Top NBA Picks and Predictions Today (Lakers Upset, Blazers Roll With Damian Lillard Back)
By Peter Dewey
There is plenty of action in the NBA on Sunday if you're looking to take a break from football, and I have some picks for some of the best matchups on the slate.
Will Anthony Davis and the Los Angeles Lakers stay hot? Do the Brooklyn Nets get revenge on Boston?
Here are my picks for those games and more:
Boston Celtics vs. Brooklyn Nets Odds, Prediction and Pick
Both of these teams have been solid on the offensive end this season, but I can’t help but think this is a spot where Boston is undervalued on the road.
The Celtics are just three-point favorites in this game, yet all 18 of their wins in the 2022 season have come by three or more points.
Sure, the Nets have been playing better as of late, but wins over the Toronto Raptors, Washington Wizards and Orlando Magic don’t exactly put them on Boston’s level.
The Celtics continue to knock down 3s at a high rate, leading the NBA in 3-pointers made per game and 3-point percentage.
That may be the ultimate decider in this game, and I like that we have a short enough moneyline to just forget the points and take Boston to win on Sunday.
Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving are a tough pair to defend, but Boston locked them down in the playoffs last year. I think rolling with that gameplan again gets the team a win on Sunday night.
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Washington Wizards Odds, Prediction and Pick
I didn’t think I’d be saying this after the Lakers’ 2-10 start to the season, but they are the better team in this matchup.
Los Angeles ranks 18th in net rating to Washington’s 21st, and the Lakers still have a top-10 defense in the NBA at this point in the season.
Davis has been terrific over this nine-game stretch, averaging 32.9 points, 15.4 rebounds and 2.9 blocks per game to lead the Lakers to seven wins. When he and James are both playing at a high level, the Lakers have enough talent on the rest of the roster to at least be a play-in team this season.
The regression monster has been waiting for the Wizards, and after losing to a shorthanded Charlotte team on Friday, I think it may be here.
Washington ranks in the bottom 15 in the league in offensive rating, defensive rating and effective field goal percentage, and it is just 3-5-1 against the spread as a home favorite this season.
The Lakers aren’t just going to cover in this game, they’re going to win if LeBron suits up.
Indiana Pacers vs. Portland Trail Blazers Odds, Prediction and Pick
The Pacers have lost back-to-back games, getting blown out by the Utah Jazz and Sacramento Kings, and they may finally be regressing after a strong start to the season.
Indiana has a good offense so far in the 2022-23 campaign, ranking 15th in offensive rating, but the team is in the bottom-10 in the league on defense.
With Damian Lillard back, the Blazers are a much more explosive offensive team, and it should help the team cure its woes at Moda Center (just 4-5 straight up this season).
The Pacers may be 12-10, but this team was expected to be amongst one of the worst in the NBA this season. This road trip has shown that they will struggle to keep up with better teams at times, and Portland with Dame is no different.
I’ll roll with the Blazers on Sunday.
Find Peter Dewey’s full betting record here.
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.