NBA predictions and picks: Lakers vs. Pelicans, Nets vs. Heat, Feb. 15
We split our two NBA picks against the spread on Tuesday, even though it didn’t come in the order you might expect: the Magic (+7.5) blew a five-point halftime lead to lose by 10, while the Celtics (+8.5) kept it close with one of the worst starting lineups they’ll trot out all season long.
Hopefully we see a little more talent on the court on Wednesday, which is loaded with 10 games on the betting menu. We’ve got our eyes on a couple of underdogs with upset potential and a surprise favorite across from arguably the most hapless team in the league.
Here are our favorite bets to make at BetMGM for Wednesday’s action:
- Hornets -7.5 vs. Spurs
- Heat +1.5 @ Nets
- Pelicans +4.5 @ Lakers
Hornets vs. Spurs prediction and analysis (7:00 p.m. ET)
Look, I’ll be the first to admit: I don’t feel great about this at first blush. All of the alarm bells are going off in my head about laying this many points on a Hornets team that’s won just 16 games all season.
With that said: have you seen just how bad the Spurs have been this year? Since Jan. 1, San Antonio is an abysmal 2-20 straight up (8-14 against the spread) and has been outscored by 12.7 points per game. It’s even worse on the road, where Gregg Popovich’s group has lost all 12 of its games (4-8 ATS) by an average of 16 points.
That has largely coincided with the absence of rising star Devin Vassell (knee), who joins upstart guard Tre Jones (foot) on the bench for Wednesday’s contest. Charlotte isn’t a good team by really any stretch, but it should be able to take care of business here.
Hornets vs. Spurs pick
- Hornets -7.5 (BetMGM)
Nets vs. Heat prediction and analysis (7:30 p.m. ET)
Are we sure the right team is favored here? While neither of these rosters are particularly inspiring amid the injuries on the Heat’s side, this still feels like too much respect for a gutted Nets rotation that hasn’t yet earned it.
Since Feb. 1, Brooklyn has won just two of seven games and ranks 28th in net rating (-9.3) over that seven-game stretch, which started with a 43-point loss to the Celtics to open the month. That was the last game with Kyrie Irving on the team; since then, the team is 2-4 outright after Monday’s 18-point loss to the Knicks, which marked the Nets’ fourth-worst loss all year.
So what, exactly, is changing ahead of Wednesday’s tilt? Miami isn’t at full strength, but it’s still won three of its last four games after Monday’s narrow loss to the West-leading Nuggets. Don’t be surprised if the Heat win this one outright.
Nets vs. Heat pick
- Heat +1.5 (BetMGM)
Betting on the NBA?
Lakers vs. Pelicans prediction and analysis (10:00 p.m. ET, ESPN)
It’s tempting to fade the Pelicans into oblivion until Zion Williamson (hamstring) returns to the court, but that would be underselling what we’ve seen from this group over the last couple of weeks.
Yes, New Orleans lost 10 straight from Jan. 16 to Feb. 2, which largely coincided with Williamson and fellow star Brandon Ingram (toe) watching from the sidelines. But this has been a different team as of late: the Pelicans have won four of their last five games, and Ingram has not-so-coincidentally averaged 31 points in that stretch after scoring fewer than 30 points in 18 of his previous 19 games to start the season.
I expect we’ll see another inspired effort from Ingram against his former team, which is facing injury issues of its own with LeBron James (ankle) and Anthony Davis (foot) both questionable. The Lakers have dropped four of their last five games and are shaky favorites at best in this spot.
