NBA Picks March 10: Oklahoma City Hosts Denver in Western Conference Battle

The NBA regular season is down to the final five weeks, and most teams are still in playoff contention. There is a full slate of games for Monday, March 10. I will examine five games with two top teams in the Western Conference battling it out in the featured game.

Denver Nuggets versus Oklahoma City Thunder

The Thunder come in with the best record in the Western Conference and the Nuggets are third. Oklahoma City is “burning hot” versus “average” on the Team Strength Oscillator and +26 to +24 on the Power Ranks Indicator. The teams are trending in games on opposite sides of the “over/under” line and the score prediction is 119-116 in favor of the Thunder with 72 percent confidence. The Thunder has a +12.7 to +5.1 scoring differential edge and 26-4 at home versus 19-13 on the road for the Nuggets. The teams split the previous two games this season in Denver. Both teams are showing great stability as seen by the Team Volatility Oscillator. I like the Thunder at home but pass on the “over/under” bet.

Utah Jazz versus Boston Celtics

Here are two teams on opposite sides of the coin. Boston is second in the Eastern Conference and Utah has the worst record in the Western Conference. The Celtics are “burning hot” versus “dead” on the Team Strength Oscilator and +27 to +1 on the Power Ranks Indicator. Boston is 21-11 at home and Utah is 7-23 on the road. The scoring differential edge for Boston is +8.7 to -7.3, while the teams have been trending “over” the line with a score prediction of 127-111 in favor of the Celtics with 74 percent confidence. The Celtics won both games last season between the teams by a combined 45 points. I see a similar result this time. Go with the Celtics by double digits in a game “over” the line.

Indiana Pacers versus Chicago Bulls

The Bulls are hanging on to the 10th spot in the Eastern Conference and the Pacers are sixth. Both teams are 3-3 over the last six with Chicago “average” versus “average down” on the Team Volatility Oscillator. The teams are trending in games on opposite sides of the “over/under” line. The Pacers are 15-16 on the road while the Bulls are a mere 11-22 at home. Indiana has a scoring differential edge of +1.4 to -4.2 and won the previous three games between the teams this season by an average of 13 points. There is little to indicate this game will be any different. I like the Pacers by double digits in a game “over” the line.

Dallas Mavericks versus San Antonio Spurs

The Mavericks are 10th in the Western Conference and the Spurs are on the outside of the playoff picture looking in. The teams are a combined 3-9 over the last 12 and the Spurs are “ice cold up” versus “dead” on the Team Strength Oscillator. The teams have been involved in games “over” the line recently after a previous stretch of games “under” and the score prediction is 119-111 in favor of the Spurs with 56 percent confidence. San Antonio has been more consistently playing regarding their favorite/underdog status. They have a solid 15-14 home record versus 13-18 on the road for the Mavericks. Dallas dominated the previous two games between the teams and I expect little difference in this one. Go with the Mavericks in a game “over” the line.

New York Knicks versus Sacramento Kings

The Knicks are 3rd in the Eastern Conference with a solid lead over the Milwaukee Bucks while the Kings sit 9th in the Western Conference. New York is “average down” versus “average” on the Team Volatility Oscillator and +23 to +15 on the Power Ranks Indicator. Despite the teams playing in mainly games “under” the line, the Score Prediction has a total of 236 points with the Kings in an upset with 74 percent confidence. The Knicks are 19-11 on the road the Kings are 15-14 at home. The Knicks won by 23 points in the first meeting between the teams. As much as I’d like to pick an upset, there is little pointing towards the Kings in this one. I like the Knicks in a game “over” the line.