Top NBA Picks and Predictions Today (Trust Cavs, Grizzlies as Favorites, Total to Play in Bucks-Mavs)
By Peter Dewey
Looking to wager on the NBA action on Sunday?
Several NBA games had early starts, but there are still a few matchup at night, including a terrific Milwaukee Bucks-Dallas Mavericks showdown.
Here are some of my favorite plays for Sunday's action:
Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Detroit Pistons Odds, Prediction and Pick
There is no way I can trust Detroit this season, as the team is 29th in net rating, and when you put Jaden Ivey, Bojan Bogdanovic and Saddiq Bey (all questionable) up in the air for this game, it’s even clearer that Cleveland is the choice.
Cleveland beat the Pistons on the road earlier this season by 24 points, and both Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell missed that contest. Now, the team will have both in the lineup against this shorthanded Pistons squad? I can smell a blowout.
Cleveland comes into this game top five in offensive rating, defensive rating and third in net rating. It's been one of the best teams in the league so far this season, so bet on that to continue on Sunday.
Memphis Grizzlies vs. New York Knicks Odds, Prediction and Pick
The Knicks have all sorts of problems on the defensive end this season, ranking 23rd in the league in defensive rating, and now they may be without their best player in Jalen Brunson on Sunday.
With Derrick Rose (toe, questionable) also potentially out for this game, the Knicks lack the depth to hang with Ja Morant and the Grizzlies.
This line will likely move if Brunson is ruled out, so I don’t mind laying a little juice early on the Grizz to get the win. New York is just 4-4 at MSG this season and has struggled mightily against teams that are over .500.
Memphis is ninth in the NBA in offensive rating, so it should have no problem handling a shorthanded Knicks squad on Sunday.
Dallas Mavericks vs. Milwaukee Bucks Odds, Prediction and Pick
Yes, two of the best offensive players in the NBA are facing off, but that doesn’t mean we can’t take an UNDER.
Both of these teams play a perfect style of basketball for under bettors, locking up on defense and slowing the game down.
This season, Milwaukee is No. 1 in the NBA in defensive rating, and it’s middle of the pack in pace, ranking 16th. With Khris Middleton out, the Bucks aren’t nearly as explosive on offense as they’d be at full strength.
As for Dallas, the team is No. 10 in the league in defensive rating and it plays by far the slowest pace in the league.
The Mavs are in desperate need of a win, and that may entail letting Luka work in isolation, leading to some long possessions.
If Milwaukee finds a way to at least limit Doncic, I have very little confidence in this suspect Mavericks' supporting cast to score enough to push this OVER.
Find Peter Dewey’s full betting record here.
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.