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NBA Betting Lines, Odds & Picks for Saturday
Kings at Magic Prediction
The only game on Saturday’s slate that doesn’t feature at least one team on a back-to-back is between the Sacramento Kings and Orlando Magic. I know, what a stinker of a game this is, but that doesn’t mean we can’t analyze the matchup and make a good bet on what will happen. The Kings are a miserable 2-5 to begin the season, but that isn’t anything new for this hard-luck franchise. They have struggled on defense this season, giving up a whopping 116 points per game. That’s bottom-10 in the NBA. They have a below-average offensive attack as well, scoring 113 points per game, so it isn’t hard to see why they continue to lose.
Orlando is coming off a massive upset against the Warriors, a team I haven’t been that impressed with this season. Still, Orlando hasn’t been good overall. They scored a ridiculous 130 points against Golden State, but on the season, they are one of the worst offenses in the league. Of course, they did well against a bad Golden State defense, so maybe they can do the same against a bad Sacramento one.
PICK: This is a gross game between two awful teams. It’s looking like De’Aaron Fox will play in this game, so that makes me want to take the Kings spread here. He’ll be the best player on the court, and maybe some people will be all over the Magic after their win the other night. Sacramento is 5-2 against the spread, while Orlando is just 3-5-1 ATS.
Celtics at Knicks Prediction
The rivalry between the Boston Celtics and New York Knicks heats up on Saturday in what should be one of the better games of the day. Both teams will be on the second game of a back-to-back so no one will have a rest advantage here. Boston has started the season pretty well, but maybe not as well as some may have hoped, going 5-3 and scoring 116.0 points per game, a top-10 number in basketball.
The Knicks haven’t been great to start the year, but I wouldn’t say they have been bad. They are giving up almost the same amount of points as they are scoring. Unfortunately, that seems to be what this team is. They are an average group that doesn’t really impress, and I don’t think that changes.
PICK: Both teams are on a back-to-back, but I’ll take the better team here, and that is Boston. The Celtics are much more talented, and I think their offense may overwhelm New York.
Trail Blazers at Suns Prediction
It’s tough to know how a team will perform on the second night of a back-to-back, but that is what we are working with today. Almost every team on the board played on Friday, and these two teams played in this same matchup. Damian Lillard remains out as of this writing, which hurts the Trail Blazers. His scoring ability has helped them get out to such a fast start. The defense has been solid, ranking top-15 in the NBA, and they will need to play that way tonight if they want to win in Phoenix.
The Suns have been the best team in the NBA to begin the year in my opinion. Some will say the Bucks, but from what I have seen so far, I really like what Phoenix has brought to the table. They have been nearly unstoppable on offense, scoring over 117 points per game, and the defense has been lockdown as well, allowing under 108 points per game. Devin Booker has been phenomenal this season, and he’ll lead the charge again tonight. That is unless there is a last-second scratch, which happens every night in the NBA.
PICK: The status of Lillard is still up in the air, so it is hard to make a pick here without knowing if the Trail Blazers’ star will suit up. However, I’ll take Portland plus the points if he’s active. Playing each other twice in two days gives me the advantage when I’m getting some points rather than laying them.
