(Today’s installment of your faithful reporter’s quest to prognosticate all 1,230 NBA regular-season games this season.)

Warriors (7-16) at Nuggets (15-7), 6:05 p.m.
Pick: Warriors +15
Hey, the Warriors’ reserves trim the fat off a lead like nobody’s business. And after three quarters tonight, there’ll be plenty of fat to trim.

Cavaliers (20-3) at Hawks (13-9), 4:05 p.m.
Pick: Cavaliers -4
This team’s so good, they’re going to keep Wally Szczerbiak around just for the sake of chemistry. Hell, if the Cowboys were winning this much, even T.O. would be happy.

Pistons (12-9) at Bobcats (7-16), 4:05 p.m.
Pick: Pistons -1.5
Could the Bobcats bolt Charlotte and beat the Grizzlies to Seattle?

Wizards (4-16) at 76ers (9-14), 4:35 p.m.
Pick: 76ers -5.5
Prediction: Louis Williams and (maybe) Andre Iguodala are gone by the trade deadline as the 76ers look to find players more suited to Elton Brand’s tempo.

Nets (11-10) at Bulls (10-12), 5:35 p.m.
Pick: Nets +4
The problem with teams on a rough patch (Chicago: 0-for-its-last-5 ATS) is that you can justify picking with the trend or against it (hey, the law of averages says…) with equal ease.

Thunder (2-21) at Mavericks (12-9), 5:35 p.m.
Pick: Thunder +12.5
No truth to the rumor that, if the Sooners’ Sam Bradford wins the Heismann Trophy, Scott Brooks will be forced by the state Legislature to start him at 2 guard.

Pacers (7-15) at Bucks (9-15), 5:35 p.m.
Pick: Bucks -4.5
In the battle of “Who puts up the most stats with the least amount of impact in the NBA?” it’s a real toss-up: Milwaukee’s Charlie Villanueva and Indianapolis’ Troy Murphy are both in the Top 10.

Magic (17-6) at Jazz (15-9), 6:05 p.m.
Pick: Jazz -5.5
There is no rougher back-to-back in the NBA than one that ends on the road in Salt Lake.

Knicks (10-12) at Kings (6-17), 7:05 p.m.
Pick: Knicks -1
How hilarious will it be if Kevin Johnson is sitting in the mayor’s office when the Maloofs take the Kings to Vegas?

Rockets (15-8) at Clippers (5-17), 7:35 p.m.
Pick: Rockets -4
Do you think Marcus Camby seethes inside whenever he watches the Nuggets on TV?

Yesterday: 3-7-1
Season record: 162-170-4

– Geoff

(Today’s installment of your faithful reporter’s quest to prognosticate all 1,230 NBA regular-season games this season.)

Rockets (14-8) at Warriors (7-15), 7:35 p.m.
Pick: Rockets -1.5
Ronny Turiaf is questionable with flu-like symptoms. The Warriors’ chances without him to go up against Yao Ming are not questionable: Zero.

Raptors (9-12) at Nets (11-9), 4:35 p.m.
Pick: Nets -2.5
One victory for Jay Triano is quite enough, thank you.

Hawks (12-9) at Heat (12-9), 4:35 p.m.
Pick: Heat -2.5
Josh Smith looks more and more like a guy who came back too early from a nagging injury. That gives him one thing he has in common with Corey Maggette.

76ers (9-13) at Cavaliers (19-3), 4:35 p.m.
Pick: 76ers +10.5
No Boobie, no Z. Even LeBron needs some help, or didn’t last season’s playoffs teach us anything?

Bulls (10-11) at Grizzlies (7-15), 5:05 p.m.
Pick: Bulls -2
The Bulls are 0-4 ATS since Derrick Rose broke Andre Miller’s ankles. Apparently, that move was so good it actually offended the basketball deities.

Pacers (7-14) at Pistons (11-9), 5:05 p.m.
Pick: Pacers +6
I keep wondering how the integration of AI would be working if the Pistons had a veteran coach at the helm. Because I don’t think having a contemporary to Iverson is getting it done. It’s too easy for Iverson to go, “I killed this fool on the court how many times? And now he wants to boss me around?”

Hornets (12-6) at Celtics (21-2), 5:05 p.m.
Pick: Hornets +7
Only 18 games played so far? Man, those fantasy teams with Chris Paul that are already in first place are pretty much set, no?

Spurs (13-8) at Timberwolves (4-17), 5:05 p.m.
Pick: Spurs -8.5
It’s Ginobili’s turn to drop 55 on Minny.

Magic (17-5) at Suns (13-10), 6:05 p.m.
Pick: Magic +1
Dwight Howard (probable), Shaquille O’Neal (doubtful)? That’s all you needed to say.

Clippers (4-17) at Trail Blazers (15-9), 7:05 p.m.
Pick: Trail Blazers -8.5
The first 10,000 fans receive a free Zach Randolph commemorative mug shot.

Kings (6-16) at Lakers (18-3), 7:35 p.m.
Pick: Lakers -16.5
Because Nicholson demands payback.

Yesterday: 1-2
Season record: 159-163-3

– Geoff

(Today’s installment of your faithful reporter’s quest to prognosticate all 1,230 NBA regular-season games this season.)

Celtics (20-2) at Wizards (4-15), 5:05 p.m.
Pick: Celtics -10.5
I love Caron Butler, but 4.4 assists per game should never be good enough to lead an NBA team.

Bobcats (7-15) at Mavericks (11-9), 5:35 p.m.
Pick: Mavericks -13.5
I really didn’t want to take both double-digit favorites, but 1) shorthanded, 2) second half of an all-road back-to-back and 3) the fact that they’re the Bobcats all led me to this decision.

Trail Blazers (15-8) at Jazz (14-9), 7:35 p.m.
Pick: Trail Blazers +3
I didn’t realize this . . . 15 of Portland’s first 22 were on the road? Holy crap, this could be your No. 2 seed behind the Lakers.

Yesterday: 5-4
Season record: 158-161-3

– Geoff

(Today’s installment of your faithful reporter’s quest to prognosticate all 1,230 NBA regular-season games this season.)

Bucks (9-14) at Warriors (6-15), 7:35 p.m.
Pick: Warriors -1.5
One of the league’s worst-shooting teams (the Bucks are 27th at 43.3 percent) against the league’s absolutely worst defensive rebounding team (the Warriors grab 66.3 percent). If you have Andrew Bogut on your fantasy team, you should definitely think about playing him tonight.

Pacers (7-13) at Raptors (8-12), 4:05 p.m.
Pick: Pacers +3.5
It’s really kind of unfathomable that the best player to date in the T.J. Ford-Jermaine O’Neal deal between these two teams has actually been Rasho Nesterovic.

Knicks (9-12) at Nets (11-8), 4:35 p.m.
Pick: Knicks +7.5
Stromile Swift is still in the league? Who knew?

Bobcats (7-14) at Hornets (11-6), 5:05 p.m.
Pick: Hornets -12.5
Well, Boris Diaw will certainly be an upgrade over Sean May. Plus, now the Bobcats have an extra $5.4 million to spend in the Summer of 2010 to lure LeBro– er, Chris Bo—er . . . oh hell, how about T.J. Ford?

Cavaliers (18-3) at 76ers (9-12), 5:05 p.m.
Pick: Cavaliers -7
Maurice Cheeks still clings to the fantasy that his team wants to play up-tempo basketball. Maybe you do, Mo, but all evidence says your team most definitely does not.

Grizzlies (6-15) at Thunder (2-20), 5:05 p.m.
Pick: Grizzlies -2
Quite the rarity for Memphis: A revenge game they can actually win.

Hawks (12-8) at Spurs (12-8), 5:35 p.m.
Picks: Spurs -6.5
Every time I pick a game involving either of these two teams, I seem to get it wrong. Shouldn’t that effect cancel itself out in this case?

Timberwolves (4-16) at Nuggets (14-7), 6:05 p.m.
Pick: Nuggets -13
As if he hasn’t made Minnesota fans suffer enough all these years, Kevin McHale’s coaching debut featured a devastating, kick-to-the-gut reversal of fortune in the final seconds. Seriously, haven’t you caused enough pain, Kev? And we’re not even getting into the sweater selections. . .

Suns (13-9) at Lakers (17-3), 7:35 p.m.
Pick: Lakers -12.5
Hey, with Shaq out, why not just sabotage all your chances by trading two rotation players, including your designated Kobe-stopper?

Yesterday: 4-5
Season record: 153-157-3

– Geoff

(Today’s installment of your faithful reporter’s quest to prognosticate all 1,230 NBA regular-season games this season.)

Raptors (8-11) at Cavaliers (17-3), 4:05 p.m.
Pick: Cavaliers -12.5
The Cavaliers are just killing it at home this season.

Pistons (11-8) at Wizards (3-15), 4:05 p.m.
Pick: Wizards +5
Hey, what a shock: Antonio McDyess signed with the Pistons!

Jazz (13-9) at Timberwolves (4-15), 5:05 p.m.
Pick: Timberwolves +5
Glen Taylor is a genius: Not only does he get the benefit of a dead coach bounce, but he also gets a dead GM bounce with the same move.

Knicks (9-11) at Bulls (9-11), 5:35 p.m.
Pick: Knicks +7.5
Al Harrington still laughs himself to sleep every night.

Spurs (11-8) at Mavericks (11-8), 5:35 p.m.
Pick: Mavericks +1.5
Tim Duncan’s stats when Manu and Parker are in the starting lineup: 21.3 ppg, 56.1 FG%.

Hawks (12-7) at Rockets (13-8), 5:35 p.m.
Pick: Hawks +4
Is it just me, or are the Rockets of today looking more and more like the Rockets of Olajuwon title years, with Yao in the middle, surrounded by nothing but 3-point shooters?

Bucks (9-13) at Suns (12-9), 6:05 p.m.
Pick: Bucks +7
Milwaukee has dropped 20 straight in Phoenix. If the Bucks manage to win, it’ll leave only Memphis (20 straight L’s in Sacramento) tied with the Warriors’ record of futility in San Antonio.

Magic (16-5) at Trail Blazers (15-7), 7:05 p.m.
Pick: Trail Blazers -5
Dwight Howard’s second consecutive 20-point, 20-rebound, 6-block game made him the first guy to do that in back-to-back contests since Stanford’s own Rich Kelley did it for New Orleans in March 1979.

Lakers (17-2) at Kings (5-16), 7:05 p.m.
Pick: Lakers -12
In media news, the Sacramento Bee announced today that they will no longer cover the Kings. In an unsigned editorial, the paper said, “Our mothers taught us, ‘If you can’t say something nice about someone, don’t say anything at all.’ We’re taking that to heart and giving Reggie Theus a break.”

Yesterday: 1-3
Season record: 149-152-3

– Geoff