NBA Betting Odds, Picks & Predictions: Sunday (2/26)

It’s the first Sunday back after the All-Star break and the NBA has put together an exciting group of matchups. Let’s take a look at the games to find some best bets.

Sunday’s Best NBA Bets

For the season, my NBA best bets have gone 20-19-2 ATS (-1.25 units)

Brooklyn Nets at Atlanta Hawks

I’m going to fade the narratives that developed after both of these teams took the court on Friday. Atlanta was methodical in dismantling a surging Cavaliers team, winning by 17. Meanwhile, Brooklyn looked hapless while falling by 44 to the Bulls. These results have been an anomaly from what we had seen from these teams recently.

In the wake of Kyrie Irving requesting a trade and the subsequent trades of Irving and Durant, the Nets had gone 5-2 ATS before the All-Star break. Although they moved two superstars they still brought back a lot of NBA talent. Defensively they’ve played well, Friday not included, while both Cam Thomas and Mikal Bridges have had huge games to make up for what they lost in scoring. Against a Hawks team that has underachieved on both sides of the floor, I like the Nets to cover the spread.

Atlanta moved on from Nate McMillan before returning from the break. Although it might make the locker room more pleasing for their stars, it won’t fix all their issues which include poor shot selection, low assist rate, and low free throw rate. Atlanta is still very much the team that is 27-33 ATS on the year including a 12-20 mark when they’re the favorite.

Brooklyn is still currently a playoff team in the East and there’s too much talent for them to just pack it in and give up on the season. I expect a bounce-back effort on Sunday against a Hawks team that is also fighting for a chance at the postseason.

Pick: 1.1u on Nets +5.5 (-110)

Los Angeles Lakers at Dallas Mavericks

This game provides a lot more intrigue than it would have a month ago. Both teams took the opportunity at the trade deadline to improve their rosters for a run at the playoffs. Although they didn’t add a superstar to play with LeBron and Anthony Davis, the Lakers may have done the most to improve their team. The results on the court since the trades have backed this up. The Lakers have been 3-1 both SU and ATS since D’Angelo Russell joined the lineup.

Dallas, on the other hand, made a splash by adding Kyrie Irving to pair up with Luka Doncic. The marriage will likely work in the long run, but it hasn’t paid off early on as the Mavericks are 3-3 both SU and ATS since Irving was added to the roster. The offense has been great but the defense is the concern with them.

The Lakers have thrived by getting the ball to the rim and shooting effectively there which doesn’t bode well for Dallas. The Mavericks are in the bottom third of the league in defensive shooting percentage around the rim and those numbers are heavily weighted prior to the Irving trade where Dallas sacrificed defense for offense.

The Lakers are poised to make a real push for the playoffs. This matchup on the road in Dallas will tell us a lot about how close they are to really making noise. I think this is a great opportunity for Los Angeles and am going to ride with them on the spread for one of my best bets.

Pick: 1.1u on Lakers +4 (-110)

Toronto Raptors at Cleveland Cavaliers

The Raptors will travel to Cleveland the night after a game in Detroit. Toronto has been winners of four straight but they’ve come against Detroit twice, Orlando, and an ailing New Orleans squad. This matchup with Cleveland will not be as kind, especially on a back-to-back.

Cleveland has been losers of three straight but they’ve come against two of the best teams in the league in Denver and Philadelphia, as well as Friday’s road loss to Atlanta. They should bounce back here against a Raptor team on no rest. The team is healthy and when they’ve been healthy they’ve been one of the best defensive squads in the league, ranking third in adjusted defensive rating.

The Cavaliers have also been exceptionally good at home compiling a 20-11-1 record ATS, 25-7 SU. I expect the defense to bounce back after a tough outing on Friday and if the offense can really get going, Cleveland should have no issue covering the spread in this really advantageous spot.

Pick: 1.09u on Cavaliers -6.5 (-109)