Golden State Warriors vs. Brooklyn Nets
The Brooklyn Nets are a much better team than it was in the first two weeks of the season. Head coach Avery Johnson is a practiced and wise bench jockey. He knows how to pace an NBA roster through the rigors of a long and drawn-out regular season, having guided the Dallas Mavericks to the 2006 NBA Finals – and to the precipice of a title that would have been won if the Mavs hadn't squandered a 13-point lead in the fourth quarter of Game 3 of that series against the Miami Heat.
Brooklyn is the better, steadier team, playing at home and equipped with more size and power. Golden State recently received bad news about the health status of center Andrew Bogut. The Warriors are simply not going to be able to match up with the Nets in the five to six feet nearest the rim. This is going to be a lopsided contest, in all likelihood. Add Brooklyn to your NBA pickstonight without any reservations at all.
NB Pick: Brooklyn -6 at Pinnacle ---
Washington Wizards vs. Atlanta Hawks
You should almost always lay down some money against the Wizards when they're on the road. It's actually a very easy call: Washington has not yet won a road game this season. The Wizards' only two wins have come on their home floor, and it's going to take not just a strong outing by Washington in order for the NBA's worst team to win a road game; the opponent will have to play very poorly as well. The Wizards' margin for error is so small to begin with, but the opposition must cooperate to a considerable extent.
The other point to keep in mind about this game is that Washington has done something impressive and improbable this week: It has beaten the defending champion Miami Heat. Washington treated that game as its NBA Finals for the year, and so the Wizards are likely spent on an emotional level. They are not likely to get up for this contest. Atlanta should romp.
NBA Pick: Atlanta -9 at Bwin push
Chicago Bulls vs. Detroit Pistons
When these two teams meet on Friday, the advantage will probably lie with the Bulls. Chicago is a struggling team without Derrick Rose, but the Bulls regularly play great defense under the leadership of head coach Tom Thibodeau. Detroit has been a better team in recent weeks than it was at the beginning of November, but a home-court loss to Golden State earlier this week might indicate that the Pistons' forward push is now going to stall a little bit. Chicago doesn't always bring a good shooting touch or a deft scorer to the building.
The Bulls are very much an incomplete group without Rose. They don't have the kinds of players who can generate offense out of nothing. Yet, on just about every night save for the occasional travel-induced "dead leg" game that every NBA team has, the Bulls generally do throw down their best defensive effort. They're so good at making teams work on every possession. Chicago can grind down Detroit with defense, so one should be inclined to go with the Bulls on Friday night inside The Palace of Auburn Hills.
NBA Pick: Chicago -2 at Bovada +++
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