Seven NBA games will be played tonight, and I’m making picks for three of those contests. Will the Charlotte Hornets be able to handle a Cleveland Cavaliers team without Darius Garland? Will the Detroit Pistons take advantage of a matchup against the struggling New Orleans Pelicans’ defense? And can the Milwaukee Bucks compete with the Oklahoma City Thunder? Below are the best NBA picks & predictions for Wednesday, January 21st.
Wednesday’s Best NBA Picks & Predictions
(Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)
Cleveland Cavaliers at Charlotte Hornets
The absence of Darius Garland will significantly factor into the outcome of this game. He’s averaging 18 points per game, but he’s had two massive performances against the Hornets this season. The first time these two teams met, Garland scored 26 points, as the Hornets won 119-111 in overtime. The second time, Garland dropped 27 points, tied for the second-most on the team, as the Cavaliers won 139-132.
Though the Hornets are 7.5 games behind the Cavaliers in the standings, they’ve played them tough both games. They enter this game mostly healthy, with all five starters averaging in double figures.
The Cavaliers have struggled defensively at times this season, allowing 117.8 points per game, which ranks 21st in the league. While their fourth-ranked scoring offense has been able to bail them out a lot, I don’t expect that to be the case tonight without their second-leading scorer.
Pick: Hornets Moneyline (+124)
Detroit Pistons at New Orleans Pelicans
The Pistons haven’t scored more than 121 points in eight consecutive games, topping 110 just four times during that span. While the Pelicans have the third-worst scoring defense in the league, allowing 122.2 points per contest, I don’t expect the Pistons to top 122.5 in this great matchup.
The Pistons are averaging 117.3 points per game, and they’re one of the healthiest teams in the league entering tonight. However, they’re also favored by 9.5 points. With the Pelicans averaging just 114.9 points per game, this game could be over before halftime.
With that in mind, I expect the Pistons to utilize their bench extensively, which will keep their top scorers on the bench for the majority of the second half. This will lead to the Pistons scoring fewer than 122.5 points for the 11th time in 16 games.
Pick: Pistons Team Total Under 122.5 Points (-110)
Oklahoma City Thunder at Milwaukee Bucks
While 9.5 points may seem like a lot for a road game, the Thunder have been rolling over teams all season long. They’ve won four of their last five games, with each of those wins coming by at least 12 points. Their two road wins during that span were each by at least 20 points.
While the Bucks defeated the Hawks their last time out, they dropped their previous two games by at least 18 points, including a 33-point home loss to the Timberwolves.
The Bucks are averaging just 112.4 points per game, which is the fifth-fewest in the league. I don’t think they’re going to come anywhere near that average against the league’s best defense, which is allowing just 108 points per game. The Thunder leads the league in scoring, averaging 121.4 points per game, and they’re also averaging a 13.4-point margin of victory across all games this season.
Pick: Thunder -9.5 (-110)