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Free NBA Picks: Hawks at Thunder Odds
by Dave Schwab - 1/27/2014

The Atlanta Hawks will wrap up a quick two-day road trip with a stop at the Chesapeake Energy Center this Monday night to take on the high-flying Oklahoma City Thunder. This contest is slated to tip off at 8 p.m. (ET), and the game will be available on NBA League Pass.

Free NBA Picks: Bulls at Bobcats Odds
by Alan Matthews - 1/24/2014

Kobe Bryant recently said he didn't like the current NBA game because there was too much "finesse" involved. Scoring is most definitely way up, just as the league wants, with less contact involved. So if you like offensive basketball, avert your eyes for Saturday's game between the Bulls and Bobcats in Charlotte because they are two of the few teams in the league that win with defense and prefer scores in the 80s instead of 100s. The total set on this game will be one of the lowest of the season.

Free NBA Picks: Grizzlies at Rockets Odds
by Aaron Smith - 1/23/2014

The Memphis Grizzlies have been one of the biggest disappointments in the league so far this year. Through 40 games, their record is dead even at 20-20. That’s hard to believe for a team that was in the Western Conference Finals last season.

Free NBA Picks: Nuggets at Blazers Odds
by Alan Matthews - 1/22/2014

This probably will be the only time I do a Nuggets-Blazers preview this season -- they play again Feb. 25 in Denver and March 1 in Portland -- and I knew my story line right away going in: I've said this before in a Blazers story, but I think they are the 2013-14 version of last season's Nuggets.

Free NBA Picks: Pacers at Suns Odds
by Aaron Smith - 1/21/2014

The Indiana Pacers have the best record in the NBA. Indiana comes in sporting an impressive 33-7 record on the year. Indiana has proven they can do it at home or on the road. Their 102-94 win at Golden State Monday showed this team is capable of beating top teams on the road. Phoenix was expected to be one of the worst teams in the NBA, but they have been one of the biggest surprises in the league.

Free NBA Picks: Magic at Nets Odds
by Alan Matthews - 1/20/2014

Are the Brooklyn Nets actual contenders after all? If you had asked that question three weeks ago, the answer would have been a resounding “no”. However, 2014 has been good to Brooklyn as it has won seven of eight games, including over title favorites Oklahoma City and Miami. Can the Nets really beat the Heat or Pacers in the playoffs with all-star center Brook Lopez done for the season? Highly doubtful, but reaching the conference semifinals seems doable in the weak East.

Free NBA Picks: Pacers at Warriors Odds
by Dave Schwab - 1/20/2014

Monday’s action in the NBA closes things out with an inter-conference battle between the Indiana Pacers and the Golden State Warriors at ORACLE Arena. This game is scheduled to tip off at 10:30 p.m. (ET), and it will be broadcast nationally on TNT.

Free NBA Picks: Bucks at Rockets Odds and Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 1/17/2014

The NBA season is an 82-game grind, so there are going to be bad losses for any team (just ask the two-time champion Miami Heat). The key thing about a bad loss is to immediately put it in the rear-view mirror and move on. Thus, I am very interested to see how Houston responds to an absolutely horrific home defeat on Thursday night to Oklahoma City when the Rockets host the NBA's worst team on Saturday, Milwaukee. There's no reason this shouldn't be a rout, but if the Rockets have a hangover and struggle, or actually lose, then that's on the coach.

Free NBA Picks: Blazers at Spurs Odds
by Aaron Smith - 1/16/2014

When the Portland Trail Blazers and the San Antonio Spurs meet on Friday night, two of the very best teams in the Western Conference will square off for the second time this year. Portland beat San Antonio 115-105 at the Rose Garden in November. Portland had the best record in the NBA for much of the early season, but they have slowed down a bit of late.

Free NBA Picks: Knicks at Pacers Odds
by Alan Matthews - 1/15/2014

Was the New York Knicks' five-game winning streak fool's gold or was Tuesday's loss at struggling Charlotte just one of those trap games? I lean the latter, slightly. I would argue only two of the Knicks' wins in that five-game run (4-1 ATS) were quality: at Dallas on Jan. 5 and at home against Miami last Thursday on TNT -- a game in which I recommended taking New York and the points.

Free NBA Picks: Nuggets at Warriors Odds
by Aaron Smith - 1/14/2014

The Denver Nuggets and Golden State Warriors will do battle on Wednesday night on ESPN. Golden State won the only meeting between these two so far this year. After a mediocre start, the Warriors have won 11 of their last 12 games overall. Denver sits only one game above .500 on the season, but the Nuggets have won five of their last six games overall. There’s always a lot on the line when these two teams square off.

Free NBA Picks: Cavaliers at Lakers Odds
by Alan Matthews - 1/13/2014

It probably won't be a warm return to Los Angeles on Tuesday night for Cleveland head coach Mike Brown as he faces off against the Lakers for the first time since he was fired by the team early last season. As it turns out, it may have been the best thing to happen to Brown as the Cavs, at least right now, appear to have a brighter future than the Lakers.

Free NBA Picks: Wizards at Bulls Odds
by Dave Schwab - 1/13/2014

The Washington Wizards will pay a visit to the United Center this Monday night to square off against the Chicago Bulls in an Eastern Conference clash. Tip off is slated for 8 p.m. (ET), and the game will be broadcast nationally on NBA TV.

Free NBA Picks: Bucks at Thunder Odds
by Alan Matthews - 1/10/2014

There are mismatches and then there are mismatches. You won't see maybe but a handful bigger than Saturday night's matchup between the Milwaukee Bucks, the only team in the NBA still yet to get double-digit wins, and the Oklahoma City Thunder. To make it even more lopsided, the Bucks had to travel on Friday night after hosting Chicago. The Thunder have been off since Thursday.

Free NBA Picks: Heat at Knicks Odds
by Alan Matthews - 1/8/2014

Surprise, surprise, the Miami Heat and New York Knicks are being showcased on the NBA's TNT Thursday doubleheader this week. Those two have to lead the league in such appearances. I rather like this rivalry because the Knicks think they are arch-rivals of Miami. The Heat consider the Knicks an annoying pest like a gnat and miles away from their basketball stratosphere. Of course, Miami won't even acknowledge Indiana as a rival, but that arrogance seems to work well with the Heat.

Free NBA Picks: Celtics at Clippers Odds
by Aaron Smith - 1/7/2014

The Boston Celtics head to Los Angeles to take on the Clippers Wednesday night. Boston has been slumping lately, while the Clippers have been up and down of late. Expectations are obviously much higher for the Clippers, and they are a sizeable favorite in this one.

Free NBA Picks: Raptors at Pacers Odds
by Alan Matthews - 1/6/2014

Sometimes there's a thing called addition by subtraction. Rudy Gay was probably the best player on the Toronto Raptors since being acquired last season from Memphis. The problem is that Gay shot too much and, frankly, not well enough. Anyone can average around 20 points a night if they get the ball enough. He also wasn't very good defensively. So in a total salary dump, Toronto traded Rudy Gay to Sacramento in a seven-player deal in early December.

Free NBA Picks: Timberwolves at 76ers Odds
by Dave Schwab - 1/6/2014

The Minnesota Timberwolves and the Philadelphia 76ers will square off at the Wells Fargo Center this Monday night as part of a scaled-down three-game schedule in the NBA. The tip-off for this inter-conference clash is set for 7 p.m. (ET), and the game will be available on NBA League Pass.

Free NBA Picks: 76ers at Trail Blazers Odds
by Alan Matthews - 1/3/2014

Portland's Damian Lillard was the runaway Rookie of the Year winner in the NBA last season, and it looks like the guy he will undoubtedly be checking most of Saturday night, Philadelphia's Michael Carter-Williams, will be the same in 2014. The ex-Syracuse point guard lasted until the 11th overall pick because while he had tremendous size at 6-foot-6, was a deft passer and good defensive player, he simply couldn't shoot.

Free NBA Picks: Nets at Spurs Odds
by Alan Matthews - 12/30/2013

In many ways, the overpaid, underachieving Nets are the exact opposite of their Tuesday opponent, the Spurs. It's one of the most class, professional organizations in sports, and you never hear about player in-fighting or locker room issues. Winning helps matters obviously.