NBA Picks (August 6th)

Back to back 4-2 days and I still haven’t had a losing record for even a single day since my pick series started, which honestly makes 4-2 feel like a disappointment. My overall record now stands at 27-7. Here are my picks for today’s slate of games. I’m feeling pretty good about these. There’s a lot of close lines, so at least a few of these games should be close, competitive and entertaining.

Pelicans -4.5 over Kings

Zion Williamson’s minutes restriction gets more lenient by the game, which bodes well for a matchup against the Kings who don’t have any true rim protector or defensive body capable of giving him a serious challenge. The Kings continue to look like one of the two or three worst teams in the bubble and the Pelicans are in must-win territory as the battle for the 8-seed in the Western Conference continues to get more and more interesting.

Heat +9 over Bucks

Despite their difficult schedule, the Heat have been playing well so far in the bubble. The same can’t be said about the Bucks. Milwaukee doesn’t need to try all that hard though with the top seed in the conference wrapped up for all intents and purposes. The Heat, on the other hand, still have aspirations of chasing down the Celtics for the 3-seed and a well rested Jimmy Butler should help keep things competitive against Milwaukee.

Suns +2.5 over Pacers

It’s a battle between two of the hottest bubble phenoms: TJ Warren and the Phoenix Suns. The looming threat of a TJ Warren revenge game is an enticing subplot, but just not enticing enough. The Suns won’t take Warren lightly and have enough to throw at him defensively to make things semi-difficult. Phoenix is legit. Their win against the Clippers proved that. Even if Warren plays lights out again, the Suns still have the scoring punch to keep up with him.

Clippers -4 over Mavericks

It took everything Luka Doncic could muster for Dallas to squeak by the Kings in overtime in their last game. They haven’t played well in the bubble and the Clippers will be looking for a bounce back game after falling to the Suns in dramatic fashion.

Nuggets +4 over Trail Blazers (Bet of the Day)

The Nuggets continue to be disrespected with these games. It’s perplexing. They beat the Thunder despite being underdogs, they covered against the Spurs and yet they’re underdogs again against Portland? This is another easy one. I’d like to personally thank the oddsmakers for helping my bank account with these Nuggets lines.

Lakers -1.5 over Rockets

The Lakers got blown out by the Thunder and will probably by looking to avenge such a brutal loss against the Rockets on the 2nd night of a back to back. Houston’s defensive strategy worked (more or less) against Anthony Davis the first time they faced off against him in their post-center playing era, but the Lakers will likely be more well prepared for Houston’s defensive parlor tricks after seeing them once already.

Photo: (Barry Gossage/NBAE via Getty Images)