Top NBA Picks and Predictions for March 22 (Knicks Upset, Two Favorites Among Today's Plays)

We've got a four-game slate in the NBA on Tuesday, and BetSided's Peter Dewey and Donnavan Smoot are here to deliver their favorite plays for each game in action tonight.

Let's get into the picks, with all odds via WynnBET Sportsbook:

Chicago Bulls vs. Milwaukee Bucks Prediction and Pick

This is a fade the Bulls spot like you’ve never seen before. 

Chicago is 0-15 against the top three teams in each conference, and the Bucks fall into that category. They’ve beaten Chicago by six and by four this season, and I think we see a similar result in Milwaukee on Tuesday. 

The Bulls have also struggled over their last 10 games, ranking 27th in offensive rating and 20th in defensive rating while Milwaukee is third and 14th in those respective categories over the same stretch. 

Chicago did pick up a much-needed win over the Toronto Raptors on Monday, and the Bulls are just 7-6-1 against the spread on the second night of a back-to-back this season, but I just can’t get to backing them in this matchup. 

Milwaukee is 8-2 over its last 10 games, and it is peaking at the right time with the playoffs on the horizon. 

I’m not going to fall into this trap with Chicago, as the team simply can’t beat top competition this season. 

Lean: Bucks -7.5 (-110) -- Peter Dewey

Find Peter Dewey’s full betting record in the NBA this season here.

Los Angeles Clippers vs. Denver Nuggets Prediction and Pick

March hasn't been the smoothest month for the Nuggets. They've gone 6-5 and all of their statistics match the record -- by being average. Denver's net rating this month is 0.3, which is 14th in the league. On top of that, the Nuggets have gone 2-4 in their last six games and are losing ground to the Minnesota Timberwolves for the No. 6 seed.

However, tonight will be a different story. The Clippers, as gritty as they are, just won't have enough offense. During March, the Clippers have the 7th-worst offensive rating in the league. Even with an above average defense, Los Angeles still has a -4.4 net rating (21st). The Clippers' offense has been stagnant for a majority of the season, and it is catching up to them.

Denver and Los Angeles have had three back-and-forth games this season, with all of them being decided by three points or less. I think Denver finally gets a dominant performance from the entire team and is able to capitalize against a poor offense.

Lean: Nuggets -6.5 (-110) -- Donnavan Smoot

You can find Donnavan Smoot’s full betting record here.

Atlanta Hawks vs. New York Knicks Prediction and Pick

We all know how much Trae Young loves playing at Madison Square Garden, but I think RJ Barrett and the Knicks are live to pull off the upset here. 

New York desperately needs this game to keep its play-in hopes alive, and the Knicks have dominated the Hawks this season, thanks in part to the Hawks’ No. 27 defense. 

The Knicks have kept things close for the majority of their last eight games, but they’ve lost to teams who have simply outplayed them on the offensive end. The difference in this game is New York should be able to keep pace with Atlanta, who is down John Collins and could be missing Bogdan Bogdanovic. 

The Hawks are 35-36 this season, but they are a dreadful 12-22 on the road. I’ll trust Barrett and company to bounce back from Sunday’s loss to Utah.  

Lean: Knicks Moneyline (+100) -- Peter Dewey

Golden State Warriors vs. Orlando Magic Prediction and Pick

Golden State is a much worse team when Curry isn’t on the floor, as the Warriors are plus-10.1 points per 100 possessions with him on the floor this season, and just plus-1.3 points per 100 possessions when he sits. 

The Magic are far from a good team this season, ranking 29th in offensive rating and 19th in defensive rating, but they’ve been even better defensively over their last 10 games, ranking ninth in defensive rating. 

This game is setting up as a perfect spot to take the under, as the Warriors have a top five defensive rating and have hit the under in 39 of their 71 games this season (39-30-2). 

I think we get a low-scoring matchup with two stronger defenses facing off and the Warriors’ offense taking a hit without Curry. 

Lean: UNDER 215 (-110) -- Peter Dewey