NBA: Hornets (-2) @ Pelicans $

The Playoff hopes of NO Pelicans took a hit with the news of CJ McCollum being forced into quarantine and Brandon Ingram being sidelined with a hamstring pull. Both players are likely to miss at least 7-10 days. The timing for both players could not be worse as the Pelican are currently hanging by their fingernails to 10th spot and the final play-in spot in the west.

CJ and Brandon are the two best players on a young team that simply does not have the depth to replace their production. In their absence, the Pelicans will need to rely heavily on Tony Snell and rookie Jose Alvarado to carry them through this critical stretch of their schedule. Frankly, I am not optimistic about their chances without their two best players. The good news is no team in the west seems to even want the 10th spot so “not very good” may be good enough to capture it.

The Hornets are sliding at the worst possible time of the year and are once again in danger of missing out on a playoff spot. They should be able to win this based purely on their skill level as they are, at least on paper, the much better team in this matchup.

NBA: Grizzlies (-9.5) Vs Knicks $

Lines can currently be found as high as 25:1 on the Grizzlies to win the NBA Championship this season. That seems much too high for a team that matches up well against any team in the NBA including the west leading Suns. They have one the most talented players in the league in Ja Morant. Their bench is obscenely deep and offers multiple matchup possibilities that become even more important in the playoffs. Even laying (-9.5) points at home, the Grizzlies still offer value in this matchup.

The Knicks have miraculously won three games in a row on this current road trip. Despite this recent good run of play, I am not ready to back this unreliable team, particularly in such a hostile environment like Memphis. Their current winning streak will come to an end tonight.

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Legend $$ – two unit bet $ – one unit bet

NBA odds provided by Odds Shark. Posted lines are of writing time.