Top NBA Betting Picks of the Week – February 18th Edition

There is about a third of the regular season remaining for the National Basketball Association, and now that we are past the trade deadline, rosters are basically set for the remainder of the campaign. In the Eastern Conference, the Milwaukee Bucks lead the standings with a 43-14 record, a game ahead of Toronto, although the Raptors are rolling on a six-game winning streak. The Orlando Magic are making a push for the playoffs, winners of five in a row and seven of ten, and they are now just a half-game out of the eighth slot — and one game out of the seventh. In the Western Conference, Golden State still leads the standings, ahead of Denver by two games and Oklahoma City by four. The leaders as far as tanking for next season go are the Phoenix Suns, who have now dropped 15 in a row. Take a look at our NBA betting picks from pro basketball for the week ahead, after league play resumes at the end of the All-Star break.

Top NBA Betting Picks of the Week – February 18th Edition

Our NBA weekly Power Rankings ‼️ pic.twitter.com/wGGuF7jE20

— Sports Daily United (@sdumultimedia) 18 de febrero de 2019

Thursday, February 21

Miami at Philadelphia (7:00pm ET)

The Miami Heat picked up a win just before the All-Star break, ending a three-game skid in Dallas with a 112-101 win on February 13. Dwyane Wade led the Heat with 22 points off the bench. Josh Richardson started the second half by scoring six of the team’s first eight points as the Heat went on a 12-point run that would put them ahead for good. He ended up with 14 points on the night, as Dion Waiters added 20 points. Justise Winslow scored 11 points and pulled down 11 boards. Overall, seven players had double figures, with James Johnson (12), Kelly Olynyk (10) and Bam Adebayo (10) also contributing for the win. Now the Heat continue their road trip in Philadelphia, winners of three of their last four going into the break. They lost a big game to Boston by three but rebounded with a 15-point win in New York over the Knicks on February 13. Joel Embiid put up 26 points and 14 rebounds, Tobias Harris had 25 points, and Ben Simmons added 18. Philadelphia opened the game going 14 for 18 from the floor in the first quarter, but poor rebounding made the margin just fourpoints. The Sixers went into the locker room up 16, and cruised the rest of the way. Can they knock off the Heat? With their supercharged starting five, Philadelphia should win. NBA Betting Prediction: Philadelphia 121, Miami 116

Boston at Milwaukee (8:00pm ET, TNT)

The Boston Celtics responded to a bad pair of home losses to the Lakers and Clippers with a big win in Philadelphia and an eight-point win at home over Detroit on February 13. The Pistons went into halftime up by five, bt the Celtics were able to put together a comeback and deliver the win, as Jayson Tatum had 19 points, and Gordon Hayward scored 18 points, pulling down five rebounds and dishing out eight assists in his first start since December 21. Al Horford had 17 points, 14 boards and eight assists, and Jaylen Brown added 17 points and seven rebounds. Now the Celtics have won seven of nine — despite having Kyrie Irving (knee) on the bench. He remains day-to-day coming out of the break, so check injury updates before locking in a wager on this game. Milwaukee has won eight of nine, with their most recent loss coming in a 20-point home setback against Orlando, followed by wins in Chicago and Indiana. They beat the Pacers on February 13, as Giannis Antetokounmpo put the team on his back in the fourth period, bringing the Bucks back from a 10-point deficit and putting up 33 points, 19 board and 11 assists, for his fifth triple-double of the season. In the fourth quarter, he put up 12 points, going 4 for 6, pulling down six boards and dishing out three assists. Are the Bucks ready for one of the hottest teams in the East? The Bucks are just about as hot themselves right now, and they get this game at home. NBA Betting Prediction: Milwaukee 112, Boston 109

Houston at L.A. Lakers (10:30pm ET, TNT)

The Rockets dropped two of three going into the All-Star break, losing at home to Oklahoma City, then beating Dallas at home, before losing in Minnesota, 121-111, on February 13, despite getting 42 points from James Harden. That gave Harden 31 consecutive games with 30 or more points, but it was not enough to get the win, as Minnesota outscored the Rockets by 34 points in the paint. Houston hopes that center Clint Capela (thumb) can return against the Lakers, but you’ll want to check injury reports before putting down your bet on this game. The Lakers followed up their one-point win in Boston with a 23-point loss in Philadelphia and a four-point loss in Atlanta, as the team has now dropped four of five. The loss was an ugly one down the stretch, as the two teams combined for 35 points in the fourth period, combining to go 11 for 41 from the floor and 3 for 18 from downtown. LeBron James put up a triple-double, but Rajon Rondo turned the ball over six times, and the team struggled to get stops against one of the East’s worst teams. NBA Betting Prediction: Houston 124, Los Angeles 118