After a night in which two preposterous backdoor covers cost us a 3-0 record, we're back and looking to get in the win column with tonight's loaded NBA slate. The featured TNT doubleheader has the Brooklyn Nets facing the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers hosting the Milwaukee Bucks. We're specifically interested in that second game, as well as two others.
1. Phoenix Suns at Philadelphia 76ers - 8:00 p.m. ET
The Suns looked good until the final minutes of last night's win over the Chicago Bulls, as they were 7.5-point favorites and ended up winning by only three points after having a 17-point lead with just under three minutes to go. Still, Phoenix is playing really well at the moment, and the team should be able to get the job done against Philadelphia tonight. For starters, while Joel Embiid is capable of dominating any big man in the league, Deandre Ayton has a better shot at frustrating him than most other centers. Ayton has the size, quickness and understanding of angles to make this a battle in the paint when he's on defense. Phoenix also plays excellent team defense, so this group should do a nice job of containing everybody else. Then, the duo of Chris Paul and Devin Booker should continue to light it up offensively. Since the start of last season, Phoenix is 29-13 against the spread in games with lines of +3 to -3. The Suns have won those games by an average of 4.8 points per game.
THE PICK: Suns +1.5
2. Orlando Magic at Portland Trail Blazers - 10:00 p.m. ET
The Trail Blazers just traded CJ McCollum, Larry Nance Jr. and Tony Snell to the New Orleans Pelicans for a collection of players that won't be available in tonight's game — the package was headlined by Josh Hart and a protected 2022 first-round pick. With that in mind, the Blazers are left with Anfernee Simons having to shoulder the load with Damian Lillard sidelined indefinitely. Simons has been great for Portland this season, but it's a tough ask for this Blazers team to go out there and win after such a drastic shakeup. The Magic aren't exactly the greatest team in the world, but they are loaded with talented young players and should be able to go out there and get the job done tonight. Portland is 9-20 against the spread when playing as an underdog this year, while Orlando is 8-1 against the spread in road games after failing to cover in three of its past four games this season.
THE PICK: Magic -1
3. Milwaukee Bucks at Los Angeles Lakers - 10:00 p.m. ET
Over the last two seasons, the Bucks are 13-25 against the spread when playing on the road against teams that make at least 46.0% of their field goals. Milwaukee now tries to buck that trend against a Los Angeles team that is inching closer and closer to full strength. The Lakers have both LeBron James and Anthony Davis on the floor in this game, and they'll be looking to outplay Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton here. The Los Angeles duo is fully capable of doing that, especially with the way Davis has looked since returning from his injury. Look for him to take on the Giannis assignment and don't be surprised if he shows out on national television. It also helps that this game will be played in front of a wild Lakers crowd at Crypto.com Arena. Considering Los Angeles needs to start stringing together wins in order to make the postseason, you should also see a Lakers team that is hungrier than the Bucks in this one. Also, don't be surprised if Russell Westbrook ends up playing well in this game.
THE PICK: Lakers +4
