NBA Betting Value Picks for Tuesday, April 9

By: Al Walsh – Follow him on Twitter @14AdotWalsh

Be sure to tune in to the NBAyd Show tonight with Gary Ayd of SB Nation. I’ll be on at around 9:20 p.m. EST on sbnationradio.com!

One night after we crowned a champion in college basketball, it’s now time to finish off the final two days of the NBA season. There’s plenty at stake in the Eastern Conference, as the Detroit Pistons, Charlotte Hornets and Miami Heat are all fighting for that final playoff spot – and the best part is that they’re all in action tonight. Let’s take a look at who could make a move in the right direction, and who could possibly fall out of the picture.

[7:10 p.m. EST] Charlotte Hornets (-8/-340 ML) at Cleveland Cavaliers – Total: 221

There’s no getting around it – the Charlotte Hornets need this game. Tomorrow night, they’ll take on the Orlando Magic, so it’s imperative for them to take care of business on Tuesday. And the Hornets likely will, as they have won seven of the last 10 games, covering the spread in eight of them.

The highest SK Trend Confidence score (25%) lies within the over in this game, as six of the last eight Cleveland Cavaliers’ games have gone in that direction. It makes sense, with the Cavs in full-on tank mode, they have allowed at least (AT LEAST!) 110 points in each of their nine losses.

[7:10 p.m. EST] Memphis Grizzlies (+10.5/+410 ML) at Detroit Pistons – Total: 209.5

If anyone finds the Detroit Pistons, can someone let them the playoffs are about to start soon? Yikes! The Pistons have completely let a golden opportunity slip right through their hands, losing seven of the last nine games, including four straight. On the other side, the Memphis Grizzlies absolutely know that they have a chance to spoil some plans for the home team. After all, the Grizz have had wins against quality teams like the Houston Rockets and Oklahoma City Thunder in recent memory.

The highest SK Trend Confidence score (30%) sits with the Grizzlies to win outright on the moneyline in this game. If that’s too much risk to handle, Memphis should easily cover that 10.5-point spread.

[9:40 p.m. EST] Houston Rockets (-2/-128 ML) at Oklahoma City Thunder – Total: 230

Believe it or not, but the Houston Rockets have a chance to grab the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference. Tonight is their final game of the regular season, and the Rockets are rolling heading into the playoffs with a 20-3 record over the last 23 games. Not to mention, James Harden and the boys have covered the spread in each of the last six games. With this being Houston’s last chance to position itself for playoff seeding, look for them to have an inspirational performance against OKC.

The Rockets’ moneyline win has the highest SK Trend Confidence score (37%) of any scenario in this game tonight.