NBA Picks: Suns and Warriors Will Continue Championship Ascents

Eric Uribe
By , Updated on: Apr 9, 2024 08:00 PM
NBA Picks: Suns and Warriors Will Continue Championship Ascents

There will be no busier night for 2021 NBA betting odds than Wednesday. That's how this works every year. With the NFL dominating the Thanksgiving Day sporting slate, the NBA loads up their schedule the night before. This year, 26 of the league's 30 teams are in action, including a handful of squads with the best betting odds to win the NBA Finals.

With so many games on tap, we'll be looking to cover only the most marquee matchups. You better believe, however, our NBA picks will cover the Phoenix Suns and Golden State Warriors continuing their championship-level ascents.

First, though, let's take a look at all of the latest NBA betting odds ahead of Wednesday night's action, courtesy of BetOnline:

FavoriteBetOnlineBetOnlineUnderdog
Phoenix Suns-290+235Cleveland Cavaliers
Charlotte Hornets-340+275Orlando Magic
Indiana Pacers-122+104Los Angeles Lakers
Brooklyn Nets-112-104Boston Celtics
Milwaukee Bucks-1400+830Detroit Pistons
Miami Heat-126+108Minnesota Timberwolves
Washington Wizards-154+130New Orleans Pelicans
Chicago Bulls-390+310Houston Rockets
Memphis Grizzlies-178+150Toronto Raptors
Utah Jazz-900+610Oklahoma City Thunder
Atlanta Hawks-176+148San Antonio Spurs
Golden State Warriors-590+440Philadelphia 76ers
Portland Trail Blazers-142+118Sacramento Kings

Remember to double-check all NBA betting odds prior to settling on any of your NBA picks. These NBA moneyline odds will continue moving until the opening tip. Also, if you find yourself in need of an odds provider, we have the best online sportsbook reviews in the business.

Are the Suns and Warriors Co-NBA Title Favorites?

The Suns and Warriors are two of the hottest teams in the NBA. Phoenix has won 13 straight games entering Wednesday, while Golden State continues to sport the league's best record and defense.

Naturally, our NBA betting picks will get into their respective matchups. The Warriors are facing the Philadelphia 76ers while the Suns will square off against the Cleveland Cavaliers. After that, we'll tackle what's left of our best NBA bets ahead of Wednesday's monster slate.

Phoenix Takes Advantage of Shorthanded Cleveland Team

The Suns have not lost a game in nearly a month. There's no reason to believe that changes now.

Not only are Chris Paul and Devin Booker on fire over the past few weeks, but Phoenix will be meeting a Cleveland team that's missing Evan Mobley and Collin Sexton, two of their four best players. 

Make no mistake, the Cavs deserve respect. They have been banged up this season and played out the NBA's hardest schedule. Seldom are they pushovers when shorthanded. But, well, they are shorthanded. And the Suns remain one of the NBA's three top title contenders. You do the math.

OSB Prediction: Phoenix Suns (-290)

Phoenix Suns To beat the Cleveland Cavaliers
-290
BetOnline

Golden State Topples Philadelphia

At first glance, the Warriors odds over the Sixers seem a little ludicrous. Sure, they won't have Joel Embiid or Ben Simmons, but they've still cobbled together some nice victories and currently rank third in points scored per possession.

Of course, this means more when you're not going up against the best team in the NBA. And that's exactly what the Warriors are this season. Stephen Curry is an MVP favorite, they are first in points allowed per possession, they boast the league's top half-court offense, and their rotation goes 10 to 12 replacement-level players deep.

To say the Sixers don't stand a chance feels a little cruel. It's also accurate.

OSB Prediction: Golden State Warriors (-590)

Golden State Warriors To beat the Philadelphia 76ers
-590
BetOnline

Lakers Rebound Against Pacers

We have not endorsed many bets on the Los Angeles Lakers this season—and for good reason. They are a dumpster fire of injuries and awkward-fitting personnel. 

Keeping with that theme, this matchup with the Indiana Pacers is normally one we wouldn't touch with a 10-foot pole. The Lakers will be on the second night of a back-to-back and fresh off a letdown against the New York Knicks. This screams "Schedule loss!"

Then again, LeBron James was suspended for Tuesday's game against the Knicks, which means he should be available Wednesday in Indiana. That's a huge boon for a Lakers half-court offense that stinks without him. And given how much the Pacers have struggled at both ends this season, we're okay rolling with Los Angeles in this one.

OSB Prediction: Los Angeles Lakers (+104)

Los Angeles Lakers To beat the Indiana Pacers
+104
BetOnline

Brooklyn Etches Out Victor Over Boston

Though the Brooklyn Nets are not the championship formalities everyone made them out to be during the preseason, they are starting to figure things out. 

Kevin Durant is a top-three MVP candidate, and James Harden is starting to play like a superstar again. The defense has also been much better than expected, even with an iffy frontcourt rotation and spotty presence on the boards.

Perhaps the Boston Celtics piece together one of their trademark victories. We wouldn't bet on it. Their offense remains maddeningly inconsistent, and Jaylen Brown only just rejoined the rotation after contracting COVID-19.

OSB Prediction: Brooklyn Nets (-112)

Brooklyn Nets To beat the Boston Celtics
-112
BetOnline

Atlanta Stays on Fire vs. San Antonio

The Atlanta Hawks are on one of the NBA's weirdest trajectories. They started off the season scorching hot, then plummeted into a long losing streak, and now they're back to playing fiery basketball.

Winners of five in a row, the Hawks have a great chance of picking up their sixth straight victory. The San Antonio Spurs still lack real offensive structure in the half-court, and their defense has recently been on a slide.

In fact, don't be surprised if Atlanta takes this one by double digits.

OSB Prediction: Atlanta Hawks (-176)

Atlanta Hawks To beat the San Antonio
176
BetOnline

Check out this list of the top online sportsbooks so you can decide which one to use for all your NBA betting:

Meet the author

Eric Uribe

Eric has been passionate about sports since he was 10 years old. He brings over 10 years of sports journalism experience to his expert coverage of sports betting. Hailing from the US, Eric leverages his diverse expertise covering sports at all levels – from high sch...

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