Top NBA Picks and Predictions Today (Trends Say to Back Pacers, Raptors on Halloween)

It's officially spooky season, and there are some downright SCARY trends in the NBA that are helping us make some of our picks for Monday's night's Halloween action.

The Atlanta Hawks can't see to cover when they lose, so should you fade them as a dog tonight?

Plus, the Brooklyn Nets are favored at home, which is usually a sign to bet on the other team...

I have breakdowns for these two games and more on Monday:

Sure, on talent alone the Nets deserve to be favored in this game, but by 8.5 points?

Not a chance in hell. 

Brooklyn is 28th in the NBA in net rating this season, and it looks like one of the league’s worst teams rather than a title contender that we all expected entering this season. 

The Pacers are 3-4 against the spread this season, but the Nets are just 1-5 ATS and dating back to last season they are just 6-31-1 against the spread as home favorites!

As good as Durant and Irving are, I don’t think this team will defend enough to blow out a hungry young Pacers team on Monday. 

I’m going to ride this trend until the wheels fall off and back the Raptors to win and cover against Atlanta on Monday night. 

These teams play contrasting styles, as the Raptors operate at the second slowest pace in the NBA. relying on their length and defense to win a lot of games. 

Atlanta ranks 12th in the NBA in pace this season and sports a top-10 offense, compared to Toronto’s No. 23 offense. 

The Raptors have had a tough schedule to start the season, playing the Philadelphia 76ers and Miami Heat twice each, Cleveland Cavaliers, Brooklyn Nets. 

Even though they’ve been up and down in those games, I think they’ll handle this Atlanta team at home on Monday. 

There’s a huge concern in this game if you’re thinking of betting on the Pistons, and it’s the fact that the team ranks 29th in the NBA in defensive rating. 

That, and the team’s lack of size inside to guard Giannis Antetokounmpo is troubling, especially since the Bucks’ star is playing some of his best basketball of his career this season. 

The Bucks are the No. 1 defense in the NBA so far this season, and they fought off a tough Atlanta Hawks team in an eight-point win on Saturday. 

While the Pistons were able to beat the Warriors, this is a totally different animal, especially with Milwaukee’s size advantage inside. 

Detroit also has a worse offensive rating than the Bucks, so I don’t think this team is the one to turn the table on Milwaukee’s No. 1 defense. 

Find Peter Dewey’s full betting record here.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.