NBA Weekend Betting Picks

The NBA wraps-up the first half of its abbreviated 66-game regular season on Thursday night ahead of this weekend’s All-Star break. Most of the preseason favorites find themselves at the top of the standings, but there have been a couple of upstarts that have bucked their preseason odds to make things interesting as well. The teams that have caught our eye are the ones that have been able to get it done on the court as well as provide a healthy return for anyone who enjoys wagering on the games.

The following is our three ‘best bets’ for the rest of this week in the NBA featuring teams that have already proven they know how to win straight-up as well as against the spread.

Los Angeles Lakers vs. Dallas Mavericks (-5)

A team from Los Angeles is leading the Pacific Division, but it is the Clippers not the Lakers at the halfway point. The Lakers’ have struggled with consistency all season long at 19-13 straight-up and are a costly 15-17 against the spread.

The defending champion Mavericks struggled through some early season adversity, but appears primed to defend their title with seven victories in their last 10 games and an overall record of 21-12 SU. Dallas has been especially profitable ATS at 20-13.

These two met in mid-January with the Lakers coming away with a 73-70 win as 3.5-point home favorites. This snapped the Mavericks four-game winning streak SU, but they are still 5-0 ATS in the last five meetings. Stick with Dallas to extend the streak to six against a Lakers’ team that is just 4-12 ATS on the road this season. The Pick: Dallas 94 Los Angeles 88

Orlando Magic (-5) vs. New Jersey Nets

Orlando has settled into its role as the second-best team in Florida with a 21-12 record SU, but it has been one of the most profitable teams in the league this season with a 19-14 record ATS. The Magic have been especially strong on the road at 9-6 SU and 10-5 ATS.

New Jersey is coming off a huge 100-96 upset of Jeremy Lin and the New York Knicks this past Monday as a nine-point road underdog. This could actually work against the Nets considering they have yet to win back-to-back games this season and are 10-24 SU (15-19 ATS) on the year.

These are the kind of games that the Magic desperately need to win if they are going to have any chance of keeping Miami in their sites in the Southeast Division. They have beaten New Jersey eight straight times, but are just 4-4 ATS. Look for Dwight Howard to come up big against a team he may very well be playing for in the not-too-distant future. The Pick: Orlando 98 New Jersey 87

San Antonio Spurs vs. Denver Nuggets (OFF)

San Antonio’s 11-game winning streak came to an end on Wednesday night in a 137-97 loss to Portland as a 4.5-point road underdog. None the less, the Spurs proved they can win on the road with a 7-1 SU and 5-2-1 ATS record in the first eight games of a brutal nine-game stretch. Overall, San Antonio is 23-10 SU and 19-13-1 ATS.

Denver is on the road on Wednesday night against the Los Angeles Clippers in a late start before returning home for Thursday night’s game, which will be its fourth in five nights. The Nuggets are 18-15 SU on the year and 19-14 ATS. They are just 9-7 SU at home and 7-9 ATS.

The advantage and motivation is clearly with San Antonio in this matchup as it is 6-1 SU against Denver in the last seven meetings and 5-2 ATS. Manu Ginobili is out for the Spurs, but the Nuggets’ injury concerns run a bit deeper with Nene list as doubtful and both Ty Lawson and Rudy Fernandez listed as day-to-day. The Pick: San Antonio 108 Denver 102