NBA picks: Blazers vs. Nuggets, Lakers vs. Rockets

With the return of the NBA there are plenty of great storylines to keep track of, but the most compelling one is the "race for number eight." In other words, the mad dash of teams that made it on the invite list that are trying to keep playing by finding their way into one of the playoff positions. In the East there isn’t much excitement, but the West has a number of different teams that can still win their way into postseason play.

Portland Trail Blazers vs. Denver Nuggets 

The team closest to the final playoff spot, but still looking at it from the outside, is the Portland Trail Blazers. On Thursday night they face off against the Nuggets, a legit contender that is using the first few games of the bubble to showcase the tremendous young talent and depth on their roster.

The Blazers have two known commodities in Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum, and as a duo they combine to make one of the best sharpshooting backcourts in the league. But what has invigorated both the roster and Portland fans alike in their restart is the presence of long-injured big man, Jusuf Nurkic. Nurkic missed 18 months with injury but in the games back from injury has been a notable post presence inside that offers the Blazers backcourt something they haven’t been able to enjoy for quite some time.

On the other side of the court, the Nuggets are the ultimate NBA case study in winning by committee. They are arguably the deepest team in the league, and have given extensive minutes to rookie Bol Bol and second-year forward Michael Porter Jr. Both players would almost certainly have been Top 5 draft picks if not for collegiate injuries, and the Nuggets are fortunate to have gotten both.

While the Nuggets have to be thrilled by the emergence of Porter and Bol, and continued good play from tenured players, the absence of normal starters Jamal Murray, Gary Harris, and Will Barton won’t help the team’s chances tonight. In a game that absolutely means more to Portland than Denver, I like the Blazers to show more aggression on both sides of the court and beat a young Nuggets roster.

NBA free pick: Portland Trail Blazers moneyline

Los Angeles Lakers vs. Houston Rockets 

In the nightcap, we’re presented with what should be an exciting matchup between two Western Conference contenders and some of the biggest stars in the game. In reality, many of the players fans might expect to watch in a playoff matchup between these teams might not see significant minutes, if any minutes at all.

The Lakers have already locked up the No. 1 seed, and while they are paid professionals and will presumably give good effort if asked to play, there is certainly a likelihood that head coach Frank Vogel won’t ask a couple of his biggest stars to play at all. Similarly, Rockets star Russell Westbrook might be sitting with a quad injury. The composition of the announced starting lineups will absolutely affect what this line goes off at, but knowing the Lakers' position in the overall standings makes me think the Rockets are the better play, especially when you factor in how listless they looked against the Thunder last night.

Even if Westbrook and fellow guard Eric Gordon sit, the Rockets have more depth on their second-team than do the Lakers. As with most LeBron-led teams, the drop-off beyond the first 7-8 players is steeper than the average NBA roster, and over the course of an entire game that should play out in the form of an advantage to the Rockets.

In addition, the Rockets want to maintain their position in at least the 6-seed, as a bottom-two spot in the conference standings would force them to face the Lakers or Clippers in the first round of the playoffs. Houston has plenty of incentive to win tonight and should come away with the victory.

NBA free pick: Rockets moneyline