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Spurs at Warriors Picks and NBA Game 3 Odds
by Trevor Whenham - 5/10/2013

The storyline has been similar in the first two games of this series. The Warriors have gotten out to a big lead, gotten too tentative, and tried desperately to hold on. So far they are running at .500 on that front. In the first game they were cruising, but they ended up collapsing. An 18-2 run by San Antonio forced overtime, and the Spurs came out on top. In Game 2 the Warriors held on to win by nine, but they didn’t earn a whole lot of style points along the way.

Warriors at Spurs Picks and Game 2 NBA Odds
by Dave Schwab - 5/8/2013

This Wednesday night at the AT&T Center, the Golden State Warriors will look to quickly bounce back from an overtime loss in Game 1 to the San Antonio Spurs when the two clash again in this best-of-seven Western Conference Semifinals showdown. The game is scheduled to tip-off at 9:30 p.m. (ET), and it will be broadcast nationally on TNT.

Pacers at Knicks Picks and NBA Game 2 Betting Odds
by Alan Matthews - 5/7/2013

I realize that the NBA MVP voting is tallied only on the regular season, but I'm wondering if that Boston Globe writer who was the only guy not to vote for LeBron James on a first-place ballot is questioning his decision after watching New York's Carmelo Anthony (the writer's MVP choice) the past few games.

Bulls at Heat Picks and Game 1 NBA Odds
by Trevor Whenham - 5/6/2013

The Bulls drew the short straw. They are the unfortunate souls who have run into the unstoppable force that is the Miami Heat. Even in the best-case scenario the Bulls would more than have their hands full with this matchup. Thanks to a series of injury developments so bizarre that you wouldn’t believe them if you read them in a movie script, though, this is far from the best case scenario for the Bulls.

Bulls at Nets Picks and Game 7 NBA Odds
by Dave Schwab - 5/4/2013

It all comes down to winner-take-all showdown when the Chicago Bulls and the Brooklyn Nets square off this Saturday night at the Barclays Center in Game 7 of this opening-round playoff series. This Eastern Conference matchup is set to tip off at 8 p.m., and it will be broadcast nationally on TNT.

Thunder at Rockets Picks and Game 6 NBA Odds
by Trevor Whenham - 5/3/2013

Do you believe in momentum? That’s a question you have to ask yourself when handicapping this game. If you do, then this series has been a case of swinging momentum. The Thunder won the first three games and seemed relatively unbothered by the loss of Russell Westbrook — or at least as unbothered you can be while losing a player of that caliber.

Nets at Bulls Picks and Game 6 NBA Betting Odds
by Alan Matthews - 5/2/2013

Let's be honest here: Neither the Chicago Bulls (even if somehow Derrick Rose dramatically returns) or Brooklyn Nets have any chance of upsetting the rested Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference semifinals. But the Bulls did give the Heat problems this year with their terrific defense and size, so Chicago could at least make it competitive. That's IF the Bulls finish off the Nets in Game 6 of their first-round series in Chicago on Thursday night. Any Heat series will start on Monday.

Celtics at Knicks Picks and Game 5 NBA Betting Odds
by Dave Schwab - 5/1/2013

The Boston Celtics will once again try and stave off elimination in Game 5 of their best-of-seven opening-round playoff series against the New York Knicks when the two Atlantic Division rivals clash this Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden. The game is set to get underway at 7 p.m., and it will be broadcast nationally on TNT.

Warriors at Nuggets Game 5 Picks and NBA Odds
by Alan Matthews - 4/30/2013

Stephen Curry made himself a household name among basketball fans when he led little Davidson to the Elite Eight of the 2008 NCAA Tournament, averaging 32.0 points per game. That pretty much assured Curry would be a high first-round pick, which he was by Golden State in 2009 after averaging 28.6 points per game as a senior.

Bulls at Nets Picks and Game 5 NBA Betting Odds
by Trevor Whenham - 4/29/2013

For the Brooklyn Nets there are no tomorrows. They need to win this game or their season comes to a crashing end. This is not the situation they should be in. After all, they had a 14-point lead in Game 4, and were poised to come home to start what would essentially be a three-game series, with two of those games in Brooklyn. But then, as unlikely as it seems, Nate Robinson happened. Robinson scored 12 points in a 14-0 Chicago run that tied the game late in the fourth. It took three overtimes for the Bulls to finally pull off the 142-134 win, but the seeds of success had been sown late in the fourth quarter by Robinson.

Pacers at Hawks Game 3 Picks and NBA Odds
by Dave Schwab - 4/27/2013

The Indiana Pacers will take a 2-0 lead into Philips Arena this Saturday night when they square off against the Atlanta Hawks in Game 3 of a best-of-seven series in the opening round of the playoffs. This Eastern Conference clash is set to tip off at 7 p.m., and the game will be broadcast nationally on ESPN.

Spurs at Lakers Picks and NBA Betting Odds
by Trevor Whenham - 4/26/2013

My very favorite option in NBA betting is a home underdog. Seeing one makes me salivate like Pavlov’s dogs. Not all home underdogs are worthy of attention, though — some just don’t deserve any respect. We have the reasonably rare situation of the Lakers as a home underdog here. The question, then, is whether they are worth a closer look.

Nets at Bulls Game 3 Picks and NBA Betting Odds
by Alan Matthews - 4/24/2013

So is Thursday night's Game 3 of the Nets-Bulls series the game that Derrick Rose makes his season debut for Chicago? The stories continue that Rose looks totally dominant in practices, and the guy was medically cleared about two months ago. So what's the problem? He also looked pretty exuberant on the bench in Game 2, almost as if he was finally chomping at the bit to return.

Warriors at Nuggets Picks and NBA Betting Odds
by Alan Matthews - 4/23/2013

If you took the home team over the weekend in NBA Playoff action, you most likely cashed in, with every home team winning its series opener and five of the eight covering the spread. Really, no home team was ever in much danger of losing except for the NBA's best home team this season: the Denver Nuggets.

Rockets at Thunder Picks and NBA Betting Odds
by Alan Matthews - 4/18/2013

Things could not have gone better on Wednesday in the final night of the 2012-13 NBA regular season if you are an NBA fan. No offense to the Utah Jazz, but no one outside that state likely wanted to see them in the postseason ahead of the L.A. Lakers (TV executives are giddy). When Utah was beaten soundly at Memphis in an early Wednesday tip, the Lakers knew they were in the playoffs when their home game with Houston began. However, both teams still had plenty of motivation: avoid the No. 8 seed and a likely quick out against the No. 1 and Western Conference favored Oklahoma City Thunder.

Jazz at Grizzlies Picks and NBA Betting Odds
by Dave Schwab - 4/17/2013

The Utah Jazz close out their regular season with a trip to FedEx Forum this Wednesday night to face the Memphis Grizzlies in a must-win situation to keep their playoff hopes alive. This Western Conference showdown is set to tip off at 8 p.m. (ET), and the game will be broadcast nationally on ESPN.

Raptors at Hawks Picks and NBA Betting Odds
by Alan Matthews - 4/16/2013

It's my final NBA free picks article of the 2012-13 regular season, which seemed to fly by. Hopefully I made you a bit of money as I did finish solidly above .500 for the year. Of course, I will continue on through the playoffs.

76ers at Pistons Picks and NBA Betting Odds
by Trevor Whenham - 4/15/2013

This game means nothing. Nothing at all. The 76ers will finish ninth or 10th in the Eastern Conference. No trophy for that. The Pistons could finish 11th but are probably destined for 12th. Who cares? There is nothing on the line and nothing to play for. These teams are just playing out the string — killing time until they can go on vacation with their families and forget the miserable season they have just endured.

Bucks at Bobcats Picks and NBA Betting Odds
by Trevor Whenham - 4/13/2013

Saturday has a limited slate of games to choose from, and none are particularly meaningful. That doesn’t mean that there aren’t interesting storylines. At this point of the season — the very end — there are always storylines to be found. This game is going to be almost unwatchable. However, if you can get past that, it provides a good psychological puzzle to keep bettors interested.

Timberwolves at Jazz Picks and NBA Betting Odds
by Trevor Whenham - 4/12/2013

The concept of a must-win game is dramatically overused in sports. As the Jazz finish off the home portion of their season, though, they are pretty much in must-win territory. With just three games remaining, they sit a full game behind the Lakers for the eighth and final playoff spot. They don’t necessarily need to win all three remaining games to overtake the Lakers, but it would sure help. They have a slightly easier schedule — home and home against Minnesota and at Memphis compared to home games against Golden State, San Antonio and Houston for the Lakers — but the margin for error is extremely slim.