We are starting out the weekend with five winners for our followers! Our NBA picks are on fire so far, so you don’t want to miss this.
Can the Lakers bounce back in AD’s second game back? Can the Knicks continue their 8 game winning streak with a win against the Raptors?
Our NBA picks have all of the answers and information you need before placing your bets on a wild Saturday of NBA action.
Toronto Raptors @ New York Knicks – 1PM ET
What better way to kick off the Saturday games with this clash? This game is going to be everything we all hoped for, as both teams are in some blistering form at the moment. The Toronto Raptors travel to Madison Square Garden to take on the New York Knicks.
While the Raptors current season record doesn’t look very promising, at 25-34, they have won their last four in a row! The recent Raptors wins includes a 114-103 victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday, a 112-106 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday, a 113-102 victory over the Orlando Magic on 4/16 and a 117-112 victory over San Antonio Spurs on 4/14.
The win against hot playoff contenders, the Brooklyn Nets, should give the Raptors some more confidence leading into this game. Pascal Siakam is proving his worth time and time again, in the previous match with the Nets, he scored an impressive 27 points. He will need to be at his best again on Saturday to take on the Knicks at home.
Believing in each other. We got us.
🎥 60 of 72 pic.twitter.com/r4WOzqS1ip
— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) April 23, 2021
Not to be outdone, the Knicks have also flexed their muscles as well. They currently have a season record of 33-27 and they are on an impressive 8 game winning streak! This includes 3 overtimes, which just shoes they know how to win when the pressure is on them. Their latest win was on Wednesday against the Atlanta Hawks, where they won in overtime 137-127.
Julius Randle has been a star player in their 8 wins on the trot, he was the highest scorer for the Knicks in 6 of their past 8 wins, scoring more than 40 points twice. If Randle can produce some of that magic again, then the Knicks are looking like a tough team to beat.
With a couple of days rest it looks like the Raptors and Knicks will both be firing on all cylinders. Earlier this month the Knicks did beat the Raptors, 102-96. Can the Knicks win again? Or will the Raptors be looking for revenge and 5 in a row? Well, we just can’t go past the Knicks and their recent form, plus if Randle is on point, it will be hard for the Raptors to win here.
NBA Pick – New York Knicks (-158)
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Philadelphia 76ers @ Milwaukee Bucks – 3:30PM ET
The 76ers and Bucks played on Thursday, with the Bucks taking home the win, 124-117. The Bucks have already beaten the 76ers twice throughout the season, so they will be coming into this game with a lot of confidence. The two teams play again at Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee.
The Philadelphia 76ers have a current season record of 39-20 and they are on a 3 game losing streak. They have had recent losses to the Bucks, Suns and Warriors. While they are in a bit of a slump, they have actually won 4 of their last 7. But they will really need to turn it around to ensure they maintain their position in the Eastern Conference.
Philadelphia has built their game around defense and it shows! They are actually the second best defensive team in the league, with a rating of 107.8. The 76ers are also first in terms of blocks, with an average of 6.3 per game, and second in terms of steals, with an average of 8.9.
Milwaukee have a current season record of 36-22 and have won 4 of their last 6. With their most recent win coming against the 76ers. The offense is where it is at with the Bucks for this season, and they are the best team in the league for points per game, at an average of 119.4.
As expected, Giannis Antetokounmpo is performing exceptionally well again this season. His star power is sometimes even beyond belief. His season average is a double-double, with 28.5 points and 11 rebounds per game, while he is also averaging 6 assists per game as well.
It should be interesting to see how this game goes, as you have one of the best defensive teams in the league (Philadelphia) against one of the best offensive teams in the league (Milwaukee). But with Milwaukee’s dominance on court, you really just can’t pick Philadelphia.
NBA Pick – Milwaukee Bucks (-330)
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Chicago Bulls @ Miami Heat – 8PM ET
The Bulls travel to Miami and face off against the Heat on Saturday night at AmericanAirlines Arena. Both the Chicago Bull and the Miami Heat will be looking for a win, after having an inconsistent April so far. With both teams being so hot and cold, they can’t afford many more losses, coming into the pointy end of the season.
The Chicago Bulls are coming off a win against the Charlotte Hornets, 108-91, and their season record is 25-34. They have played 13 games so far in April and won 6 of them, which just shows how inconsistent the team is at the moment. Unfortunately, the Bulls will be playing without their star player, Zach LaVine, due to health and safety protocols.
The Bulls really need a win against the Heat as they are currently sitting a half game behind the Washington Wizards for 10th place in the East. With LaVine out, Vucevic will really need to step up, and he has in recent games, the most recent being against the Charlotte Hornets where he led the team in scoring and rebounds, with 18 and 16 respectively.
Miami here we come 🌴 pic.twitter.com/MOOVafvOLd
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) April 23, 2021
On the other hand, the Miami Heat are coming off a loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Friday night, 118-103. This means that the Heat will not have a rest day before facing off against the Bulls in this Saturday clash. The Heat have a record of 31-29 for the season so far, and really need to string together so more wins to gain some momentum leading into the playoffs.
Adebayo has been one of the key players recently, leading the scoring and rebounding for the Heat in 2 of their last 4 games. If players like Adebayo and Butler are firing, the Bulls will certainly have their hands full on Saturday night, and with both teams desperate for a win to get some sort of momentum, we like the look of the Miami Heat to take home the win here.
NBA Pick – Miami Heat (-205)
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San Antonio Spurs @ New Orleans Pelicans – 8PM ET
Winning is everything for these two teams, as the in-play tournament is right around the corner. The Pelicans have had consistency problems all throughout the season, while the Spurs look to be coming home strong. The two teams face off on Saturday night at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans.
The Spurs have had a pretty decent run winning 5 of their last 8, putting them at a season record of 29-29. It looks like they are coming for the Grizzlies, who are currently the 8th seed. While it’s easy to say they haven’t been the best offensive or defensive team in the league, it is their tenacity that has helped them come home with some crucial wins over this season.
Everyone in the team is putting in the effort game after game, and you can see that they are clearly sharing the workload around. Derrick White in particular has been having a decent run at the moment, along with DeMar DeRozan, who has been very consistent.
The New Orleans Pelicans have a current season record of 26-33 and they have won 4 of their last 8. This is the perfect example of inconsistency that has plagued the team all throughout this season. They just don’t have the ability to string a run of wins together.
It’s surprising to see the Pelicans with this season record, seeing though they have so much talent in their squad. With players like Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram, fans and experts alike thought they would be able to do better than they currently are, sitting 11th.
We just don’t know what to expect from the Pelicans at the moment. Will they be firing on all cylinders or will they crack under the pressure. We think this will be a close game but are liking the look of the Spurs more to take home the win on Saturday night.
NBA Pick – San Antonio Spurs (+110)
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Los Angeles Lakers @ Dallas Mavericks – 8:30PM ET
The Lakers and Mavericks played just two days ago, on Thursday, where the Mavericks were victorious, 115-110. Anthony Davis was welcomed back into the side after a long stint on the sideline, thanks to injury, but it wasn’t enough to get them across the line. On the flip side, for the Mavericks, it looks like they will lose Kristaps Porzingis for this game (and potentially more) due to an ankle sprain.
The Lakers are currently sitting at 35-24, thanks to the work earlier in the season from mainly LeBron James and Anthony Davis. But with the Lakers two star players sitting on the bench due to injury for weeks, it has been a tough run of late, with April plagued with inconsistency. They have done a win-loss-win-loss pattern for the whole month, up until their last two games, where they lost both.
Even with their best two players on the sideline, they still have had some great defence. Although their offence is seriously lacking, hopefully they can turn it all around in this game when Davis plays his second game back from injury.
Final in Dallas: pic.twitter.com/LQQcuWKoa3
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) April 23, 2021
The Mavericks haven’t been playing at this best lately, but it is still enough to bring home some decent wins. Their current season record is 32-26 and they have won 4 of their last 8, with their latest win against the Lakers themselves. Dallas will need to fire up again as it is coming into the pointy end of the season and with playoffs right around the corner.
Luka Doncic is the star player for the Dallas Mavericks and he just keeps putting in performance after performance. But without his right hand man in Kristaps Porzingis, with the star power of Doncic be enough to get the Mavericks over the line?
The Lakers need something to cheer about, and with Davis back for his second game post injury, we think this is the perfect game to go all in and fight tooth and nail with the Mavericks for the win. The Los Angeles Lakers are looking for revenge on Saturday night, and we think they just might get it!
NBA Pick – Los Angeles Lakers (+108)
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*Odds and spreads correct at time of publication, courtesy of FanDuel.
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