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Thunder at Spurs Picks and NBA Betting Odds
by Trevor Whenham - 3/11/2013

We have a clash of the titans here to brighten an otherwise dreary post-Daylight Savings Time Monday. The Spurs have the top record in the Western Conference, are on the verge of clinching an inevitable playoff spot, and are looking to secure home-court advantage throughout the playoffs. The Thunder sit just a game behind the Spurs — a gap they can close with a win here. It doesn’t ultimately matter who is leading the conference in March — and given that the Spurs had the home-court advantage last year when the Thunder eliminated them from the playoffs, it isn’t crucial at all — but this is a good confidence builder for both teams and an important measuring stick.

Timberwolves at Nuggets Picks and NBA Betting Odds
by Dave Schwab - 3/9/2013

The Minnesota Timberwolves and the Denver Nuggets face off this Saturday night at the Pepsi Center in matchup between two teams headed in completely different directions. This Northwest Division battle is scheduled to tip off at 9 p.m. (ET), and the game will be available on NBA League Pass.

Rockets at Warriors Picks and NBA Betting Odds
by Trevor Whenham - 3/8/2013

For the second time this week we’re looking at a Golden State game. That’s not the most original choice, but this game is where the action is this week. With the Lakers heating up and playing an outmatched Toronto team at home on Friday, this game is crucial for both these teams as they try to maintain their playoff position in the four-team race for the last three playoff spots. The Warriors have more of a cushion, but if the Rockets lose and L.A. wins they would just be a game ahead with 19 more games left to play. On the other hand, a Rockets win would move them just a game behind Golden State for sixth.

Clippers at Nuggets Picks and NBA Betting Odds
by Alan Matthews - 3/7/2013

Short of perhaps playing in Oklahoma City one night and then having to travel to Miami to face the Heat the next evening, the toughest second game of a back-to-back in the NBA these days is playing wherever on the first night and then having to face the Nuggets in their gym the next. I've said this before and will repeat it: The altitude gives Denver a huge advantage, even more so over a tired team. It's why the Nuggets always have been and likely always will be an up-tempo team as it plays to that advantage. If you've ever gone hiking or skiing near Denver, you would understand how the thin air wears you out and leaves you dehydrated.

Bulls at Spurs Picks and NBA Betting Odds
by Dave Schwab - 3/6/2013

The Chicago Bulls will wrap up a quick two-game road trip with a visit to the AT&T Center this Wednesday night to play the “Best in the West” San Antonio Spurs. This inter-conference clash is scheduled to tip off at 9 p.m. (ET), and it will be broadcast nationally on ESPN.

Celtics at 76ers Picks and NBA Betting Odds
by Alan Matthews - 3/5/2013

Some NBA coaches just aren't built to stay in one place for too long. You have the nomadic types like Larry Brown or the ultra-intense ones like Philadelphia's Doug Collins. There's no doubt that Collins is one of the best coaches in the NBA, but there's a reason he has yet to stay more than three years at one place in his NBA coaching career. Collins' teams always improve right after he gets there, but he's so intense that players start to tune him out by Year 3. That could be what's happening in Philadelphia this season.

Raptors at Warriors Picks and NBA Betting Odds
by Trevor Whenham - 3/4/2013

The Warriors are going to be happy to be back at home. They just finished off a five-game road swing, and they lost the last four. They fell despite some other-worldly performances from Steph Curry (more on him later). They are a much better team at home — 18-7 at home compared to 15-20 on the road. If you do the quick math, that means that hey have played 10 more road games than home games. Despite their recent struggles, then, that makes it easy to believe that they can hang on to the playoff spot they are currently in despite the resurgence of the Lakers.

Timberwolves at Trail Blazers Picks and NBA Betting Odds
by Dave Schwab - 3/2/2013

The Minnesota Timberwolves will try and put another crimp in the Portland Trail Blazers’ fading playoff hopes when the two Northwest Division foes battle it out at the Rose Garden this Saturday night. The game set to tip off at 10 p.m. (ET), and it will be broadcast nationally on NBA TV.

Grizzlies at Heat Picks and NBA Betting Odds
by Trevor Whenham - 3/1/2013

This is about as good as a game can get at this time of year in the NBA. The Heat are scorching hot. They have won 12 straight, and LeBron James is shooting a preposterously good 65 percent during that stretch while averaging just short of 30 points a game. It’s the best that the Heat have played in the Big Three era — and that’s saying something. That’s a lot for any opponent to face, but Memphis could be up to the challenge. They have won eight in a row, and they are the hottest team outside of South Beach. It’s a battle of the titans to welcome in March.

Timberwolves at Lakers Picks and NBA Betting Odds
by Alan Matthews - 2/28/2013

Keep an eye on the Minnesota Timberwolves in the final two-plus months of the NBA’s regular season. Yes, the team has been a huge disappointment as it looked like there was enough talent on the roster for the franchise to make the playoffs for the first time since 2004. However, Kevin Love’s hand injuries and Ricky Rubio’s initial struggles after returning from ACL surgery have torpedoed this season.

Hawks at Jazz Picks and NBA Betting Odds
by Dave Schwab - 2/27/2013

The Atlanta Hawks will try and extend their current winning streak to four games this Wednesday night when they face the Utah Jazz at EnergySolutions Arena. This inter-conference matchup is slated to get underway at 9 p.m. (ET), and the game will be available on NBA League Pass.

Warriors at Pacers Picks and NBA Betting Odds
by Alan Matthews - 2/26/2013

It’s starting to look more and more like the Indiana Pacers are the only realistic threat in the Eastern Conference to the Miami Heat. The Knicks and Bulls are fading, and the Celtics are injury-ravaged. The Nets? The Hawks? Please.

Lakers at Nuggets Picks and NBA Betting Odds
by Trevor Whenham - 2/25/2013

Don’t look now, but the Lakers are finally playing more like, well, the Lakers. They have won 11 of their last 15. While they still have work to do to earn a playoff berth, it’s not nearly as impossible to imagine as it once was. They are coming off a good win yesterday in Dallas and look to stretch their current streak to four wins.

Jazz at Clippers Picks and NBA Betting Odds
by Dave Schwab - 2/23/2013

The Utah Jazz will try and extend their current winning streak to four games when they square off against the Los Angeles Clippers this Saturday night at the Staples Center. This Western Conference showdown is set to tip off at 10:30 p.m. (ET), and the game will be available on NBA League Pass.

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.