Free NBA Picks Today for Friday, February 19th, 2021

Free NBA Picks Today for Friday, February 19th, 2021
Fri 19th February 2021

No better way to head into the weekend than with SportsTips’ FREE NBA picks for all nine contests tonight! There are a lot of games but we are locked in and are confident in all 27 bets that we have predicted.

Do the Los Angeles Clippers have any chance of slowing down the league-leading Utah Jazz? Can the Milwaukee Bucks snap their shock five game losing streak?

We have all of the answers for you below in our NBA picks!

Denver Nuggets @ Charlotte Hornets – 7PM ET

*This game has been postponed due to COVID-19 health and safety protocols, a new date has not been confirmed at this time*

Golden State Warriors @ Orlando Magic – 7PM ET

The Orlando Magic surprised many, including us, when they upset the Knicks on Wednesday night but things are a lot harder here when they host the Golden State Warriors. Despite trailing by as much as 19 in the second quarter, the Warriors clawed all the way back against the Heat on Wednesday night, not getting their first lead until 1:38 left in overtime, running over the top 120-112. 

Steph Curry could only manage seven first half points on 3/11 shooting and 1/9 from deep but ended the game with 25 points, 11 assists and seven rebounds and was the driving force behind a 29-19 last quarter and a 15-5 run in overtime to seal it. As Draymond Green was a late out with ankle soreness, listed as questionable for tonight, Kent Bazemore had increased minutes and opportunities and he finished with a game high 26 points along with eight rebounds, three assists and three steals. 

Orlando returned from a four game road trip, where they went just 1-3 and included a 105-111 loss to the Warriors, to easily defeat a red hot Knicks side. Despite trailing by three points at half time, the Magic used a 30-14 third quarter to gain and establish a lead that they never gave up. Terrance Ross had his best performance of the season with 30 points, six rebounds, four assists, two steals and two blocks off the bench while Nikola Vucevic had 16 points, 16 rebounds and five assists. 

This is a tough one as Golden State are the better side here but they are just 5-7 on the road this season. If Green is out then Orlando should be able to keep this competitive and could even sneak a win but we still like the Warriors to get the job done here.

NBA Pick – Golden State Warriors (-200)
NBA Spread – Orlando Magic +5.5 (-110)
Total Points Pick – Under 224.5 (-110)

Denver Nuggets @ Cleveland Cavaliers – 7PM ET

The Denver Nuggets will be looking to bounce back from a heartbreaking 128-130 loss to the Wizards on Wednesday night when they come up against the Cleveland Cavaliers, who are starting a four game home stand. 

Monday night saw Collin Sexton put up team highs with 23 points, five assists and three steals but the Cavs could only manage 98 points in a 31 point loss to the Warriors. No starter shot better than 45% in that one and they won’t be able to be so wasteful against the Nuggets tonight.

That loss means that Cleveland has now lost a league worst eight straight game, returning home after a five game road trip that included a demoralising 95-133 loss at the hands of the Nuggets. Jarrett Allen was the on Cavalier to get anything going that day and they will need a whole lot more help in this one against a red hot Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray. 

Despite coming up two points short in Washington, both Jokic and Murray had extremely impressive individual performances. The former ended with 35 points, nine rebounds and six assists while the latter had 33 points, seven rebounds, nine assists and scored 14 of his points in the last 8:31 of the game to get Denver back within striking distance.

This should be a pretty straightforward pick with the Nuggets already proving they are too much for Cleveland to handle once this season and it is likely to happen again.

NBA Pick – Denver Nuggets (-425)
NBA Spread – Denver Nuggets -8.5 (-110)
Total Points Pick – Over 220.5 (-110)

Atlanta Hawks @ Boston Celtics – 7:30PM ET

A rematch of Wednesday night that sees the Boston Celtics look for some revenge over the Atlanta Hawks, who beat them 122-114 on their home court. The Celtics were without regular starters in Kemba Walker and Daniel Theis in that one with both expected to return tonight and that might be enough of an edge to push them over the line. 

Jayson Tatum broke out of a bit of a slump as he still recovers from COVID-19, finishing with 35 points on 52.4% shooting along with six rebounds, six assists and two steals. However his partner in crime, Jaylen Brown, had a sub-par performance with 22 points on just 30% shooting and no other Boston player could really get it going. 

The issue however was at the other end of the floor, allowing Atlanta to shoot an incredible 57.1% from the floor and giving the Hawks a massive 31 free throw attempts. 

Trae Young took advantage of that, finishing with 40 points on 70% shooting and 8/8 from the free throw line, adding eight assists as well. Clint Capela had himself a game inside with 24 points on 10/13 shooting, to go along with 13 boards and a block. 

While the Hawks ended up on top by eight points on Wednesday, we like the Celtics, who are 7-5 at home and have two very important pieces returning, to bounce back from that disappointing performance and get the job done.

NBA Pick – Boston Celtics (-200)
NBA Spread – Boston Celtics -4.5 (-110)
Total Points Pick – Over 226 (-110)

Chicago Bulls @ Philadelphia 76ers – 7:30PM ET

Two teams coming off very different wins face off when the Chicago Bulls and Philadelphia 76ers face off at Wells Fargo Center this evening. The Bulls found themselves in a 25 point second quarter hole against Detroit on Wednesday, but behind a 27-12 third quarter, managed to just get over the line. Philly on the other hand had a 29 third quarter lead but almost gave Houston the game, seeing their lead diminish to just four points before clinging on in the final seconds. 

The Sixers were without Ben Simmons for the contest but had 31 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists from their MVP candidate, Joel Embiid. Seth Curry chipped in 25 points on 8/13 shooting while Tobias Harris continued to make a claim to be an All Star with 24 points, 15 rebounds, five assists and two blocks. 

Philly got to the line an incredible 32 times with Embiid going 10/12 from the stripe and the Sixers, who should be getting Simmons back tonight, will be looking to get as many easy chances as possible against a Chicago side that allows the fifth most points per game. 

Zach LaVine was once again the star for the Bulls, putting up a massive 37 points, five rebounds, five assists and three steals while Wendell Carter Jr., in just his second game back after an 11 game absence, had an efficient 18 points and two blocks. 

The Bulls are 2-0 since Carter returned to the lineup but an overtime win in Indiana and a come from behind win over Detroit aren’t of the same equivalent of an East-leading Sixers team in Philadelphia. Philly are a very impressive 12-2 at home this season and should be too much for Chicago to handle.

NBA Pick – Philadelphia 76ers (-320)
NBA Spread – Chicago Bulls +8.5 (-110)
Total Points Pick – Over 229.5 (-110)

Detroit Pistons @ Memphis Grizzlies – 8PM ET

Wednesday night saw the Detroit Pistons have their two game winning streak snapped in Chicago, but have a very nice opportunity to bounce back against a Memphis Grizzlies side that, despite winning on Wednesday, are just 5-8 at home this season.

In their 122-113 home win over the Thunder, Memphis had spectacular performances across the board. Jonas Valanciunas and Grayson Allen led the game in scoring with 22 points, the former adding 12 rebounds, while Kyle Anderson had an extremely rare game of 20 points, five rebounds, five assists and five steals! 

We haven’t even mentioned Ja Morant yet, who ended up with a 15 point, 12 assist, 11 rebound triple double, who helped pace the team to a 36-28 last quarter and helped them shoot an incredible 50.6% from the field. They will be wanting to have another shooting performance like that again tonight, as Detroit allowed Chicago to shoot better from the field in their gut-wrenching 102-105 loss. 

The Pistons led by as many as 25 points in the second quarter but only managed a 12-27 third quarter and could never recover from that. Jerami Grant had a career night with 43 points but finished with no assists and three turnovers in an empty performance that didn’t really help his team. No other player managed to score over 12 points and Delon Wright led the team in assists with just four. 

While the Grizzlies are just 5-8 at home this season, they are the much better side here and Detroit are just 2-12 on the road, so we like them to pick up the win here. Valanciunas should prove to be a handful down low and Morant is playing incredibly well at the moment, with the duo being too much for Detroit to handle.

NBA Pick – Memphis Grizzlies (-185)
NBA Spread – Memphis Grizzlies -5 (-110)
Total Points Pick – Over 222 (-110)

Oklahoma City Thunder @ Milwaukee Bucks – 8PM ET

Alarm bells are ringing as the Milwaukee Bucks lost their fifth straight game last night, most recently a two game home set against the Raptors. However the sportsbooks think that the streak will end there as BET365 have the home side as 11 point favorites when they take on a Oklahoma City Thunder that beat them just five days ago. 

That contest saw the Thunder overcome a 24 points, 17 rebound, 10 assist triple double from Giannis Antetokounmpo to come out on top 114-109 despite missing their best player in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. 

SGA returned to the lineup on Wednesday night in the Thunder 113-122 loss to Memphis, putting up a game high 22 points along with six assists. Five other Thunder players scored in double figures but they gave up far too many points, including a 36 point last quarter when the game was on the line. 

Despite already being on a four game losing streak, the Bucks looked lethargic from the jump, allowing Toronto to score 33 first quarter points and scoring just 41 points in the first half themselves. Antetokounmpo ended up with team highs across the board with 23 points, 12 rebounds, eight assists and two steals but the Bucks only managed 96 points in the 14 point loss. 

While they have been playing miserably of late, Milwaukee are far too good to let this streak continue, especially against an Oklahoma side that has the second worst record in the West! Look for Giannis to come out strong from the jump and Khris Middleton to perform better than he has of late.

NBA Pick – Milwaukee Bucks (-750)
NBA Spread – Milwaukee Bucks -11 (-110)
Total Points Pick – Under 232.5 (-110)

Phoenix Suns @ New Orleans Pelicans – 8PM ET

Two teams who are looking to bounce back from disappointing home losses last time out will look to get things back on track when the Phoenix Suns get on the road to take on the New Orleans Pelicans tonight. Phoenix had a six game winning streak snapped by the Nets on Tuesday night while the Pelicans followed up a massive 31 point win over the Grizzlies with a two point loss to the Blazers on Wednesday.

Zion Williamson had a massive 36 points on 66.7% shooting while Lonzo Ball had 21 points on 7/14 from the field and 5/10 from deep but Brandon Ingram played well below his season averages with just 14 points and the Pelicans allowed Damian Lillard to put up 43 points and 16 assists and couldn’t keep up. 

Devin Booker will be licking his lips after seeing what Lillard could do, hoping to put up a similar performance tonight as the Suns’ shooting guard has averaged 28.3 points on 55.9% shooting over the last week. On Tuesday he only had 22 points, with Chris Paul taking over late to lead the team in scoring with 29 points.

The issue for Phoenix was their fourth quarter performance, allowing Brooklyn to score a massive 40 points in the final 12 minutes and give up their 24 point halftime lead. That performance is going to sting for Phoenix, especially with the ultimate competitor in Paul, so we like them to come out hard on the road with a point to prove.

An added incentive for Phoenix is the last time these sides met, they allowed New Orleans to put up a massive 75 second half points in a 22 point loss. That all points towards the Suns playing with more desperation and despite that performance, Phoenix has been playing much better basketball than the Pelicans lately and we like them to win on the road here. 

NBA Pick – Phoenix Suns (-140)
NBA Spread – Phoenix Suns -2.5 (-110)
Total Points Pick – Under 230.5 (-110)

Dallas Mavericks @ Houston Rockets – 8PM ET

*This game has been postponed due to severe weather conditions in Texas, a new date has not been confirmed at this time*

Toronto Raptors @ Minnesota Timberwolves – 9PM ET

The Toronto Raptors will be full of confidence when they take on the Minnesota Timberwolves tonight after back to back wins in Milwaukee. However, these sides met in Tampa Bay on Sunday, resulting in a Minnesota 116-112 win and the Raptors will now be without Kyle Lowry who missed last night as well.

Despite missing Lowry, the Raptors put up 33 first quarter points on the way to an easy 110-96 win, holding the Bucks, who are second in the league for field goal percentage, to just 39.8% shooting. Norman Powell had the hot hand with 29 points while Pascal Siakam finished with 27 points, six rebounds, five assists and two blocks. 

They will be looking for their third straight win now in Minnesota, coming up against a Timberwolves side that has seen that win over the Raptors be their only win from their last seven games. Wednesday saw Karl-Anthony Towns and Malik Beasley both reach 30 points but Minnesota just couldn’t keep up with the Pacers, going down 128-134 in overtime. 

Ricky Rubio flourished in a starting role with 20 points and 13 assists but the team allowed Indiana to shoot 50%+ from the field and from deep, unable to reach their scoring heights. 

This is a tough one to pick as Toronto has played a pair of incredible games in Milwaukee but they are one of just three teams that is yet to win on the second night of a back to back this season and Minnesota performs much better at home than on the road. We like the Timberwolves are home underdogs in this one. 

NBA Pick – Minnesota Timberwolves (+150)
NBA Spread – Minnesota Timberwolves +3.5 (-110)
Total Points Pick – Over 231.5 (-110)

Utah Jazz @ Los Angeles Clippers – 10PM ET

Another rematch of Friday night sees the Utah Jazz attempt to extend their league best record and make it 2/2 on the road against the Los Angeles Clippers. Both Kawhi Leonard and Paul George missed the 96-114 defeat, and both are just questionable for tonight’s clash which isn’t a positive sign for Clippers fans. 

In their absence Lou Williams held the pace with 16 points, six rebounds, six assists and two steals while Reggie Jackson had 15 points and five assists but without their two stars, LA seriously struggled. 

Despite being down by five points at half time, the Jazz used a 68-45 second half to blow the game open and win their ninth straight game. Utah actually shot worse from the field and went just 13/40 (32.5%) from behind the arc but had more assists, more rebounds, more steals, more blocks and less turnovers to help get them over the line.

Donovan Mitchell led scoring for the game with 24 points, adding eight rebounds, seven assists and three steals but the game ball went to Rudy Gobert. The big man and Defensive Player of the Year favorite (-150) put up a massive 23 points and 20 rebounds in the win and took advantage of the Clippers thin front court. 

With Leonard and George just questionable, it is hard to see the Clippers doing enough to make up 18 points and pick up a win against the best team in the league. Take the Jazz to keep on rolling and pick up their 10th straight here.

NBA Pick – Utah Jazz (-210)
NBA Spread – Utah Jazz -2.5 (-110)
Total Points Pick – Under 224.5 (-110)

If you need more news, information and predictions, head over to our NBA hub page for all your basketball needs.

*Odds and spreads correct at time of publication, courtesy of Bet365

Tim is a keen follower of all American sports, in particular the NBA and NFL. He has followed both sports for over a decade and would happily sit down and watch every game, regardless of who is playing! No matter the sport, whether it be NFL and NBA or even MLB, NHL, UFC and all sports, Tim covers it from every angle, staying in the loop to bring you the most up-to-date information and the best picks and predictions on the market.