Our free NBA picks are out for Friday, April 1st, 2022! Make sure you check our NBA picks before the action kicks off.
Look below to find our free NBA picks for the best five games on today’s schedule!
Dallas Mavericks @ Washington Wizards – 7pm ET
The Dallas Mavericks are in game two of their four game road trip when they travel to Washington to take on the Wizards. The Mavericks have won their last three in a row, which includes wins over the Jazz, Lakers and Cavaliers. The Wizards have won three of their last four, and this takes their season record to 33-43.
Jeffery Thomas
Game 2 of an east coast trip for the Dallas Mavericks as they travel to Washington D.C. to take on the Washington Wizards. The Mavs are coming off a 120-112 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday where Luka Doncic led the way with 35 points and 13 assists. There was no Spencer Dinwiddie for Dallas in this game, but that was no problem as the Mavericks got their 48th win of the year. With Golden State losing that same night, Dallas moved into sole possession of the 3 seed in the West and will try to maintain that spot against the Wizards who are 12th in the East.
These two teams met way back on November 27 and it was the Wizards who got the victory surprisingly. The Wizards were 13-7 at the time and a lot has changed since then. Most notable is that there is no longer a healthy Bradley Beal or Kyle Kuzma for the Wiz, who will find offense hard to come by in this game. Give me Dallas at home to cover this light spread.
Jeffery’s NBA Pick: Dallas Mavericks -8.5 (-108)
Michael Lantz
The Dallas Mavericks captured another comfortable win against a quality opponent as they beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 120-112 on Wednesday. The Mavericks now sit in third after leapfrogging the Golden State Warriors and they’ll look to stay there after their game against the Washington Wizards. While the Wizards will miss the playoffs this season, their last couple of games have given them hope for what’s ahead.
PLAYOFF BOUND.@Chime | #MFFL pic.twitter.com/0RkPJVGEkJ
— x – Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) March 31, 2022
But the Mavericks can’t sleep on the Wizards. Former Maverick Kristaps Porzingis has been putting up numbers over the last couple of games, and you better believe he’s going to come out strong against the team that surprisingly traded him back in February. Additionally, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and rookie Corey Kispert have been having solid games as well. Still, when the Wizards have played playoff teams at full strength, they’ve struggled to stay competitive. I expect that to continue against a Dallas Mavericks team with a very good defense.
Michael’s NBA Pick: Dallas Mavericks -8.5 (-108)
Noah Dunlap
Two teams that have had very different seasons, but are both playing well now, get together for this matchup, as the Dallas Mavericks travel East to the nation’s capital to take on the Washington Wizards. The Mavs have had a good season, and look to be getting better as of late, as they’ve won three in a row, are 7-3 in their last 10, and sit at third in the West. Being led by Luka Doncic, this is a Dallas team that can compete with anyone, mainly due to Luka’s ability to take over games when needed. I’m questioning their chances at a playoff run, as they don’t have a true second option, but game by game they’re extremely dangerous.
Washington, on the other hand, has had a poor season, but are at least looking like they want to close out the year on a high note, as they’ve won three of their last four, even though that has only gotten them to 33-43 on the season. Kristaps Porzingis has been a large part of the modest success lately, and it certainly looks as if he can be the guy they try to build around for next season, which would be a good starting point. I don’t know that they have a way to stop Doncic and company in this one though, so I’m taking the Mavs on the road, to win with relative ease.
Noah’s NBA Pick: Dallas Mavericks -8.5 (-108)
Indiana Pacers @ Boston Celtics – 7.30pm ET
The Indiana Pacers hit the road for one game when they take on the Boston Celtics on Friday night. The Pacers will be hoping a change in scenery will bring better results, as they have lost their last five games in a row. After a six game winning streak, the Celtics have now lost two games in a row, to the Raptors and Heat.
Jeffery Thomas
The Indiana Packers are just playing the rest of this season out and looking forward to the future. They are currently stuck in a five-game losing streak after their 118-125 loss to the Denver Nuggets and have fallen all the way to 13th place in the Eastern Conference. The Boston Celtics on the other hand, had a short-lived stint atop the East and are back to the 3 seed, two games back. It’s a rare two-game losing streak for Boston, who have now dropped consecutive games to the Toronto Raptors and Miami Heat.
These losses coincide with the loss of Robert Williams to injury and they are still adjusting to life without him. This Pacers team should be just what they need to get back on track. The Celtics haven’t done a lot of losing since February so it’s important for them to bounce back here especially with so little time left before the playoffs. I think they’ll do just that against such a soft opponent who isn’t too interested in winning games nowadays.
Jeffery’s NBA Pick: Boston Celtics -15 (-110)
Michael Lantz
The Boston’s Celtics have looked a bit more human since their big man Robert Williams went down with an injury. They’ve gone 0-2, but both of their opponents were playoff opponents (the Toronto Raptors and Miami Heat). The Celtics are still supremely talented and even without Williams should be able to stay a top-four seed in the Eastern Conference.
Playoff bound ☘️ pic.twitter.com/frGbcw1mQY
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) April 1, 2022
After two tough opponents they get a little bit of a breather against a bad Indiana Pacers team. The Pacers are fully capable of putting up some big scoring totals. With the likes of Tyrese Haliburton and Buddy Hield on the squad night in and night out, they’ll have an exciting offense. Their big issue is defense, as they’ve allowed 125+ in four straight games which have contributed to a five game losing streak. Things won’t get easier for the Pacers as they face a Celtics team that despite no Williams, still has an all-star roster that includes Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, and Marcus Smart.
Michael’s NBA Pick: Boston Celtics -15 (-110)
Noah Dunlap
The Indiana Pacers have been one of the biggest disappointments in the league for virtually the entire season, and seeing as they have no shot at making even the play-in tournament in the East, I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re just trying to get the season over with and look to regroup for a run next year. That certainly seems to be the case at least, as they’ve lost five straight, and that’s largely been due to the same thing that has been plaguing them all year long, which is horrible defense.
Now with the making of a Boston Celtics team that, even with a few recent struggles over the past week, has been the hottest team in the league since the beginning of February, and I think this is a game that could get out of hand. The C’s have lost a few more than they would’ve liked recently, but against a team that has virtually quit on the season, this is a prime opportunity for them to get back on track to close out the regular season. Give me Boston in a big way at home.
Noah’s NBA Pick: Boston Celtics -15 (-110)
Phoenix Suns @ Memphis Grizzlies – 8pm ET
The Phoenix Suns are in the middle of their three game road trip on Friday when they face off against the Memphis Grizzlies. The Suns continue to be extremely dominant in the NBA, as they are currently on a nine game winning streak. Not to be outdone, the Grizzlies have a nice winning streak as well, currently standing at six games in a row.
Jeffery Thomas
We get a battle of the top two teams in the Western Conference when the Memphis Grizzlies host the Phoenix Suns on Friday night. The Suns got a big road win over the Warriors on Wednesday in what was an intense and physical game. Devin Booker led the team in scoring despite an awful shooting day, going only 5-22 from the field but he knocked down 10 of his 12 free throws. The Suns will be happy that they won’t see Ja Morant in this one, especially after they struggled with the Warriors’ ball dominant guard Jordan Poole. Poole had 38 points on Phoenix and if they want to record their 10th consecutive win on Friday they’ll need to tighten up their defense.
The Grizzlies have a six-game winning streak of their own after taking down the Spurs 112-111 on Wednesday night. A missed layup by Keldon Johnson at the buzzer gave the Grizz the win and ensured the 2 seed will be theirs. This could be a possible Western Conference Finals matchup so it’ll be fun to get a little sneak peek. This fun matchup took a hit when Thursday it was announced that Tyus Jones, Desmond Bane, Steven Adams, and Jaren Jackson Jr. would all most likely miss this game. That’s the entire starting 5 for Memphis and that obviously would give an easy win to the Suns. This number will continue to climb so jump on it as soon as possible but I can’t back anything other than a Suns beat down here.
Jeffery’s NBA Pick: Phoenix Suns -7.5 (-108)
Michael Lantz
With there just being a couple of games left in the regular season, on paper, these two playing each other looks like one of the best games of the year. Arguably the NBA’s two best teams go at it in what could also very well be a preview of the Western Conference Finals. The Phoenix Suns have refused to take their foot off the gas, as they sit at 62-14 and rarely seemed fazed when Chris Paul was out for a few weeks with an injury. Now back at full strength, the Suns are crushing, going 9-1 in their last ten, and looking hungry to get another shot at the NBA title.
Which has been your favorite Grizz win of the season so far?
(sponsored by @SociosUSA)
— y – Memphis Grizzlies (@memgrizz) March 31, 2022
But, after a scare against a Steph Curry-less Warriors team, the Suns will have to be on their A-game against a very good Memphis squad. The Grizzlies will also be without their star player, but when Morant has been out this season, it’s seldom been an issue. The Grizzlies are 19-2 without Morant this year. A big part of that has been thanks to the play of Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson — both of which are doubtful for this game. Morant is one thing, but not having those two either is another. In what could’ve been a matchup of the year, will likely end in the Suns covering.
Michael’s NBA Pick: Phoenix Suns -7.5 (-108)
Noah Dunlap
This is what should far and away be the best matchup of the evening, and a preview of what could easily end up being what we see in the Western Conference Finals, as these are the two best teams in the West. The Phoenix Suns have been the best team in the NBA all year long, and despite having already locked up the league’s best record, they show no signs of slowing down to coast through the remainder of the regular season, as they’ve just continued to roll right along, with Chris Paul, DeAndre Ayton, and Devin Booker leading the way.
Now they travel to the Bluff City to take on the surprising Memphis Grizzlies, who are second in the conference, and also have the second best record in the NBA. The bigger shock about the Grizz is how well they’ve played with superstar Ja Morant in the lineup, as they’re now 19-2 without him playing. While Desmond Bane, DeAnthony Melton, and company have led the way phenomenally in his absence, this is the kind of game that I think they end up missing him, as late in a close game I think they may struggle to find their own shot, which is something that Ja always provided. For that reason, I’m taking Phoenix on the road, though I think this ends up being a tremendously tight game all the way through.
Noah’s NBA Pick: Phoenix Suns (-330)
Los Angeles Clippers @ Milwaukee Bucks – 8pm ET
The Los Angeles Clippers are on the road to end the working week, when they travel to Fiserv Forum and face off against the Milwaukee Bucks. Funnily enough, both these teams played yesterday and both their games went to overtime! The Clippers faced off against the Bulls, and they ended up losing, 130-135; while the Bucks beat the Nets, 120-119.
Jeffery Thomas
The Los Angeles Clippers and Milwaukee Bucks were both in action on Thursday and will be facing each other on the back-to-back. Not only did they both play, but they both played overtime games but only one team came out victorious. That was Milwaukee, who beat Kevin Durant and the Nets 120-119 in Brooklyn. Giannis led the Bucks in points (44), rebounds (14), and assists (6) in the win and passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the franchise’s all-time leading scorer. I’m sure he’d rather have that in front of his home fans, but no he’ll be there on Friday for an encore performance against the Los Angeles Clippers. The Clippers were involved in a hard-fought battle with the Bulls in Chicago, losing 130-135.
Paul George was still working himself back into game shape and actually didn’t even play in the overtime period because of minutes restrictions. If Paul George isn’t fully unleashed for this game, then it will be a long night for Los Angeles. He’s their only hope at them putting up the necessary points to keep up with Milwaukee’s electric offense. However, I know how Ty Lue is and I don’t think he goes away from his plan for what is basically a meaningless game for the Clippers, whose place in the standings can’t really be improved or worsened in these last few games. For these reasons, I like the Bucks to cover at home.
Jeffery’s NBA Pick: Milwaukee Bucks -8.5 (-110)
Michael Lantz
After escaping Brooklyn with a stunning overtime win, the Milwaukee Bucks head back home as their sights are still on the Eastern Conference’s number one seed. Giannis Antetokounmpo might very well be on track for his third MVP award, as he is playing lights out right now. That being said, the Bucks won’t have an easy back-to-back as they go up against a Clippers team with new life thanks to the return of Paul George.
Goodnight. pic.twitter.com/LgjzAG7cqY
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) April 1, 2022
But the Clippers will also be victims of a second straight game as they were overpowered by the Chicago Bulls last night, surrendering a fifty burger to DeMar DeRozan. Now, they go from DeRozan to Giannis, an exhausting task for a team trying to gain some momentum going into the playoffs. Paul George has come back by averaging 28 in his last two games, he’ll look to continue to mesh with his teammates who’ve done a wonderful job keeping the Clips in the playoff race this year. Ultimately, I think the Bucks end up winning this one, but I think the Clips will hang with them in this game between two teams that should be pretty tired.
Michael’s NBA Pick: Los Angeles Clippers +8.5 (-110)
Noah Dunlap
This Friday night clash gives us a matchup between two teams who are both going to be on the second night of back-to-backs, with one getting the win on Thursday, while the other saw defeat. Milwaukee managed to travel to Brooklyn and get the win, as they watched a Kevin Durant game-winner come up just short. That has solidified their spot as at least the two seed in the East, as they try to chase down Miami for the top spot with about six to play. Giannis is going to play a huge part in that chase, as well as their playoff run that it looks like they’re almost certain to make.
On the other side, the Los Angeles Clippers came up short against the Chicago Bulls, as they collapsed late, and eventually lost in OT in a game that saw DeMar Derozan erupt for 50 points. The Clips are squarely in the play-in tournament out West, but they are going to have to play better if they want to advance through and actually get to the first round. They did just welcome back Paul George to the lineup, as he’s missed nearly the entire year, so we can expect it to take a bit of time to get him back in game shape and re-acclimated to the starting five. The problem with that is that as the regular season is about to end, I’m not sure how much time they have for that. For this matchup, I think Giannis has a big night, potentially a triple-double performance, and the Bucks get the win at home, in somewhat easy fashion.
Noah’s NBA Pick: Milwaukee Bucks -8.5 (-110)
Minnesota Timberwolves @ Denver Nuggets – 9pm ET
An interesting Northwest Division matchup on Friday in the NBA, when we see the Minnesota Timberwolves face off against the Denver Nuggets. The Timberwolves will be desperately looking for a win, as they have dropped four of their last five, with their only win in this span coming against the Mavericks, 116-95. The Nuggets will be looking to build in their current three game winning streak, which has brought up their season record to 46-31.
Jeffery Thomas
It was not too long ago when we were talking about how Minnesota had overtaken the Nuggets for the 6 seed in the Western Conference and we’re liking them to build upon it but now things have changed. The Nuggets have now rattled off four wins in their last five and climbed their way all up to the 5 seed, just 2 back of Golden State for the 4 seed. Minnesota on the other hand, did the opposite and lost four of five and are staring a spot in the play-in tournament in the face.
This is the classic tale of two teams heading in different directions and even though Minnesota is at home, I can’t back them here. The Nuggets may be without their second and third best players but they still have plenty around Nikola Jokic for him to make it work and he’ll have no problems once again putting up huge numbers and leading them to the victory. The Wolves may be a bit ahead of schedule with this whole making the playoffs thing, so they will be a team I look to fade when they are playing these teams that have been in these types of situations this deep in the season.
Jeffery’s NBA Pick: Denver Nuggets (-190)
Michael Lantz
With just a few games left in the regular season, it appears the Minnesota Timberwolves will be the Western Conference seven-seed (although, a Utah Jazz collapse does seem possible at this point). This is a huge accomplishment for a young squad that were pretty terrible the last two seasons. The Timberwolves will look to start getting in the postseason mindset on Friday, as they face a Denver Nuggets team that sits in fifth and are currently on a three-game win streak. While Giannis Antetokounmpo has been lights out over in Milwaukee, the big man in Denver, Nikola Jokic, is right there with him.
KAT & KG. #TBT pic.twitter.com/gTFIahCw3D
— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) March 31, 2022
What’s most impressive about Jokic is that even without his two biggest supporting acts (Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr.) he’s led this team to the Western Conference fifth-seed. Although Jokic hasn’t done it alone, he’s had a new role player step up every night to assist him including the likes of Will Barton and Aaron Gordon. While the Nuggets should be the favorite at home, I like this Timberwolves to pull the upset, I think their multiple scoring options and feisty defense from Pat Beverley will put the Nuggets in a hole that they haven’t seen in their last three opponents–the Pacers, Hornets, and Thunder–all of which are awful at defense or just not good basketball teams or both. Give me the T-Wolves.
Michael’s NBA Pick: Minnesota Timberwolves (+160)
Noah Dunlap
This matchup has the potential to be fun to watch, while it won’t do much for Minnesota, as they’re virtually glued into the seventh spot in the West at this point, it does give them the chance to get back on track after a rough stretch currently, as they look to close out the regular season. The T’Wolves have lost four of their last five, which has to certainly be disappointing for a team that has one of the best cores in the league with Karl-Anthony Towns, D’Angelo Russell, and Anthony Edwards.
On the side, reigning MVP and potential winner of the award this season as well, Nikola Jokic, will try to continue leading his Denver Nuggets on the hot streak they’re currently on, as they’ve won three straight, and should have a good chance to make it four in this one. To me, I think this matchup comes down to who can win the head-to-head with Jokic and Towns, and while both are incredible talents, I think Jokic has to be given the nod between the two, as he’s just been on a different planet in terms of his play over the past two years or so. I like Denver here, though I think it does end up being closer than some may expect. Take the Nuggets at home in a tight one.
Noah’s NBA Pick: Denver Nuggets -4.5 (-110)
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*Odds and spreads correct at time of publication, courtesy of FanDuel.
