Our free NBA picks are out for Friday, December 10th, 2021! 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!
Brooklyn Nets @ Atlanta Hawks – 7.30pm ET
The Nets are in the middle of their four game road trip and on Friday night they travel to Atlanta to take on the Hawks. The Nets have had a bit of a mixed back so far in December, winning two of their four games so far, which takes their season record to 17-8. The Hawks have been on somewhat of a roll as of late, winning seven of their last 10 games, which has helped to bring their season record to 13-12.
Denis Kirilov
The Brooklyn Nets will face the Atlanta Hawks in what promises to be a very compelling contest in State Farm Arena. Atlanta lost its last three games on home court to the Knicks, the 76ers, and the Hornets. The team might have been on a 7-0 run at the end of November, but their streak ended with their first loss in State Farm Arena after five consecutive wins. Trae Young has been once again performing miracles for his team as he recorded five straight games with at least 30 points. Moreover, he hasn’t dropped below 25 points during his last 8 matches in the NBA.
On the other hand, the Nets suffered a really surprising defeat to the Houston Rockets on Wednesday. The team from New York was without their superstar, Kevin Durant, who was given a day-off in order to get his body ready for the upcoming fixtures. Led by James Harden in his first return to Toyota Center after getting traded earlier this year, the Nets didn’t find a winning recipe and lost by 10 points. The “Beard” was actually awful from the field, scoring just 25% of the attempted shots. Patty Mills was also terrible as he went on 3-11 shooting. Joe Harris won’t play against the Hawks, while LaMarcus Aldridge and Kevin Durant are still uncertain. In my opinion, the team doesn’t represent such big danger without KD and if he misses out on the game, the Hawks will be huge favourites to win it. Even with him on the court, I will still give my preference to Trae Young and his teammates.
Denis’ NBA Pick: Atlanta Hawks (-112)
Michael Lantz
At 17-8, the Brooklyn Nets sit as the one seed in the Eastern Conference, despite a Wednesday night loss to the Houston Rockets. Luckily, the Nets can use the excuse that they didn’t have Kevin Durant or LaMarcus Aldridge playing on Wednesday, so they won’t take that loss too seriously. Still, even with the top record in the conference, the Nets have struggled against top talent. They beat the Atlanta Hawks when they played back in early November, but the Hawks have looked significantly better since then.
The best alley-oops of the season so far 🏀↗️🏀⤵️
Presented by @JoinDrop pic.twitter.com/oBQWdp90CU
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) December 9, 2021
Atlanta has gone 7-3 in their last ten, creeping back into a playoff position. They’ve been doing this without a couple of key contributors as DeAndre Hunter and Bogdan Bogdanovic have been out with injuries. Still they’ve gotten some solid scoring from veteran Danilo Gallinari and former Net Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, in addition, of course, to all-star Trae Young. With this one taking place in Atlanta I expect it to be close, but even though Atlanta has looked a lot better, Brooklyn have continued to improve defensively, especially against the three, which is where the Hawks often thrive. I’ll take the Nets to get a quality road win.
Michael’s NBA Pick: Brooklyn Nets (-104)
Noah Dunlap
This is one that could easily go either way. Brooklyn sits with the best record in the Eastern Conference, but it’s been in less than dominant fashion. They’re 2-2 so far in the month of December, including a loss to Houston Wednesday night, though they were without KD and LaMarcus Aldridge.
Atlanta isn’t in much better shape, as they’ve dropped three straight since going on a seven game winning streak. The supporting cast surrounding Trae Young has once again disappeared, leaving Young to do it all, which against elite teams becomes virtually impossible. In this one, I’m just not sold on Atlanta’s role players to give Trae enough help, and with KD back in the lineup for Brooklyn, I like him to have a big night, leading the Nets to the win on the road.
Noah’s NBA Pick: Brooklyn Nets (-104)
Milwaukee Bucks @ Houston Rockets – 8pm ET
The Milwaukee Bucks are in game two of their four game road trip, and tonight they will face off against the Houston Rockets. The Bucks have won three of their five games so far in December, and last time out, they lost to the Heat, 104-113. The Rockets may be sitting in fourth place in their Southwest Division, but they are currently on a seven game winning streak, which has bumped their season record to (still an unimpressive) 8-16.
Denis Kirilov
Two of the best performing teams recently in the NBA will face each other in Toyota Center on Friday. The Houston Rockets take on the reigning champions, the Milwaukee Bucks in a game that will give us a better insight on how good their streak actually is. The Rockets have won their last 7 matches in the League, which pulled them up two positions in the standings, sitting now in 13th place with 8 wins and 16 losses. Christian Wood and Eric Gordon are simply on fire as they became the leaders of this much inexperienced Rockets’ team. Jalen Green and Kevin Porter Jr. were acquired with the idea to build the team around them, but Josh Cristopher also turns out to be a fantastic addition.
The Milwaukee Bucks finally found their rhythm after struggling immensely in the beginning of the season. They went on an 8-0 run in the closing days in November. This was actually possible due to Khris Middleton’s return which bought some more free space for Giannis Antetokounmpo as he became the “Greek freak” once again. However, the Bucks lost two games recently. The first one was against the Toronto Raptors on the road without Giannis in their roster which stopped their winning momentum. The second one and their last match was against the Miami Heat who managed to outclass Antetokounmpo, Middleton, and Holiday even without two of their key players – Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo. I think that we can observe a slight decline in Milwaukee’s performance and I will try to take advantage of that and choose the Rockets to cover their spread.
Denis’ NBA Pick: Houston Rockets +8.5 (-106)
Michael Lantz
The Milwaukee Bucks are coming off an embarrassing loss to a Miami Heat team that was without Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler. It was a slap in the face to this Milwaukee team, which had won 10 of 11, and were thriving since the return of Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday from COVID/ injuries. They’ll look to bounce back against a Houston Rockets team that is coming off a nice win against the Brooklyn Nets.
Sure, the Nets didn’t have Kevin Durant, but beating the Eastern Conference leaders still looks good on a resume. So does winning seven games in a row, which the Rockets have done, as their young core has been following the lead of veteran guard Eric Gordon. They may not be a playoff contender, but little streaks like this will help improve the confidence of a team that picked number two in the last draft. Despite this nice little run, I have my doubts that the Rockets can keep it going against this Bucks team. Sure, Milwaukee dropped a game they should’ve easily won against the Heat, but I doubt that happens in consecutive games. I expect the defending champs to get it together and easily handle the Rockets.
Michael’s NBA Pick: Milwaukee Bucks (-390)
Noah Dunlap
Milwaukee comes into this one as the defending champions and have virtually everyone back and healthy, following a rough start to the year which saw them struggle through Covid and injury problems. Since getting Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday back, they’ve finally started to look like the team that many of us expected to see all along. They’re still not perfect, and they aren’t the best team in the league currently by any means, but they are improving.
Meanwhile, Houston, after an abysmal start to the year, comes into this one on a seven game winning streak, and are showing flashes of what could be to come from an extremely young, inexperienced team. They’re still not a playoff team, and outside of Eric Gordon they don’t really have a veteran to keep everything on track, but the progress is there, which has to make Rockets fans happy. In this one though, I think you just have to go with Milwaukee. I think Giannis has a big night, and Khris Middleton takes advantage of a Houston team that doesn’t really have a good fit in terms of trying to match up with Mid. Milwaukee wins a tight one on the road, but Houston gets the cover.
Noah’s NBA Pick: Houston Rockets +8.5 (-106)
Cleveland Cavaliers @ Minnesota Timberwolves – 8pm ET
The Cleveland Cavaliers are on the road for one game before returning home again, and on Friday night they take on the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Cavaliers have won three of their last five games, and last time out they got a good victory against the Bulls, 115-92. The Timberwolves have lost all four games so far in December, with losses to the Wizards, Nets, Hawks and Jazz.
Denis Kirilov
The Cleveland Cavaliers and the Minnesota Timberwolves are among the teams that are not included in the contenders list, but they can definitely cause plenty of upsets throughout the campaign. The Timberwolves rely on their trio including Karl-Anthony Towns, Anthony Edwards, and D’Angelo Russell. However, this trio had some troubles recently as the team is winless in its last 4 matches. They lost to some of the best teams in the East and to the Utah Jazz. The Timberwolves don’t have huge ambitions for this season, but if they keep a close gap to the Playoffs and manage to clinch a place in the top 10, it will be a success.
On the other hand, the Cavs have been looking forward to this campaign as they had a fantastic Collin Sexton in his 4th year in the NBA, partnered by Darius Garland and Evan Mobley. On top of that, the team can rely on some experienced players like Kevin Love and Ricky Rubio. However, Collin Sexton injured his left knee and will be out for the rest of the season. So far, Darius Garland took the main responsibility and it pays off for the Cavs. The team is on a 5-2 run as they smashed teams like the Mavs, the Heat, the Wizards, and the Bulls and narrowly lost to the Milwaukee Bucks and the Utah Jazz. In my opinion, they have the bigger potential when comparing them to the Timberwolves. I think that although they are without Collin Sexton, the Cavs are in better form currently and this will help them close out the match on the road.
Denis’ NBA Pick: Cleveland Cavaliers (+102)
Michael Lantz
Two of the NBA’s biggest surprises face off on Friday night as the Cleveland Cavaliers travel to the Twin Cities to take on the Minnesota Timberwolves. While Minnesota’s record might appear less-than-impressive, the young team has shown some signs of life. They’ve currently been in a bit of a rut, losing four straight, but before that they were 11-10 and had gotten some big wins against veteran teams. They’ve been hit with a couple of injuries lately, including veteran Patrick Beverly, whose pesky defense is sorely missed. Still this young trio of Karl Anthony-Towns, Anthony Edwards, and D’Angelo Russell will look to get back on track against a Cavs team that continues to ascend.
stay together 🐺 pic.twitter.com/d8huEp62N7
— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) December 9, 2021
After two losses against quality opponents (the Utah Jazz and Milwaukee Bucks), the Cleveland Cavaliers picked up a double-digit win against the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday night. The Cavs now sit at 14-12, and have become one of the most exciting young teams in basketball, even with Collin Sexton out for the season. Darius Garland has stepped up in his place, and the Cavs have developed one of the most exciting front courts in basketball with Jarrett Allen, Lauri Markkanen and rookie Evan Mobley leading the way. Even with the Timberwolves playing at home, I like the ever-growing confidence of this Cavaliers team. I’ll take them to snag one on the road.
Michael’s NBA Pick: Cleveland Cavaliers (+102)
Noah Dunlap
The Cleveland Cavaliers have continued to impress even without their best player, Colin Sexton, who’s out for the year with a torn meniscus. Not much was expected of them coming into the season, but with, and now without Sexton, they continue to look like a postseason team coming out of the wide open Eastern Conference.
In this one they get a Minnesota Timberwolves team that has gone back to playing horrible basketball. They started the year poorly, and then seemingly magically looked as if they had turned a corner, before crashing and burning once again. The core of this team is one that looks like a winning group, but outside of Karl-Anthony Towns, Anthony Edwards, and D’Angelo Russell, they’re getting basically no help from the rest of the roster. Until the supporting pieces get it together and start playing better ball, I don’t see a reason to bet on this Minnesota team. I like the Cavs to go on the road and continue the solid play, getting a nice win over Minnesota.
Noah’s NBA Pick: Cleveland Cavaliers (+102)
Los Angeles Lakers @ Oklahoma City Thunder – 8pm ET
The Los Angeles Lakers end their two game road trip when they take on the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Lakers are playing on back-to-back nights, and last time out they went down to the Grizzlies, 95-108. The Thunder are currently on a two game winning streak, with wins against the Pistons and Raptors, taking their season record to 8-16.
Denis Kirilov
After suffering yet another loss this season, the situation within the Los Angeles Lakers gets even worse. The defeat against the Memphis Grizzlies dragged them back to the 8th place. Even though LeBron James posted a triple-double (20 points, 10 rebounds, and 11 assists), the team was unable to compete with the likes of Jaren Jackson and Desmond Bane. Russell Westbrook plays on lots of ups and downs, while Anthony Davis is just a shadow of himself from 2020. The team desperately needs to get into a good streak that will skyrocket them in the table. Their upcoming opponent is the Oklahoma City Thunder who first suggested that something is wrong with the Lakers.
Both teams have faced twice already this season and surprisingly the Thunder were victorious in both cases. They took a good advantage from LeBron James’ absence as they brought the first two upsets for the Lakers this season. OKC, however, are still 14th in the West with 8 wins and 16 losses. They have won their last two games on the road against the Detroit Pistons and the Toronto Raptors. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Luguentz Dort lead the team in points, while Jeremiah Robinson helps a lot in defense. Their Australian rookie, Josh Giddey, became second-youngest with at least 10 assists in an NBA match and became the third teenager in NBA history with 100 points and 100 rebounds in his first 20 games. The other two were LeBron James and LaMelo Ball. In my opinion, the Thunder are able to compete equally with the Lakers and I will take their spread in their third meeting for the campaign.
Denis’ NBA Pick: Oklahoma City Thunder +6 (-110)
Michael Lantz
Things are getting hectic in Los Angeles. The Lakers continue to struggle, losing by double-digits to a Memphis Grizzlies team that is without Ja Morant and Dillon Brooks. What should’ve been an easy win for the near full-strength Lakers, turned into another game where the team just looked careless, committing 22 turnovers to a young Memphis squad. Now the Lakers face the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday, in a game that one would think would be an easy win for Los Angeles—but these days nothing is certain.
As for Oklahoma City, they were on an eight-game losing streak that was capped off with an abysmal 79-152 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies. That might’ve been exactly what the Thunder needed to get it together, as they’ve now won consecutive games. Having leading scorer Shai Gilgeous-Alexander helps as well, as he has contributed 30 and 26 points after missing the game against Memphis. They’ll face a Lakers team that looks vulnerable against every team they face. On paper +6 looks way too hopeful for the Thunder, but with the way the Lakers are playing it’s entirely possible for them to cover. I’m not so convinced the Lakers won’t bounce back on the road. They’ve let me down a lot this year, but I have a hard time going against them in this one.
Michael’s NBA Pick: Los Angeles Lakers -6 (-110)
Noah Dunlap
The Oklahoma City Thunder come into this one as arguably the worst team (talent wise) in the league, despite a brief two game winning streak. They’re young, inexperienced, and don’t actually have that much talent on the roster in the first place. That’s why it’s surprising to point out that they’re 2-0 against the Lakers so far this season.
For Los Angeles, things continue to delve into more and more questions, as they finally looked decent against Boston on Tuesday night, and then came out last night against Memphis and got dropped by double-digits. There are serious doubts that I have about the Lakers off-season moves actually ending up panning out, as they certainly haven’t as of yet, and I see no real reason to assume that would change anytime soon. For this one though, I think the fact that they come in 0-2 against OKC this year helps them out, as they come out just looking to dominate for one game against a team that just isn’t anywhere close to as good as they are, even despite the struggles. Lakers cruise.
Noah’s NBA Pick: Los Angeles Lakers -6 (-110)
Boston Celtics @ Phoenix Suns – 10pm ET
The Boston Celtics hit the road and take on the Phoenix Suns in what will be the final game on Friday night – talk about saving the best for last! The Celtics are currently on a two game losing streak, and have won five of their last 10 games in total. The Suns have won nine of their last 10 games, which gives them the second best record in the league, at 20-4, and they have played one less game than the league leaders, the Warriors.
Denis Kirilov
The Boston Celtics have had plenty of ups and downs so far this season. They are so inconsistent that you cannot really know what to expect from them. The Celtics started off the season with huge troubles from the 3-point line. Then, Jayson Tatum took the lead and brought some joy to the thousands of fans in TD Garden. However, they have conceded a lot of points lately which suggest some issues in defense. The Celtics lost three out of their last four matches in the NBA. In each of these 4 games the team conceded at least 114 points. They are also putting in buckets, but they are not as efficient as their opponents.
The Phoenix Suns find themselves on quite the opposite pole. They broke their NBA franchise record of 17 straight wins set in 2006-07. With their victory over the Detroit Pistons in Footprint Center, they won their 18th game in a row. Along the road, they managed to defeat almost every single one of the top contenders for the title including the Warriors, the Nets, the Nuggets, the Mavericks, and the Hawks. The Suns eventually lost to the Warriors right after breaking their own record. Cameron Payne went for 3-17 in this game and this was the main reason why their streak was over. It seems that Chris Paul is still eager to try his luck at winning an NBA Championship before he retires. With these teammates, this mission is quite doable, but they will need to sync their form for the Playoffs. However, looking at both Celtics’ and Suns’ performances recently, I will definitely pick Phoenix. I will also suggest trusting them to cover their spread.
Denis’ NBA Pick: Phoenix Suns -5.5 (-110)
Michael Lantz
At 20-4 the Phoenix Suns have been one of the top teams in the NBA after going on an impressive 18-game streak that ended last week. Now, after a close win against an upstart Spurs team, they’ll look to keep it going against the unpredictable Boston Celtics. After a 28-point win against the Portland Trail Blazers last weekend, the Celtics were victims of an Los Angeles sweep, losing to both the Lakers and Clippers in Los Angeles. Unfortunately things don’t get any easier for them as they face the Suns in “The Valley”, on Friday night. The C’s have been feeling the loss of Jaylen Brown lately; while they did fine when he missed time earlier in the year, teams are beginning to wear them down without him. This has put a lot of pressure on Jayson Tatum to be the lead guy night in and night out. Brown is still out for the matchup against the Suns, so if the Celtics want any chance in this game, they’ll need the likes of Dennis Schroeder, Marcus Smart, and Robert Williams to step up.
Just throw it up and let @JaValeMcGee take care of the rest! 💪@PayPal | #ValleyProud pic.twitter.com/F4GhZsqWRp
— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) December 9, 2021
Meanwhile, the Suns are going to be without leading scorer Devin Booker for a few games due to a hamstring injury. So this one might be a little more evenly matched. Still, the Suns have role guys who step up, like Mikal Bridges, Landry Shamet, and Cam Payne, when someone is absent; of course they also have Chris Paul and Deandre Ayton. Even with both sides missing key players, I’ll give the advantage to the Suns at home.
Michael’s NBA Pick: Phoenix Suns -5.5 (-110)
Noah Dunlap
The roller coaster ride that is the Boston Celtics season just continues to weave its way down the track. From a talent perspective they should be much better than the extremely average team they are currently, as they just can’t shoot the ball very well, and outside of Jaylen Brown (who’s out for this one) and occasionally Jayson Tatum, they’re getting virtually no noteworthy production from anywhere else. That doesn’t bode well for this one as they travel west to take on the second best team in the NBA.
Phoenix, on the other hand, had won 18-straight before falling on the road at Golden State last week, but are now looking to extend another winning streak. The one key point to this one is that Devin Booker looks as if he’s out, which does make you wonder if the Suns can score enough to take care of business in this one. In the end, I think DeAndre Ayton, Chris Paul, and company do manage to put up points on a shaky C’s defense, helping them get a close win. I’m not totally comfortable with the line at 5.5 though, so stick with a Phoenix moneyline and take what you can.
Noah’s NBA Pick: Phoenix Suns (-235)
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*Odds and spreads correct at time of publication, courtesy of FanDuel.
