Well, here we are again. It’s the middle of the week, and there is a relatively full NBA schedule on tap, so do as you always do.

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Turn on the coffeemaker. Read this piece, and go make the following picks for Wednesday night.

Dallas Mavericks at Atlanta Hawks Predictions

Mavericks vs. Hawks Game Preview

Best Bet: Hawks -1.5

Who would have thought that the team with Trae Young would be favored to beat the team with Luka Doncic in 2021? Last season, the Mavericks went to the playoffs and gave the LA Clippers a run for their money in the opening round.

Meanwhile, Atlanta had a hard time winning any games, limping to one of the worst records in the East.

But Dallas has not won a game in two weeks now, just losing to Phoenix on a last-second Devin Booker shot on Monday. Nothing has been going their way, and no matter how good Doncic seems to play, the rest of the team is unable to follow his lead.

Health and safety protocols left the Mavericks without several key players for a long stretch, but still, the talent they have should be enough to win ball games.

Meanwhile, Atlanta has been up and down throughout the year. The Hawks are 5-5 at home, and they are 5-5 on the road. And they are 5-5 in their past 10 games.

So basically, they’re as even down the line as a team can be. And it seems that deciding to trade for Clint Capela last season was a genius move by Travis Schlenk and the Hawks front office. The center has been dominating, even posting a triple-double with blocks earlier in the season.

All in all, the Hawks have what it takes to beat the Mavericks. They have the size inside, and even with a few injuries on the roster, they have more talent.

Kristaps Porzingis and Doncic can do what they want. They won’t be leading the Mavericks to a win. Atlanta gets it done, and at -1.5, it’s an easy choice.

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Minnesota Timberwolves at San Antonio Spurs Predictions

Timberwolves vs. Spurs Game Preview

Best Bet: Spurs -8.5

The Minnesota Timberwolves played decent basketball against the Cleveland Cavaliers on both Sunday and Monday en route to splitting the two-game set. However, they did so against a team with several injuries, and players not in their normal position.

They were 4-14 headed into that home-and-home set, so we shouldn’t see their strong play as a positive.

On the bright side for Minnesota, though, No. 1 pick Anthony Edwards has started to show that he can be a terrific player. He’s been shooting the lights out.

Young guys like Jaylen Nowell and Jaden McDaniels have been shooting better as well. D’Angelo Russell helped the Timberwolves to a win on Sunday night, just the team’s fifth through the first 19 games they played.

They didn’t have a true center in the lineup yet found a way to beat the Andre Drummond-led Cavs.

San Antonio just got Derrick White back, and it has been playing pretty well as a result. The Spurs got drubbed by the Grizzlies on Monday night, but a quick bounce-back should be expected.

The Spurs were a wild card coming into the year, with most folks unsure where to rank them. But here they are, sitting at 11-10 through the first 21 games.

DeMar DeRozan looks very good, and young guys like Dejounte Murray and Keldon Johnson are much improved.

San Antonio is not going to be losing to Minnesota, no matter what happens. LaMarcus Aldridge has been rusty and playing less, but he’ll play well here.

Look for Lonnie Walker IV to even have a breakout performance. As long as Karl-Anthony Towns isn’t walking through that door, Minnesota isn’t walking away with a win. And that’s a fact.

Pick the Spurs to cover the point spread.