Bryan Power Sports NBA Picks

10* Iona (7:00 ET): It has not been a good year (so far) for Iona. The Gaels has a strangely “light” schedule in November and December, playing only seven games total. They’re set to double that number for January tonight as they host MAAC rival Canisius. While just 2-4 SU this month and 4-9 SU overall, Iona looks like a great play in this spot despite all their previous difficulties. Canisius has pulled three straight “small” upsets (all as dogs of +2 or less) but a fourth seems quite unlikely. 

Iona has been very poor so far at the betting window. They are 2-10 ATS overall including 1-6 as a favorite. That they continue to be favored though tells me something. Something to keep in mind is that the Gaels have played only four home games all year! Two have been one-point losses (to St. Peter’s and Niagara). So their overall (and conference) record could be a lot better. Keep in mind that while Iona is currently last in the MAAC (2-4 SU), only two games separate them from first! 

The Gaels won last Friday here at home, beating Fairfield 64-57. Unfortunately, they could not sustain that success, losing their next time out (Sunday) to Marist by a score of 83-73 (that was on the road). I think this team is ready to make a run. As for Canisius, regression seems likely. Before their string of upsets, they’d lost six in a row. They are just 3-8 SU on the road this season. The Golden Griffins shot better than 60% in their last game, which was at home, a number they won’t come close to duplicating out on the road. 10* Iona

10* New Orleans (8:05 ET): Denver, to me, is the sixth best team in the Western Conference. I thought they greatly overachieved LY in finishing 2nd. They were able to do so in large part on the strength of a league-best 13-3 SU record in games decided by three points or less. Sure enough, they are 6-3 SU in such games this season and have been as high as 2nd in the standings. But there are five other teams with better YTD point differentials and net efficiency ratings. Unlike LY, I expect the Nuggets to slowly fall down the pecking order.

New Orleans seems to be a team on the rise. We all know that Zion Williamson is now an active participant as the #1 overall draft pick made his pro debut Wednesday against San Antonio. While the Pelicans lost the game 121-117, Williamson definitely showed signs of why he was chosen #1 overall. He finished the game with 22 points including a barrage of 17 straight in the 4Q. While it ultimately wasn’t enough to win or cover, the Pelicans still are 11-5 SU the L16 games while going 13-2-1 ATS. 

I think it speaks volumes that New Orleans is favored here, given the respective WL records. Then again, the Pelicans are 2-0 SU/ATS vs. the Nuggets this year, winning on both Halloween and X-Mas, and those wins came without Zion in the lineup. Denver is off a 16-point loss the other night in Houston and dealing with multiple injuries right now, the most notables ones being Jamal Murray (ankle), Paul Milsap (knee) and Gary Harris Jr (abdominal). Those are three starters missing from lineup. Of the three, only Harris has a chance to play here, but he’s listed as questionable. Also injured are Mason Plumlee and Michael Porter Jr. 10* New Orleans

10* Over Bucks/Hornets (3:05 ET): Charlotte is not good at all, but I feel Milwaukee can “carry them” to an Over here in Paris, France. The location is the reason for the early start time, obviously and I don’t expect that either team “packed its defense.” Of course, the Bucks lead the league in scoring at 119.4 PPG and should have little difficulty scoring on a Hornets team that they already hung 137 on in a win earlier this season. The Bucks are strong defensively as well, but could “slip up” a bit in the unfamiliar environment. 

Now I realize there weren’t any defensive issues for Milwaukee in either of its last two games. They held both Brooklyn and Chicago under 100 points in a pair of victories, extending the team’s win streak to seven games and overall run to 12-1 since X-Mas. Compared to recent games, this is a really low total for the Bucks, who rarely see O/U lines below 220 pts these days. The total for that 1st meeting with the Hornets was 226 and went Over, so it’s a little surprising to see the number this low, even in Paris. 

In that first meeting, the Bucks blitzed the Hornets with 56.5% shooting en route to 137 points. It was one of the most efficient offensive performances all year from the best team in the league. Charlotte is trending in a very different direction lately as they have lost seven in a row and failed to hit 100 in the L2 losses. But I’ll call for an improved effort on the offensive end tonight. Milwaukee has gone Over in four straight games vs. sub-.500 opponents while the Over is 17-7 for Charlotte when they’re off a DD loss at home (lost 106-83 to Orlando on Sunday). 10* Over Bucks/Hornets