NBA Picks: Thanksgiving Is Coming

The group in charge of NBA scheduling leaves a blank slate for Thursday, which makes sense given the NFL has pretty much dominated Thanksgiving Day for longer than I've been alive. On that note, it is still surprising that a premier matchup in the NBA has not been scheduled to compete. Granted, Christmas Day is gifted to the "ball is life" fans like myself.

13 GAMES ON WEDNESDAY. This is the only Wednesday of the year that is essentially a Friday, given the holiday. Three games stand out, so let's get to it.

Last week: 3-1 (8-6 on the season)

Quote I regret: "There are far too many headaches and lineup rotations to mess with on the Nuggets end, all the while the four points are enough to make me feel safe with this pick."

"Safe" and "sports betting" have never gone hand-in-hand.

Trail Blazers at Cavaliers (-11.5)

Both the Trail Blazers and the Cavaliers are weak against the spread this season, which tends to point towards overvalued plays and frequent line changes, like when LeBron James rested last week, that throw a curveball at the book. The Cavaliers are the best team in the Eastern Conference, but the Trail Blazers are seeing more high-level production from Damian Lillard over the last few contests.

Terry Stotts' squad does not have an answer for LeBron James -- no team in the league really does. The answer for Kyrie Irving is the bigger question at play, given Evan Turner's minus-0.9 DBPM (defensive box plus-minus) is the worst in the NBA in three years, so the Cavs' point guard will look to exploit that at all costs. Lillard, a sub-par defender, will draw plenty of matchups with Irving, as well, and a shootout could spell disaster for the Blazers, especially if the Cavaliers dictate the pace.

The Pick: Cavs -11.5

Spurs at Hornets (-4)

The Hornets are in the midst of a downswing, while the Spurs will have mostly rested players following a narrow win over the Mavericks, which did not impress head coach Gregg Popovich. Popovich went on a postgame rant, claiming the win was pathetic, given the Mavs' current injury situation. Without digging too much into the unknown, I can only imagine an angry Gregg Popovich will spark some more energy into a team that is already 11-3 on the season.

LaMarcus Aldridge is rested. Tony Parker is rested. Kawhi Leonard is still playing at an MVP level. The Hornets just lost by 15 to the Memphis Grizzlies, making a four point spread a cake walk cover for San Antonio.

The Pick: Spurs -4

Grizzlies at 76ers (+5)

I have to admit, all I want to do is talk about Joel Embiid, the Kansas product who has been the king of social media for the last three years. The same No. 3 overall pick who once wore his own jersey out after dropping 26 points in 20 minutes; the same guy who just applied to trademark the nickname "The Process," which he gave to himself. He truly is amazing on and off the court, and he really gives the 76ers fans something to cheer for.

The stat not talked nearly enough about when it comes to Embiid's rookie campaign is his free throw shooting. Embiid is getting to the line nearly seven times per game, and converting at a healthy 77.9 percent clip. The seven attempts are particularly impressive considering he continues to operate under a strict, 24-minute restriction.

The Grizzlies were dealt two blows recently, receiving word that James Ennis will be sidelined about two weeks with a calf injury, while Tony Allen continues to be hampered by a groin injury. This shorthanded Grizzlies squad is led by Mike Conley, who is somewhat of a wildcard when it comes to scoring outbursts over the last five games. He's also managed just 4.6 assists over the same five-game sample. Both teams are 8-6 against the spread on the season, but believe it or not, the 76ers have some momentum, so we might as well ride it.

The Pick: The Process (+5)