With Thursday Night Football dominating the airwaves, the NBA doesn’t have a nationally televised matchup on tap for tonight. Each game will also tip off after 10:00 p.m. ET. But bettors looking to get some action down on professional basketball should tail these NBA picks and predictions — or check out OddsShopper’s tools for other appealing NBA odds. Let’s dive into the Nets-Trail Blazers and Pistons-Clippers predictions.
Top NBA Picks & Predictions
Nets-Trail Blazers Prediction: O/U 220.5
The Brooklyn Nets and Portland Trail Blazers will face off in Oregon tonight. The Nets have had to deal with plenty of adversity early in the season — the team has suspended Kyrie Irving, and the players have gotten frustrated with Ben Simmons. The Nets rank a pedestrian 16th in offensive rating (112). They have also played relatively slowly and rank 24th in pace. Still, the books have continued to expect plenty of points from their offense, and the Nets are just 6-9 to the over.
The books have similarly overestimated Portland’s offense output. That’s easy to do with Damian Lillard back in the lineup. The Trail Blazers rank a solid 12th in offensive rating (112.3) but play at the NBA’s second-slowest pace. Portland is just 4-8-2 to the over this season. The Trail Blazers have beaten a number set in the 220s only twice, and both of those games came against opponents that play at an above-average pace.
With a projected pace of 96 on tap for tonight, these teams would combine for 215.3 points at their current rate of scoring. Their defenses would combine to allow 213.7 points. Both of those numbers sit well below the posted total, so expect this one to stay under barring overtime.
Nets-Trail Blazers Prediction: Under 220.5 (-110 for .55 Unit)
Pistons-Clippers Prediction: Clippers -9.5
The 2022-23 season hasn’t gone as planned for the Los Angeles Clippers. Previously one of the preseason betting favorites to win the championship, the Clippers have gone only 8-7 and rank a mediocre ninth in the Western Conference. Although some books still expect them to contend for the championship, getting them at odds of 13-2 or worse before Kawhi Leonard returns to full strength isn’t smart. The Clippers rank an unremarkable 24th in net rating (-1.6).
The Clippers will play their third game in four days tonight, and their injury report reflects that reality. Paul George is questionable, and Luke Kennard is doubtful. With Leonard already on the bench, the Clippers may need to trust Norman Powell and Terance Mann with considerably larger roles than usual. The two are fine reserves, but they may struggle to cover a nearly 10-point spread.
To be fair, the Pistons haven’t played well this year. They rank 30th in both net rating (-9.6) and defensive rating (117.6). However, they have done a good job of keeping games within single-digit margins. The Pistons may have lost their last three games to the Raptors, Celtics and Knicks, but they lost each game by no more than nine points. Look for them to keep things close against an exhausted Clippers team, giving the Pistons some of the top NBA odds of the evening.
Pistons-Clippers Prediction: Pistons +9.5 (-112 for .56 Unit) at FanDuel
For more NBA picks, predictions and odds, be sure to visit the OddsShopper NBA tool.
