Tuesday's NBA Betting Picks!

Hoop Hopes – Ricky Rothstein makes his picks for tonight’s NBA action!

Brooklyn at Toronto
Jason Kidd’s first job as a head coach isn’t going very well. Brooklyn is 3-10 at the bottom of the Atlantic Division, the weakest division in the NBA, and is on a five game losing streak. Not only that, the Nets’ best player, Brook Lopez, and point guard Deron Williams are on the inactive list. The Nets made a big trade with the Celtics for veterans Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett, but they’ve just looked old and lost on the floor.

Tonight, the Nets are at Toronto, the team that tops that Atlantic Division with a not-that-impressive 6-7 record. The Raptors are getting good production from center Jonas Valanciunas and point guard Rudy Gay, but Toronto really isn’t a good team. The total is set at 190 and, low though 190 is as a total, the under is the clever play here.
Hoop Hope 1 | Under 190 points

LA Lakers at Washington
The Lakers are a tougher proposition this year than a lot of people expected. The Lakers only appear to be playing badly because they’re a team who are expected to be in contention to win it all, every year. They won’t be doing that this year, but they’re a 50/50 proposition to be good enough to visit your court and kick your butt.

As Washington may be about to find out. John Wall is playing great for the Wizards right now but his backcourt partner, shooting guard Bradley Beal, is out for two weeks with a leg injury. Wall will miss him and, with the Wizards having one eye on a trip to Milwaukee tomorrow night, the Lakers can take advantage.
Hoop Hope 2 | LA Lakers +4.5

Golden State at New Orleans
Golden State is on a tough mission at New Orleans. The Warriors are on a three game losing streak, and have their woes added to by the loss of two key men. Andre Iguodala is on the inactive list with a strained hamstring, while center Andrew Bogut is on a one-game suspension after getting involved in a row during Golden State’s loss to Portland over the weekend.

How much will Iguodala and Bogut’s absence affect the Warriors? Tonight, that depends on New Orleans’ Anthony Davis. The sophomore forward is showing the potential to be The Man in coming years, but right now he’s a little inconsistent in his play. If he turns it on tonight, Golden State are cooked. With Bogut and Iguodala missing, the stage is set for Davis.
Hoop Hope 3 | New Orleans +2.5

Follow Ricky Rothstein’s Hoop Hopes every night – he’s 18-13 ATS for the season so far!