Top NBA Picks and Predictions Today (Suns & Magic Best Bets On Saturday)
Alabama & LSU -- as well as Tennessee & Georgia -- square off today, but there's NBA action going on all day to keep up.
There's seven games on the schedule today, and the BetSided team has you covered with everything you need. We have our favorite underdog, favorite and total play of the night.
Here are our top picks for the night.
Trail Blazers vs. Suns Prediction and Pick
Portland has beaten Phoenix twice this year, with both wins coming by two points. First, Anfernee Simons won the game in OT, then Jerami Grant hit a game winner last night. While we should be happy to see the Blazers thrive without Damian Lillard, the feel good story ends tonight.
The Suns have gotten three cracks at the Blazers and now get to play them for a second night in a row at home. This is the time to sell high on the Blazers and back the Suns.
Phoenix has the best offensive rating in the league and a top 4 defense, posting the third best net rating. The Blazers, according to net rating are 7.4 points worse than Phoenix.
The true version of the Suns will show up tonight and keep the Blazers from punching up again. – Donnavan Smoot
Celtics vs. Knicks Prediction and Pick
The Celtics defense is far from the elite level we came to expect last season, 18th in points allowed per 100 possessions. However, the offense has made up for that as the team is fifth in points scored per 100 possessions and are protecting the ball, turning it over at the sixth lowest rate.
The Knicks defense leaves some to be desired and could be without Mitchell Robinson, who left Friday night's game with a knee injury. Robinson is the anchor in the middle of the New York defense and this can open up the paint for Jayson Tatum to stay hot. The Celtics forward is averaging north of 30 points per game on the year.
New York's offense has been up-and-down this season, but with the Celtics' leaky defense this year without their own big man in Williams, I expect Brunson to facilitate and create good looks for the team. The Celtics are on the second half of a back-to-back and are fresh off of allowing 119 points to the Bulls, the Knicks should be able to get their offense going with Brunson at the helm.
With all that being said, I like the over between a pair of teams that aren't as strong on defense as their coaches would have hoped this season. – Reed Wallach
Kings vs. Magic Prediction and Pick
Paolo Banchero is the main young star of the Magic and behind him is Franz Wagner, but on Thursday, it was Jalen Suggs who closed out the game for Orlando. Suggs went toe-to-toe with the defending champs and finished the game with 26 points and nine assists. If Suggs can arise as an important piece of this core with Banchero and Wagner then Orlando might be able to keep winning close games.
The Magic are a home underdog in this one and over the past two years, moneyline dogs have been very profitable in the NBA. Now that the Magic seem to be able to close out games, they could be a good bet against the Kings. The end of games has always been the question for Sacramento’s best player, De’Aaron Fox. Fox has never quite developed the outside shot and half-court creation enough to close out games at a high level. This season he is shooting 38.7% from three and 54.8% on field goals, but I need a larger sample to trust it in clutch time. That is enough for me to take the Magic as a home dog today. – Josh Yourish
Pick: Magic +140
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.