Our free NBA picks are out for Friday, March 11th, 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!
Detroit Pistons @ Boston Celtics – 7.30pm ET
The Detroit Pistons have one game on the road when they travel to Boston to take on the Celtics. The Pistons had their three game winning streak snapped last time out, as they went down to the Bulls, 108-114. The Celtics are on a four game winning streak, with wins over the Hawks, Grizzlies, Nets and Hornets.
Jeffery Thomas
The Detroit Pistons may be at 14th place in the Eastern Conference with a record of 18-48, but they have been one of the toughest opponents to face of late. They have covered the spread in 9 straight games now, including 2 of those against their Friday night opponents, the Celtics. They gave the Chicago Bulls everything they could handle on Wednesday, losing 108-114. Detroit had no answer for DeMar Derozan in the fourth quarter but the young Pistons showed that their future is very bright. Cade Cunningham had 22 points on a very efficient 9-15 shooting and it marked his 5th straight game of over 20 points. The Boston Celtics have been rolling through March so far, winning all four of their games of the new month, including a 115-101 win over the Hornets on Wednesday.
Jayson Tatum continued his hot streak, scoring 44 points which was an encore to his 54 point explosion against the Nets on Sunday. It was the 40th win on the season for the Celtics who are now firmly at 5th place in the Eastern Conference. These two teams met three times this year, all in February, and the Celtics were 2-1 in those games. Interestingly, neither win was by double digits but the Celtics opened up as huge 14 point favorites for this one. The Pistons are no slouch these days and have already shown their grit against the Celtics multiple times, so I feel comfortable backing them on the spread on Friday night to extend their covering streak out to 10 games.
Jeffery’s NBA Pick: Detroit Pistons +14 (-110)
Michael Lantz
The Boston Celtics have been one of, if not the, hottest team(s) in the NBA over the last month. They’ve gone 15-2 over their last 17, and have buckled down on both sides of the ball thanks to the impressive play of Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, the latter of which has worked his way into the MVP conversation. On Friday, the Celtics will play a team that’s provided them with one of those two losses—a Detroit Pistons team that sits at the bottom of the Eastern Conference.
Road flow! ✌️ https://t.co/0yTeDHIAP5 pic.twitter.com/GjB8q6Xqf3
— Detroit Pistons (@DetroitPistons) March 11, 2022
That being said, the Pistons have been playing spoilers recently. Not only have they beaten the Celtics, but they also recently pulled out upset wins against the Hornets, Hawks, and Raptors. Even though they’re a young team, it’s important to never count the Pistons out. With players like Cade Cunningham and Saddiq Bey, they have plenty of offensive upside. So even though they might not win this one, I expect them to cover the spread.
Michael’s NBA Pick: Detroit Pistons +14 (-110)
Noah Dunlap
This is a matchup of one of the worst teams in the NBA taking on one of the hottest teams in the league. Now, to their credit, despite an awful record, and not looking much better than awful all year, the Detroit Pistons have at least become a formidable opponent lately, as they’re showing improvement night after night, though it hasn’t led to an improvement in record yet. If you’re a Pistons fan, you have to look at this improvement, and the fact that they’re playing teams tougher, as a great sign moving forward.
On the other side, the Boston Celtics have arguably been the hottest team in basketball over the past few months, and they’ve quickly become a potential favorite in the Eastern Conference. They’ve started shooting the ball better, as well as playing much better defense over this stretch, which is why they’re looking more like the team most people expected to see at the beginning of the year. While Detroit is playing better, I don’t think they have enough to get the win in this one, so give me Boston at home, with some ease.
Noah’s NBA Pick: Boston Celtics (-1200)
Cleveland Cavaliers @ Miami Heat – 8pm ET
The Cleveland Cavaliers are in the middle of their three game road trip on Friday night when they take on the Miami Heat. After losing three games in a row, the Cavaliers managed to win their last two games, which brings their overall season record to 38-27. The Heat have won 12 of their last 15 games, but they did lose their game last time out to the Suns, 90-111.
Jeffery Thomas
The Cavs will play game 2 of their three game road trip against Miami Heat who are the top seed in the Eastern Conference. Game 1 of the trip was a 127-124 shootout victory over the Indiana Pacers that was led by their star guard Darius Garland. Garland had a career-high 41 points along with 13 assists and he hit the game winning free-throws with 14 seconds left to seal the W. It was Cleveland’s first game without All-Star center Jarrett Allen who is out indefinitely with a broken finger. They were able to get through a rebuilding Indiana without him, but facing this Miami team will definitely serve as a tougher test, especially given the fact the Heat will be coming in off a bad loss on Wednesday. They dropped a 90-111 result to the visiting Phoenix Suns in Devin Booker’s return to the lineup.
There was no Jimmy Butler for Miami in this one and it forced Gabe Vincent into the starting lineup and he didn’t perform well, shooting 2-10 on the night. The usually reliable Tyler Herro also had an off night, shooting 7-20 from the field. It was Miami’s first loss in 4 games and they’ll look to get Butler back for this game and get back to their winning ways on Friday. The Heat will likely have Jimmy Butler back and that makes all the difference to me. He’s the glue for Miami defensively on the perimeter and serves as their most clutch and reliable scorer as well as the facilitator at times offensively. It’s a much more cohesive unit with him out there and with the Cavs missing Jarrett Allen it takes away a lot of prowess to the Cavs defense that was already struggling. The Heat’s depth will win out against this short-handed Cavs team.
Jeffery’s NBA Pick: Miami Heat (-230)
Michael Lantz
In this battle of two top Eastern Conference teams, the Cleveland Cavaliers travel to South beach to take on the one-seed Miami Heat Unfortunately for Miami, they looked vulnerable on Wednesday night. They lost to the Phoenix Suns, and while the Suns have the best record in the NBA they were without All-Star Chris Paul when they met earlier in the week. So that made the loss all the more brutal for the Heat, as they were unable to capitalize at home against a team that was missing arguably their best player. So, on Friday they’ll look to bounce back as they face the Cleveland Cavaliers in a potential playoff matchup.
15 games left#HEATPlayoffPush pic.twitter.com/crvK3vQUpr
— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) March 10, 2022
The Cavaliers sit at 38-27 which has them as the sixth seed in the East. Still, they’re only three games behind the Milwaukee Bucks for second, so every game going forward counts. The Cavs are still without recently acquired Caris LeVert, who should be a big scoring boost upon his return, but All-Star Darius Garland has continued to be a stud, scoring 25+ in three of his last four, including 41 points in the Cavs 127-124 win over the Pacers on Tuesday. While the Cavs have been one of the NBA’s biggest surprises this season, going into Miami will be a tough task. While the Heat did fall flat to a Chris Paul-less Suns team, they should be able to handle this Cavs team at home quite comfortably.
Michael’s NBA Pick: Miami Heat -5.5 (-110)
Noah Dunlap
After looking like a surprisingly good team in the Eastern Conference, the Cleveland Cavaliers finally stumbled and looked beatable, though I think a lot of that is due to the fact that they have faced a ridiculous number of injuries and obstacles all year long. They’ve since followed that up by winning two straight, which is a good sign, and I think they’re set to end up settling in as a decent, not great team as we close out the regular season.
Now they take on the number one seed in the East, the Miami Heat, after Miami dropped their last game in a blowout to a depleted Phoenix Suns team. They were without Jimmy Butler in that one, as he was out with an illness, but it appears that he, and the rest of the roster should be good to go for this matchup. With it being in Miami, and them coming off the somewhat embarrassing loss, I think the Heat come out looking to prove a point, and take care of this one without too much trouble.
Noah’s NBA Pick: Miami Heat -5.5 (-110)
New York Knicks @ Memphis Grizzlies – 8pm ET
The road trip continues on for the New York Knicks, who on Friday will go toe-to-toe with the Memphis Grizzlies. The Knicks are playing reasonably well at the moment, and only for the fourth time this season, they have won three games in a row. The Grizzlies have been trading wins and losses for the last five games, and this takes their overall season record to 45-22.
Jeffery Thomas
The Knicks that we have seen in the last 3 games is what fans were expecting to see all season, after their run to the playoffs last year. They have dispatched of the Clippers, Kings, and Mavericks all on the road and all by an average of 23 points. The 30 point win over Dallas in their last game was definitely the most shocking result during that span, as Dallas was riding high on a 5-game winning streak. Julius Randle went for 26 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists in his hometown and now they’ll get another tough road test on Friday against the Memphis Grizzlies. The Grizz have alternated wins and losses in their first four games of March with their last game out being a 132-111 win over the Pelicans at home. Ja Morant led Memphis in points (24), rebounds (8), and assists (8) in what was their 45th win on the campaign.
Heading into Thursday’s action, they are tied in the loss column with Golden State but since they have one more win than the Warriors they are occupying that 2 seed in the West. I don’t know what to make of this recent surge by the Knicks but it’s definitely something to pay attention to. They’re not completely out of the play-in tournament landscape, but they will need to continue this winning streak for another 8 or so games to really have a realistic shot. Memphis has their own goals they’re striving for and will see this Knicks team as a good team to build their momentum against and replicate their 120-108 win over New York from last month. That one was in the Garden and now with Memphis at home, things could be even uglier, so give me Memphis to cover and bring the Knicks back down to Earth.
Jeffery’s NBA Pick: Memphis Grizzlies -9.5 (-110)
Michael Lantz
The New York Knicks are coming off arguably their best win of the year, as they beat a very good Dallas Mavericks team 107-77. Their defensive identity that gave them so much success last season came alive again on Wednesday; now on Friday they’ll have to face another top Western Conference team, as they take on the Memphis Grizzlies. The Grizzlies are currently second in the Western Conference, and after a tough loss on Sunday against the lowly Houston Rockets, they were able to bounce back and run one of the NBA’s hottest teams, the New Orleans Pelicans, 132-111.
lab talk. pic.twitter.com/aw8rEMfvI4
— Memphis Grizzlies (@memgrizz) March 10, 2022
In that game, the Grizzlies three young stars (Ja Morant, Desmond Bane, and Jaren Jackson Jr.) all scored 20+ points as the Grizzlies were unfazed by a Pelicans team that was without Brandon Ingram. After the way the Knicks dominated the Mavericks, the Grizzlies cannot take this game for granted, but even with the Knicks showing flashes of their 2021 team, I’m not sure they’ll maintain it. I’ll pick the Grizzlies to defeat the Knicks team in Memphis.
Michael’s NBA Pick: Memphis Grizzlies -9.5 (-110)
Noah Dunlap
Are the New York Knicks finally turning a corner once again? We’ve thought that a few times this season, but they always seem to end up crashing right back down to earth. They’ve won three straight, and now try to make it four, this time as they travel to Memphis to take on a Grizzlies team that has proven themselves to be one of the best in the league. Arguably more impressive than the win streak itself, was the performance that they managed to put together in Dallas a few nights ago, as they dismantled the Mavericks by 30.
The Memphis Grizzlies have slowed down just a bit lately, but certainly haven’t fallen all that far, as for them falling off just means going 3-2 in their last five. Ja Morant is still playing like an MVP candidate, though over this stretch it’s been less scoring and more of an assisting type of performance. In the end, the fact that we haven’t seen this New York team consistently put together long winning streaks, as well as it being a home game for the Grizz plays a big role, as I like Memphis to pull out a tight one over a Knicks team that is playing better basketball.
Noah’s NBA Pick: Memphis Grizzlies (-450)
Utah Jazz @ San Antonio Spurs – 8.30pm ET
The Utah Jazz hit the road for just one game tonight, when they face off against the San Antonio Spurs. The Jazz have a season record of 41-24, and last time out they got a dominant win over the Trail Blazers, 123-85. The Spurs have lost five of their last six games, with their only win in this time coming against the Lakers, 117-110.
Jeffery Thomas
The Utah Jazz are back on the road by one game before returning to their home arena for 4 straight games and will be missing a key starter on Friday night. Bojan Bogdanovic suffered a bruised leg on Wednesday in the 123-85 win over the Trail Blazers. Before exiting the game, he had a team-high 27 points and six three-pointers, so his presence will surely be missed against this Spurs team that can score in bunches. San Antonio that same night was in action at home against the Toronto Raptors, losing 104-119. It was head coach Gregg Popovich’s first crack at breaking the all-time regular season wins record held by his mentor Don Nelson.
In a season where the Spurs aren’t playing for anything and are in rebuild mode, that will be a huge accomplishment for one of the best coaches of all-time and he’d want nothing more than breaking the record in front of his home fans. I don’t think this is the game for Pop to break the record, despite the Jazz missing Bogdanovic from their lineup. I do however see the Spurs fighting very hard for that win and keeping it close against a Utah team that has fallen off significantly from last season’s performance when they finished with the best record in the league. This Spurs team is dangerous offensively and will be playing inspired basketball that will carry them to a cover in this spot.
Jeffery’s NBA Pick: San Antonio Spurs +7 (-108)
Michael Lantz
The Utah Jazz are currently the fourth seed in the Western Conference, as they’re hanging on by a thread over the Dallas Mavericks and Denver Nuggets. They’ve gone 7-3 in their last ten, and while their 123-85 win over the Portland Trail Blazers was a major confidence boost, they’ll need to be more consistent against better opponents if they plan on making a serious playoff run. It’s essential that they don’t overlook teams like the San Antonio Spurs going forward. While the Spurs might not be playoff ready, they’re more than able to upset any team that they face.
back at it on Friday pic.twitter.com/CaZdr4xNsG
— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) March 10, 2022
The Spurs sit in 12th in the Western Conference, but they feel like a team that’s on the verge of being able to compete with the best in the conference. Dejounte Murray has been a stud all season, which led to his first All-Star Game appearance, and while the team is 25-41, there’s still some hope for them to make the play-in game. Even if they don’t, it feels like they’re just one good player away from being able to compete. While they face a very good Jazz squad on Friday, I think they’ll be able to hold their own, at home—the Jazz might be able to take this one, but I’ll at least pick the Spurs to cover.
Michael’s NBA Pick: San Antonio Spurs +7 (-108)
Noah Dunlap
The San Antonio Spurs, after playing inspired basketball for a stretch, have fallen off once again, as they’ve lost five of their last six, and are once again watching Dejounte Murray be virtually the only playmaker they have. Having only one guy who consistently plays good basketball doesn’t bode well for them as they now get ready to take on one of the most balanced rosters in the league.
It is coming off of a complete demolition of the Portland Trail Blazers in their last game, as that was a game that saw Portland not reach the 50-point mark until the fourth quarter. They did reach 85 for the game, but that came only after Utah had taken all of their starters out and we’re simply trying to end the game. With a nearly 100% healthy roster, minus Bogdanovich, I think this Jazz team is probably going to roll once again, though I wouldn’t expect it to be close to 40, as it was against Portland.
Noah’s NBA Pick: Utah Jazz -7 (112)
Toronto Raptors @ Phoenix Suns – 9pm ET
The Toronto Raptors are on the road for Friday night when they travel to Footprint Center in Phoenix to face off against the Suns. The Raptors snapped their three game losing streak last time out, with a win over the Spurs, 119-104. The Suns have won four of their last five, and this takes their overall season record to 53-13.
Jeffery Thomas
The Raptors were happy to welcome back their All-Star point guard Fred VanVleet on Wednesday in their 119-104 win over the San Antonio Spurs. He had a team-high 26 points on 7-15 shooting and the Raptors as a team had five guys in double figures. The win snapped a modest three-game losing streak for Toronto that saw them slip to 7th in the East. Phoenix also welcomes back their All-Star guard Devin Booker on Wednesday night, in a 111-90 win over the East-leading Miami Heat. He had 23 points in his return to lead the way and not that there was any doubt, but Phoenix officially clinched a spot in the playoffs with the win.
With a record of 53-13, they were the first team to punch their ticket to the postseason and now have their eyes on making another run to the NBA Finals. A very interesting matchup in Phoenix on Friday night. The Raptors are getting healthier but still missing starting forward OG Anunoby and the Suns are still missing Chris Paul. The Paul loss is much bigger but the depth and talent is still on the Suns’ side and they will have the home court advantage. Toronto hasn’t been too impressive lately so there’s no reason to really back them in this matchup, especially given they’ve already lost to the Suns this year back in January.
Jeffery’s NBA Pick: Phoenix Suns (-255)
Michael Lantz
The Phoenix Suns only furthered their dominance on Wednesday as they wiped out the Miami Heat in South Beach, beating them 111-90 in Miami; without Chris Paul. It just showed how good the Suns are as a unit, and how willing players are to step up when one of their top players is out. That’s a championship formula, and even though they’ll be in an outstanding mood after the win against Miami, they’ll know they can’t skate by the Toronto Raptors on Friday. Toronto sits in seventh place in the Eastern Conference, and as they’ve grown more healthy as a squad, they’ve started to look more and more like the team that won the NBA Finals in 2019.
22-0 this season when holding the opponent to under 100 points.@Annexus | #RallyTheValley pic.twitter.com/Fz4ClSaz94
— x – Phoenix Suns (@Suns) March 10, 2022
Even though they’ve recently been without OG Anunoby lately, their starting lineup still consists of Fred VanVleet, Pascal Siakam, and Scottie Barnes—so the scoring is plenty. The Raptors are well-rounded and have plenty of depth, but health has continued to be an issue for this team with so much potential. They’ll have to go into the lion’s den on Friday as they face a Phoenix Suns team that’s the best in basketball, and are currently thriving without Chris Paul. While I think the Raptors have a good chance in this one, it’s hard for me to pick against this Suns team after what I saw on Wednesday against arguably the best team in the East. With this one being in the Valley, I think the safe bet is Phoenix.
Michael’s NBA Pick: Phoenix Suns (-255)
Noah Dunlap
This has the potential to be a sneaky good game, as Toronto can’t seem to decide one night to the next whether they want to play well or not, and Phoenix comes in with a bit of a depleted roster, as they’re still without Chris Paul. The Suns have been the best team in the league all year, and they’ve already locked up a postseason berth, and now all they are concerned about is locking up the one seed as well. They destroyed the Miami Heat in their last outing, which should have their confidence soaring, not that they needed it.
The Raptors come into this one having just snapped a three game losing streak, as they welcomed back Fred VanVleet into the lineup. The losing streak did drop them to seventh in the East currently, but once they can get completely healthy again, I think they do have the potential to make a decent run to close out the year. I don’t think that helps them in this one though, as even without CP3, I still think Phoenix manages to take care of business at home. Give me the Suns in this one, and I think they do so with relative ease.
Noah’s NBA Pick: Phoenix Suns -6 (-110)
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*Odds and spreads correct at time of publication, courtesy of FanDuel.
