NBA on TNT Thursday Night Basketball: Free Picks & Previews

It’s not the Celtics and Cavaliers or the Lakers and Mavericks, but a couple young and exciting teams play a couple playoff bound clubs, and the hoops should be entertaining on TNT. The Bulls aren’t healthy, and they traded away some quality players for nothing at the break, so the only reason to watch them is Derrick Rose. The kid can play. The Magic are one of the East’s best, and they have been on their game lately. The late game will be full of buckets as the Blazers head to Golden State to play the Warriors. Any game in Golden State is entertaining, and this one should be no different.

Chicago Bulls @ Orlando Magic (3-11: 8:00 PM ET – TNT): The odds aren’t out late on Wednesday Night, so I’ll just have to give you a prediction for you to go by. The Bulls have given up 100 or more points in 8 straight games, losing 6 of those and their last 5 in a row. Those were all in Chicago, and now they head on the road where they are just 12-19 on the year. Oh, and Orlando is their destination. The Magic have just 6 home losses this season and are coming off 6 straight wins and playing their best team ball of the season. I’ll take the Magic over the Bulls, 106-92.

Portland Trailblazers @ Golden State Warriors (3-11: 10:30 PM ET – TNT): Again, there aren’t odds out for this game yet, so all I can do is give you a prediction and a reason, and you can decide based on that. The Warriors have played well against the spread, and despite their 17-46 record they’ve managed a 35-27-1 ATS record. But the Blazers are the better team, and lately they’ve played well against run and gun opponents, winning at Memphis and Toronto, and keeping up with Denver until late. The Warriors play their best ball at home, but the Blazers have been money on the road of late. I’ll take the Blazers over the Warriors, 110-97.