoenix at Portland matchup as the NBA’s second half of the season tips off.

Heat at Thunder Picks and NBA Betting Odds
by Alan Matthews - 2/14/2013

You can’t ask for a better way to close out the first half of the season than the opener of this week’s Thursday on TNT doubleheader as the Heat face off with the Thunder for the final time this season. Well, that should read regular season, because all odds point to a rematch in the Finals this summer.

Bulls at Celtics Picks and NBA Betting Odds
by Dave Schwab - 2/13/2013

The Chicago Bulls will pay a visit to the TD Garden this Wednesday night to square off against the Boston Celtics in an Eastern Conference clash between two teams looking to get back on track with a win. The game is scheduled to tip off at 7:30 p.m. (ET) and it will be broadcast nationally on NBA TV.

Rockets at Warriors Picks and NBA Betting Odds
by Alan Matthews - 2/12/2013

Tuesday’s game in Oakland between Houston and Golden State should be very interesting, and you can bet that the NBA’s enforcement staff will be keeping a close eye on it. When these two met last Tuesday in Houston, the Rockets won 140-109 (their most points since 1995) thanks to an NBA record-tying 23 made three-pointers (and NBA-record 14 in the first half). Nine different Rockets made one overall, led by Jeremy Lin’s career-high five (he had a game-high 28 points).

Nets at Pacers Picks and NBA Betting Odds
by Trevor Whenham - 2/11/2013

The Pacers put their brilliant home record (20-4) on the line against a Nets team that has lost more road games than they have won but only barely (11-12). Both teams are all but certain to head to the playoffs and could conceivably meet up in the first round, so the matchup is interesting to watch. More significantly, though, this one is interesting from a betting perspective because the action is overwhelmingly tilted towards the Pacers.

Warriors at Mavericks Picks and NBA Betting Odds
by Dave Schwab - 2/9/2013

This Saturday the Golden State Warriors will stay on the road for the second night in a row with a trip to the American Airlines Center to face the Dallas Mavericks. This Western Conference matchup is set to get underway at 8:30 p.m. (ET), and the game will be available on NBA League Pass.

Clippers at Heat Picks and NBA Betting Odds
by Trevor Whenham - 2/8/2013

The Heat are the defending champions. The Clippers would like to be in that position in June. Both teams lead their division, and both teams are built to compete. Ultimately, this game isn’t going to prove anything one way or the other — winning or losing won’t have any bearing how the season ultimately ends up. From a psychological basis, though, winning would be significant for the Heat and huge for the Clippers. That makes this game about as interesting as one can be in the dog days of the NBA season.

Bulls at Nuggets Picks and NBA Betting Odds
by Alan Matthews - 2/7/2013

You can’t get two much more dissimilar teams than will face off in the Mile High City in the nightcap of Thursday’s TNT doubleheader when the Bulls visit the Nuggets. Actually, the teams are alike in that they have similar records, have probably overachieved a little, and are battling for first-round home-court advantage in the playoffs.

Spurs at Timberwolves Picks and NBA Betting Odds
by Dave Schwab - 2/6/2013

The San Antonio Spurs will look to extend their current winning streak to 11 games when they square off against the Minnesota Timberwolves this Wednesday night at the Target Center. This Western Conference clash is scheduled to tip off at 9 p.m. (ET), and the game will be broadcast nationally on ESPN.

Warriors at Rockets Picks and NBA Betting Odds
by Alan Matthews - 2/5/2013

It’s probably time to call Jeremy Lin what he is: a solid enough NBA player but not worthy of all the attention he receives. And it’s probably fair to say Houston might have a little buyer’s remorse – well, maybe not from a marketing perspective -- over signing Lin to a $25 million contract this offseason.

Bulls at Pacers Picks and NBA Betting Odds
by Trevor Whenham - 2/4/2013

It’s a February battle for Central Division supremacy, as the visiting Bulls sit just one game ahead of the Pacers heading into this one. Being in first place now really doesn’t prove anything, and both teams are almost certain to be heading to the postseason, but the mental boost from winning a divisional tilt like this can’t be understated.

Bobcats at Rockets Picks and NBA Betting Odds
by Dave Schwab - 2/2/2013

The Charlotte Bobcats continue their current five-game road trip with a stop at the Toyota Center this Friday night to face the Houston Rockets. This inter-conference clash is slated to tip-off at 8 p.m. (ET) and it will be available on NBA League Pass.

Cavaliers at Pistons Picks and NBA Betting Odds
by Trevor Whenham - 2/1/2013

Years from now, chances are very good that this won’t be a game that people will look back on fondly. People will not tell their grandchildren where they were on the day the Cavs traveled to Detroit. Heck, by next week most of the people at the game will likely have forgotten they were ever there. This is a dud of a game — the ultimate in midseason doldrums.

Grizzlies at Thunder Picks and NBA Betting Odds
by Alan Matthews - 1/31/2013

I really don’t understand what Memphis Grizzlies ownership is doing by trading Rudy Gay to the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday. Of course, no team wants to pay what is going to be a very punitive luxury tax by going over the salary cap under the NBA’s new collective bargaining agreement. But the Grizzlies, who are as cash-strapped as any team in the league (reportedly lost $12.5 million last year), already got under the cap with their recent salary dump trade of reserves Marreese Speights, Wayne Ellington (those two were in the rotation) and Josh Selby along with a future first-round pick to Cleveland.

Heat at Nets Picks and NBA Betting Odds
by Dave Schwab - 1/30/2013

The Miami Heat head to the Barclays Center this Wednesday night to square off against the Brooklyn Nets in the second game of their current four-game road trip. This Eastern Conference showdown is slated to tip off at 8 p.m. (ET) and the game will be broadcast nationally on ESPN.

Hornets at Lakers Picks and NBA Betting Odds
by Alan Matthews - 1/29/2013

Kobe Bryant, point guard extraordinaire? Even though the Los Angeles Lakers have a two-time MVP and future Hall of Fame point guard in Steve Nash, it has been Bryant essentially running the show from the point in L.A.’s past two games, both wins.

Rockets at Jazz Picks and NBA Betting Odds
by Trevor Whenham - 1/28/2013

After having each won a home game earlier in the season, the Jazz and the Rockets take the floor in Salt Lake for the third meeting of what has been a strong rivalry at times. These teams won’t have the issues with each other that they had back in the Malone and Olajuwon era, but they both badly need to keep winning, so the stakes are high. Right now Utah sits in seventh place in the West, and Houston is a game back. If they stumble it could be a long offseason.