A massive night for our free NBA picks where we went 5/5 on our money line picks and returned a total profit of $274.45 for a $100 bettor.
We have gone and selected the best five games of tonight’s action and are confident we have another five winners for our followers. Can the Grizzlies get a fifth straight win when playing in New York tonight? Will returning to Milwaukee be enough for the Bucks to stop their two game skid?
We have all the answers and the best game by game analysis in our NBA picks below.
Memphis Grizzlies @ New York Knicks – 7:30PM ET
The Memphis Grizzlies are looking to sweep their four game road trip when it finishes against the New York Knicks tonight, coming in with a bunch of momentum. The Grizzlies have picked up four straight wins with the last three being in Philadelphia, in Miami and in Atlanta. New York on the other hand has suffered back to back two point road loss and seems on the cusp of breaking through for another win.
The Knicks 99-101 loss in Boston on Wednesday was a sour one as they led for a majority of the game but gave up a 31 point four quarter, the most points scored in a quarter by either side, whilst scoring just 26 themselves. RJ Barrett was absolutely on fire for the Knicks, scoring a team high 29 points while going 6/6 from behind the arc, the second most made threes without a miss in franchise history.
The positive for the Knicks is that they return home to The Garden, where they average over three more points per game and have a 14-10 record for the season. They will need to be at their best offensively against a Memphis side that ranks seventh defensively and has kept their opponents to just 108 points per game over their four game streak.
JA MORANT catches the oop off the glass during his 14-point 3rd quarter!
The Grizzlies are on a 4-game winning streakpic.twitter.com/GnsgeWkM42
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) April 8, 2021
The big thing for Memphis though is their offense. A team that was once in the bottom half of the league for scoring and still ranks just 16th for offensive rating has averaged nearly 123 points per game over their last four. In Wednesday’s 131-113 win in Atlanta, all five scorers reached at least 16 points with Grayson Allen being the hot hand with a game high 30. The Grizzlies shot over 53% from the field and made 17 threes, shooting them at a 42.5% strike rate and will look to keep cooking against the Knicks.
While New York is such a great defensive team, allowing the fewest points per game and being ranked third overall, this Memphis offense is playing so well right now that it might not even matter. The Grizzlies have played Philly (2nd) and Miami (6th) during their current winning streak and haven’t been slowed down at all and are just as impressive on the road, 14-9 record, as the Knicks are at home.
NBA Pick – Memphis Grizzlies (TBA)
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Philadelphia 76ers @ New Orleans Pelicans – 8PM ET
The New Orleans Pelicans are coming off an embarrassing performance in Brooklyn on Wednesday night and now face the other co-leader of the Eastern Conference, the Philadelphia 76ers. The positive for the Pelicans is that they return home, where they play much better, but with Joel Embiid back in the lineup, Philadelphia are cooking and will want to one-up the Nets with their performance here.
The Sixers have had two nights off to recover from their 106-96 victory in Boston where Embiid had his way in an MVP-like performance. In just his second game back from injury, the dominant big man had 35 points and six rebounds in just 32 minutes whilst making 16 free throws at 80%. No one else really got going offensively, except Danny Green and his 5/6 shooting from deep, but what won them the game was their defense.
Philly is ranked second for defensive rating and seventh for points allowed, a number that actually improves by nearly three points per game when they are playing on the road. That will be vital against a New Orleans offense that scores the sixth most points per game and averages nearly four more points per game at home.
However Brandon Ingram has now missed five straight games, going just 1-4 over that stretch, and he is just questionable to suit up for this clash. On top of that, Lonzo Ball has played just three games since returning from a hip injury but is back to being questionable for the same issue. Health is obviously an issue right now and was evident in their 111-139 loss to Brooklyn on Wednesday.
New Orleans struggled at both ends of the floor in that clash and if both Ingram and Ball can’t go for this one, it may be more of the same. Philadelphia are on a mission this season and any small slip up could be the difference between finishing top of the East or not. Given their defensive prowess and offensive firepower with Embiid back in the lineup, the Sixers should be able to take care of business here.
NBA Pick – Philadelphia 76ers (TBA)
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Charlotte Hornets @ Milwaukee Bucks – 9PM ET
The Milwaukee Bucks finally return home and it couldn’t come any sooner for them. Back to back losses in Golden State and in Dallas put a sour turn on their six game road trip that ended with just a 3-3 record. Things are looking more positive now as they host the Charlotte Hornets tonight who, despite coming off a win last time out, are missing multiple starters to injury and may not have enough.
With Gordon Hayward and LaMelo Ball on the sidelines, Charlotte may not be expected to win many games but when playing in Oklahoma, this team was still expected to win and that is what they did. Little used rookie Jalen McDaniels led seven different players in double figures with 21 points, six rebounds and two steals while Terry Rozier had 17 and five assists. The team didn’t particularly shoot or play well but against the Thunder, you don’t need to do much to pick up the win.
.@jalenmcdaniels5 showed up in a BIG way last night! 👏🏾🔥 pic.twitter.com/iGJCg37HoW
— Charlotte Hornets (@hornets) April 8, 2021
Charlotte did have 12 steals, forcing the Thunder into 22 turnovers for the game however the Bucks are one of the safest teams in the league, averaging just 11.5 turnovers per game over their current two game losing streak. The small positive for Milwaukee is that Giannis hasn’t been playing, but he is no guarantee to play tonight as he is currently listed as questionable.
With their MVP out of the side, everyone has needed to pick up the slack and last night it was Donte DiVencenzo and Bobby Portis leading the way. DiVencenzo had a team high 22 points thanks to 6/10 shooting from deep while Portis added 20 points and 14 boards in the 101-116 loss in Dallas. Milwaukee were primed to turn their fate and pick up the win but a 17-36 last quarter put that to bed quickly.
Given that the Bucks ran out of legs last night, had four players play over 30 minutes and have to back it up tonight, the odds may be stacked against them. However, they are the class outfit in this matchup and even without Giannis, they are much better than a Charlotte team with no Hayward or Ball. The return home should allow Milwaukee to reset and get back to their winning ways.
NBA Pick – Milwaukee Bucks (TBA)
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San Antonio Spurs @ Denver Nuggets – 9PM ET
The San Antonio Spurs and Denver Nuggets will face off for their second time in three nights with the home side looking to sweep the mini series. Denver picked up the 106-96 win, their seventh straight, all of which have happened since acquiring Aaron Gordon at the trade deadline.
Without putting up incredible stats, Gordon’s athleticism on both offense and defense gives the Denver team another dimension that makes them so potent, especially with Nikola Jokic running the show. With Jamal Murray (questionable for tonight) sidelined for the second straight game, Jokic dominated once again, putting up 25 points, 10 assists and nine boards, all while shooting 61.1% from the field.
What was surprising was that Denver, who ranks just 17th defensively, kept the Spurs to just 96 points and just 6/24 shooting from deep. But that is what this new look Nuggets team does, keeping three opponents under 100 and a further three under 110 over their seven game winning streak.
The Spurs will be scheming a way to get better looks on offense, hoping to snap a four game losing streak and get some more points on the board. DeMar DeRozan managed just 14 points on 5/13 shooting with Derrick White and Dejounte Murray both scoring 18 to lead the team.
While teams get a lot more familiar with offensive sets when playing each other the second time in a row, these two teams couldn’t be playing any more different at the moment and it is hard to see how San Antonio can turn it around, especially against a top tier team. Denver is rolling right now and will only be boosted even more so if Murray returns to the lineup.
NBA Pick – Denver Nuggets (TBA)
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Washington Wizards @ Golden State Warriors – 10PM ET
We round out the night with a pair of teams who got a very important win last time out, breaking their respective losing streaks in the process. However, only one out of the Washington Wizards or Golden State Warriors will go on to win a second straight here and the home side are currently 4.5 point favorites.
It may be no surprise to see the Warriors as favorites for this clash as they are coming off an impressive come from behind victory over the Bucks on Tuesday night, winning 122-121. Steph Curry was nothing short of spectacular in that contest, scoring a game high 41 points on 66.7% shooting, making five threes and adding six rebounds and four assists. Kelly Oubre Jr chipped in with 19 points thanks to 4/8 shooting from deep while Kent Bazemore had 18 off the bench with a perfect 4/4 night from behind the arc.
☔️ @StephenCurry30 erupts for 41 PTS (5 3PM), helping the @warriors prevail vs. MIL! #DubNation pic.twitter.com/FTXoFRH0ee
— NBA (@NBA) April 7, 2021
The Warriors’ offense looked unstoppable at times, using a 39 point last quarter to steal back the lead and hold onto it. The Wizards had their own offensive outburst to get back on track, putting up a massive 131 points on a helpless Orlando side on Wednesday night. Bradley Beal returned from a five game absence in that game and it is no secret that Washington performs much better, mainly offensively, when he is on the floor.
Beal is just questionable for tonight’s contest with the Wizards taking the cautious approach to his return to action but they will definitely want him out there after his game high 26 points in their win. His return allowed Westbrook to return to his efficient playmaking ways, putting up a 23 point, 15 assist, 14 rebound triple double whilst shooting 72.7% from the field. The help didn’t end there though with Robin Lopez (19 points) and Davis Bertans (22 points, 6/11 shooting from deep) being major contributors off the bench.
With the injury cloud over Beal’s head for this game, it is hard to pick Washington with any confidence. The Wizards have little-to-no chance of making the playoffs and would be smart to opt for the safer approach with him while the Warriors are fighting for their life in a stacked Western Conference playoff race. Westbrook will obviously want to get the better of Curry in this one but he may not be able to do so. Curry is playing incredibly right now and willing his team over the line as much as he can and is now getting the help, especially when playing at home, to do so.
NBA Pick – Golden State Warriors (TBA)
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*Odds and spreads correct at time of publication, courtesy of FanDuel.
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