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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.

Clippers at Trail Blazers Picks and NBA Betting Odds
by Dave Schwab - 1/26/2013

The Los Angeles Clippers will head to the Rose Garden this Saturday night for the first game of a home-and-home series against the Portland Trail Blazers that concludes on Sunday back in LA. Friday night’s contest is set to tip off at 10 p.m. (ET), and the game will be available on NBA League Pass.

Thunder at Kings Picks and NBA Betting Odds
by Trevor Whenham - 1/25/2013

The Thunder may be the best team in the league, but they sure aren’t having any fun on their current road trip. They are heading into their fifth game of a six-game western tilt. They have an impressive win at the Clippers to their credit, but that’s the only highlight. They lost at Golden State and Denver, and they needed overtime to beat Dallas. The Clippers game was the only one of the four that they covered as well. They are certainly not in a position of desperate need, but it would be nice for them to get their game back on track now instead of waiting until they get home.

Knicks at Celtics Picks and NBA Betting Odds
by Alan Matthews - 1/24/2013

There was little doubt which NBA on TNT doubleheader game to preview this week between Knicks-Celtics and Clippers-Suns. True, the latter game could potentially be an upset for the Suns because the Clippers are now without Chris Paul indefinitely and also because L.A. begins a stretch of 10 road games in its next 11 overall. But I rather doubt it.

Nuggets at Rockets Picks and NBA Betting Odds
by Dave Schwab - 1/23/2013

The Denver Nuggets will break up an ongoing eight-game homestand with a quick trip to the Toyota Center this Wednesday night to square off against the Houston Rockets in a clash between two playoff contenders in the Western Conference. The game is set to tip off at 8 p.m. (ET) and it will be broadcast nationally on NBA TV.