Tim's Past Picks
The Cavaliers are in a funk. Who better to come to town than the Charlotte Hornets. This game will not be competitive. The Hornets are playing out the season, while every win matters for Cleveland. Lay the points.
Full disclosure: I have Creighton in my Final 4. The Bluejays should be favored in this game, but this number is too high. Creighton has struggled against rugged, physical teams like Akron this year. The Zips have experience too. I'm taking the dog.
The Heat have owned the 76ers this year, winning both matchups convincingly. Miami is a real contender to win the East. What are the 76ers? Not real contenders. I’d even take money line here also.
The Suns catch a Cavs team that is playing some terrible basketball and is not healthy. Cleveland just got whacked by the Nets, a team that had previously lost to the Hornets and Pistons. Now the Cavs are on the second half of a back-to-back. The Suns roll.
I know the Pistons are terrible and the Nets have been playing better since the coaching change. Those are facts. But this is a road test for Brooklyn, and Detroit has been playing decently of late, even winning a game against in Chicago. I know it’s tough to do, but take the Pistons and the points.
Crazy stat: The Bulls are 13-10 against the Western Conference, including a dramatic win at Sacramento in which they trailed by 22. They catch the Jazz not 100% healthly, and that’s the difference.
Denver has been rolling and deserves to be the favorite. The Nuggets won the first matchup this season convincingly, but the Suns were without Devin Booker and Bradley Beal. Booker again won’t be available, but Beal will play. He’s scored 30 or more points in three of his last seven games. Too many points for Denver to give, I’ll take the underdog.
Toronto is playing well with its new parts and now catches Dallas after a gut-wrenching loss to the Cavs. I think the Raptors win, but I’ll take the points.
The Pacers are at home and rested. The Pelicans are neither. New Orleans won last night facing a minor league version of the Knicks. The Pels weren't playing great ball before that. Indiana was exhausted last out against the Raptors as the team was on the second night of a back-to-back. Pacers roll.
Should the Cavaliers be favored at home? Absolutely. But this number is crazy! Both of these teams are top 10 defensively in the NBA. Don’t be fooled by Cleveland's lopsided win the last time they met, the Magic were exhausted. This will be a close one, so take the points.
The Magic are on the second half of a back-to-back after losing at home Tuesday to Oklahoma City, but they catch the banged-up Knicks limping to the All-Star break while they just to adjust to some recently acquired parts. Right matchup and right time for Orlando.
The Knicks are hot, and the Garden has been rocking. I had courtside seats at Madison Square Garden when I rode the bench at St. John’s, so I know. Even though New York is not at full strength, I am not scared. Jalen Brunson is playing at elite level. I'll take the Knicks on the moneyline.
The Pelicans have lost three straight, may be without Zion Williamson and Herb Jones, and are not playing with any sense of urgency on the defensive end. Houston is a .500 team over 82 games, I believe, and is 17-8 at home. Rockets to the moon!
The Bucks were never threaten by the Cavs in the last matchup, and I expect the exact same thing tonight. During its eight-game winning streak, Cleveland caught three straight teams that were on the second half of a back-to-back, including the Bucks. But not tonight. Milwaukee wins.
The Pacers were super impressive blowing out the 76ers last night. The Suns are playing well but are overvalued in this spot. This is way too many points. I’ll take the dog.