Free NBA Picks Today for Friday, March 26th, 2021

Free NBA Picks Today for Friday, March 26th, 2021
Fri 26th March 2021

Another massive night for our NBA picks, going 4-1 in our straight up picks and even better in our premium picks! You don’t want to miss out on all of the action.

There are 11 games tonight and we have analysed each of them for you so that are the most informed you can be before placing your bets! Check it all out below.

Brooklyn Nets @ Detroit Pistons – 7PM ET

The Brooklyn Nets already made their big name trade for the season, bringing in James Harden and that is paying dividends for them right now. With Durant out for extended time and Irving missing games here and there, Harden has been playing at an MVP level and will be looking to add to his resume against the Detroit Pistons tonight.

Detroit have lost two straight and six of their last eight, only beating the Rockets and Raptors, both of whom were depleted at the time, during that stretch. In Wednesday’s 111-116 loss in Indiana, the Pistons shot an incredible 53% from the field while having more assists and rebounds, but also committed five more turnovers  and shot just 12/19 from the charity stripe. 

Jerami Grant led six different Detroit players in double figures with 29 points and that sort of whole team performance is going to be needed against the Nets, who are actually struggling for players right now, throwing up a lineup of Tyler Johnson, Bruce Brown, Joe Harris, TLC and Jeff Green on Wednesday against the league leading Jazz.

Harden missed the game with neck soreness and is just questionable for this clash, but in his absence, Alize Johnson was able to step up and perform. After just signing a 10-day contract, the forward showed out with 23 points and 15 rebounds, but it was no hope in their 88-118 loss. 

The big factor here is whether Harden actually takes the floor or not. With him, the Nets should win. Without him, the Pistons should win. We can’t imagine Brooklyn will want to drop another game with them now dropping to third behind Milwaukee in the East, so we expect Harden to be good to go for this clash. 

NBA Pick – Brooklyn Nets (-240)
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Phoenix Suns @ Toronto Raptors – 7:30PM ET

The Phoenix Suns suffered a shock loss to Orlando last time out but have a perfect opportunity to bounce back against a depleted and struggling Toronto side. After their shock 135-111 win over Denver that put a halt to their nine game losing streak, the Raptors sent out Norman Powell to the Blazers, returning Gary Trent Jr and Rodney Hood in the process. 

Both Trent Jr and Hood won’t make it in time for this clash and Powell has arguably been the Raptors best and most consistent player over the last 1-2 months of action. With averages of over 25 points on 54.2% shooting whilst also making nearly four threes a night, Powell has been incredible for Toronto and they will miss him.

He had 22 points in the win over Denver while Pascal Siakam (27p, 8r, 6a) and OG Anunoby (23p, 6r) stepped up big time, something that we haven’t seen for quite some time. They will need to do it all over again against a Phoenix team that opted to stand pat at the deadline and continue what has gotten them to 29-14, second in the West.

Phoenix did struggle on the second night of a back to back when playing in Orlando, shooting just 11/33 from deep and unable to make stops down the stretch, losing the last quarter by six in their one point loss. All three of Booker, Ayton and Paul scored over 20 but it was the defense, ranked sixth overall, that fell through against a lacklustre Orlando team.

The Raptors still have Fred VanVleet, Kyle Lowry, Siakam and Anunoby to go up against the Suns here but the loss of Powell will be tough to overcome and the Suns are an impressive 10-3 following a loss. Take the Suns to pick up a handy road win here.

NBA Pick – Phoenix Suns (-198)
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Boston Celtics @ Milwaukee Bucks – 7:30PM ET

The Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks will go head to head for the third and final time this season and it is an important clash in more ways than one. Boston took the first matchup by one and then Milwaukee took the second, on Wednesday night, by two. That win pushed Milwaukee up to second in the East while Boston are now two games below 0.500 and down to eighth in the standings. 

Milwaukee won the first quarter by five, second by six and third by three, leading by 14 heading into the last but a 33-21 comeback from Boston almost got them over the line. A missed layup by Marcus Smart followed by a missed three by Daniel Theis could have changed the outcome but Milwaukee escaped with the 121-119 victory.

Speaking of Theis, he is no longer on the team after being sent to Boston in a flurry of moves that saw the Celtics net Evan Fournier from the Magic. While Fournier won’t be with the team for this clash, Boston will be without Theis and Jeff Teague who went out in trades. Theis has been a vital part of Boston’s rotation, playing 32 minutes on Wednesday for 10 points and two blocks while Teague scored 15 points in his 17 minutes and played as the primary backup for Kemba Walker. 

Without them in the lineup, Boston will struggle to compete in this one, especially considering they just lost with both of them two nights ago. Both Walker and Jaylen Brown discord over 20 points but Jayson Tatum managed just 18 on 7/19 shooting and they couldn’t keep up with the Bucks and their offense that averages the most points per game in the league.

Despite both Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jrue Holiday scoring just 13 points on under 40% shooting, Khris Middleton stepped up with 27 points and 13 rebounds while Bobby Portis chipped in with 21 points off the bench and we don’t see how the shorthanded Celtics can score enough to compete with this Milwaukee side. 

NBA Pick – Milwaukee Bucks (-240)
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Miami Heat @ Charlotte Hornets – 8PM ET

The Miami Heat may have won the trade deadline, but that doesn’t help them right now as they are in the midst of a five game losing streak. They now get on the road after a four game home stand and have to back it up against the Charlotte Hornets tonight after a tough three point loss to Portland last night. 

Jimmy Butler joined Goran Dragic on the sidelines due to injury while Kelly Olynyk got traded at the deadline and it left the Heat extremely short handed against the Blazers last night. Both Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro scored 29, with Adebayo filling the stat sheet with nine boards, seven assists and five blocks in the 122-125 loss. 

Despite being so undermanned, the Heat had the game tied with just 12 minutes remaining and had a game high lead of 10 points with six minutes left, but allowed Damian Lillard to score nine points after that stage and face another dangerous guard, albeit nowhere near the same level, in Terry Rozier tonight. 

The Charlotte guard had a game high 25 points in their 122-97 win over Houston on Wednesday as Devonte’ Graham and Malik Monk combined for 40, helping fill the holes left by the absence of LaMelo Ball. 

Butler is just questionable for this one and given he missed with illness rather than injury, it is tough to know whether he will return for this clash. We expected Charlotte to see a drop off when losing Ball but they have won two straight and are eyeing off a third against a depleted Miami side. Adebayo should have his way against a thin Charlotte frontcourt but the Hornets should still escape with the win, at home here.

NBA Pick – Charlotte Hornets (+126)
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Portland Trail Blazers @ Orlando Magic – 8PM ET

Well what a fizzer this should be. The Orlando Magic finally did it, a massive fire sale that saw them trade All Star Nikola Vucevic, Aaron Gordon and Evan Fournier away, looking towards the future rather than worrying about right now. That is great for the Portland Trail Blazers who are coming off a tough clash in Miami right now and will be on tired legs for this matchup.

CJ McCollum got Portland off to a blistering start, scoring 21 of their 31 first quarter points and ending with a game high 35 points for the game. Damian Lillard added 22 points and nine assists while Enes Kanter dominated inside once again with 18 points and 16 rebounds. 

It is slightly worrying that the Blazers allowed an undermanned Miami side to shoot 56% from the field and score a massive 122 points, however Orlando is even more undermanned and this should be a walk in the park. 

From the side that beat Phoenix on Wednesday, the Magic are missing the top four in minutes. From who is left, Chuma Okeke was the best from that win, scoring 17 points while Dwayne Bacon had just 11. 

The Magic haven’t played a game without Vucevic this season and it isn’t hard to know how they will do without their All Star in the lineup. Look for the Blazers to complete the Florida sweep tonight.

NBA Pick – Portland Trail Blazers (-670)
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Houston Rockets @ Minnesota Timberwolves – 8PM ET

The Houston Rockets finally traded Victor Oladipo after a short and dramatic stint with the team but the trade doesn’t particularly help their short or long term future, starting with a road matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves tonight. 

The Rockets have lost 21 of their last 22 games, most recently 97-122 against the Hornets. John Wall had a solid game with 20 points and seven assists while Christian Wood had an 11 point and 10 rebound double double, but it was the same old story for Houston. They shoot poorly from the field, defend poorly and can’t compete at the level. 

It will be interesting to see how they go against a Minnesota side that is still two and a half games worse off in the standings and has lost three straight games by a combined 41 points. Despite 29 points from Anthony Edwards and 22 from Karl-Anthony Towns, the Timberwolves still suffered a 108-128 loss to Dallas last time out.

This is a really tough game to pick since both teams have really struggled this year and have gone through some personnel issues, Houston with their trades and both with their injuries. Minnesota have had some impressive wins of late though, over Phoenix, Portland and New Orleans, which hold them in good stead for this matchup here, especially at home.

NBA Pick – Minnesota Timberwolves (-154)
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Denver Nuggets @ New Orleans Pelicans – 8PM ET

The Denver Nuggets and New Orleans Pelicans face off for the second time in less than a week with both sides going through some changes since then, Denver trading for Aaron Gordon and New Orleans trading JJ Redick. While Gordon won’t be able to be with the Nuggets for this clash, the Pelicans will be without Redick, which really isn’t that big of a loss as he has been in and out of the rotation anyway.

The Pelicans didn’t need him in Los Angeles on Tuesday, beating the Lakers 128-111 behind impressive performances from their two stars. Brandon Ingram had 36 points on 66.7% shooting while Zion Williamson continued his impressive play with 27 points on 69.2% shooting, adding nine rebounds and five assists as well. 

It was an extremely impressive showing from New Orleans, but the Nuggets are a much tougher opponent than the shorthanded Lakers and Denver will be looking for revenge following their five point home loss to the Pelicans on Sunday night. 

Denver has followed up that loss with a win in Orlando before a shocking 24 point loss against the Raptors last time out. Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray both scored 20 points, the former adding 10 rebounds and the latter adding seven assists but it wasn’t enough in an unusual blowout loss. 

Denver didn’t really lose any rotational players in their trade for Gordon, so their lineup should remain pretty similar here. Given they got blown out in their last game and lost to New Orleans last time out, we think the Nuggets will come out with a point to prove. 

NBA Pick – Denver Nuggets (-126)
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Indiana Pacers @ Dallas Mavericks – 8:30PM ET

The Dallas Mavericks seem to have hit their stride of late, winning back to back games on the road by a combined 60 points and now return home to host the Indiana Pacers. While Dallas has been impressive, winning four of their last six with wins over the Nuggets, Clippers and Trail Blazers included, the Pacers have been equally impressive winning four of their last seven with a win in Phoenix and two in Miami too. 

Their most recent was a 116-111 home win over Detroit where Caris LeVert had his best game as a Pacer, scoring a team high 28 points and hitting the game sealing three in the final minute of action. The Pacers shot an impressive 44.1% from deep which helped them get over the line despite having less assists and rebounds than the Pistons. 

They also forced Detroit into 16 turnovers whilst having just 10 of their own and that sort of defense will be needed against a Dallas side that is averaging 130 points over their last two and has the ninth best offensive rating for the season.

Wednesday night saw them easily take care of the Timberwolves, winning 128-108 despite just 15 points on 6/16 shooting from Luka Doncic. Kristaps Porzingis stepped up to fill the void, scoring 29 points, adding nine rebounds and two blocks too while Jalen Brunson filled up the stat sheet with 16 points, 11 boards and five assists. 

This will be the second of two games between the sides for the season, with Dallas taking the first matchup in Indiana by 12 points. We are expecting a much better performance from Doncic in this one and the way Dallas is playing right now, we can’t see why they won’t go on and win again. 

NBA Pick – Dallas Mavericks (-190)
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Memphis Grizzlies @ Utah Jazz – 9PM ET

The Utah Jazz have won an impressive 17 straight games at home this season and will put that streak on the line with a two game home series against the Memphis Grizzlies this weekend. However Memphis have a little streak of their own, winning three straight and four of their last five, including over the Warriors and the Celtics. 

In their 116-107 road win over the Thunder on Wednesday, the Grizzlies had help from some less common names like Dillon Brooks and Grayson Allen. The pair combined for 45 points on 16/27 shooting, dominating the decisive third quarter which Memphis won 33-20. 

While they won that one and have won three straight, this matchup with the Jazz is a completely different kettle of fish. Memphis shot just 11/30 from deep, had less assists and more turnovers in their game against the Thunder, something that won’t work so well against Utah in this one. 

The Jazz rank third for both offensive and defensive rating for the season and have become nearly unstoppable when playing at home this season. Of their 17 straight home wins, the last 16 have all been by double figures and the Jazz looked unstoppable in their 30 point win over a depleted Brooklyn side on Wednesday. Donovan Mitchell continued his All-NBA play with 27 points, seven assists and six rebounds in the blowout where no one reached 28 minutes.

A well rested, finely tuned Utah side is dangerous for just about any team in the league so things don’t look positive for the Grizzlies tonight. While Memphis are 6-5 as road underdogs, they haven’t faced the Jazz so far this season and might be in for a rude awakening here.

NBA Pick – Utah Jazz (-480)
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Atlanta Hawks @ Golden State Warriors – 10PM ET

The Atlanta Hawks and Golden State Warriors will complete a mini three team tournament tonight after both have played and lost to the Kings in the last two nights. Now they will play off for second place in this fixture forced mini tournament. The Hawks lost by just two points on Wednesday night while the Warriors suffered a 22 point loss last night and will have to back it up here. 

Draymond Green was a late scratching, joining Steph Curry on the sidelines and the Warriors suffered because of it, mainly defensively. Andrew Wiggins was the lead man for the Warriors with 26 points and 10 rebounds while Kelly Oubre Jr and Nico Mannion, in his best professional game, both had 19. 

The issue is that the Warriors gave up a massive 141 points and are now playing their second game in as many nights, a situation where they are 3-6 so far this season. The Hawks, with an extra night to prepare, will be looking to take advantage and get back on the winners list after dropping their last two. 

After an eight game winning streak, the Hawks have dropped back to back games against the Clippers and the Kings, but the positive is they kept Sacramento to just 110 points in their narrow loss. Trae Young had 29 points and nine assists while Clint Capela dominated inside with 25 points and 17 boards. 

Golden State just gave up a career high 44 points to De’Aaron Fox and a massive 25 points, 11 boards and two blocks to Richuan Holmes, so Young and Capela should be licking their lips at this matchup. We like the Hawks to take advantage of the Warriors here tonight. 

NBA Pick – Atlanta Hawks (-240)
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Cleveland Cavaliers @ Los Angeles Lakers – 10:30PM ET

One night after falling to Philly, the Los Angeles Lakers have to back it up again in an attempt to snap their now four game losing streak. The Cleveland Cavaliers have rolled into town and will be looking to get a second straight win and take advantage of a shorthanded Lakers side. 

The Cavs, despite missing their best player Collin Sexton, managed to cause the 103-94 upset in Chicago on Wednesday night. Darius Garland stepped up with 22 points and nine assists while Larry Nance Jr had a nice 14 points, 14 rebounds, five assists and two steals, taking care of everything on the floor.

The Cavs got the nine point win despite shooting under 46% from the field and under 38% from three, thanks to forcing the Bulls into 15 turnovers while committing just 10 of their own. They will be looking for a similar efficient approach against the Lakers who had 20 turnovers last night. 

The nine point margin flatters the overall flow of the game as Philly seemingly took their foot off the gas after being up by 19 points after the first three quarters. Kyle Kuzma field the fourth quarter comeback where the Lakers outscored Philly 30-20, putting up team highs of 25 points and nine rebounds while Dennis Schroder had a nice 20 point, 11 assist double double. 

If Collin Sexton, who trained on Thursday, can return for the Cavs, LA might find it tough to compete on the second night of a back to back. They are just 3-4 in those situations so far this season and despite an impressive fourth quarter last night, they just won’t have enough juice tonight.

NBA Pick – Cleveland Cavaliers (+190)
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*Odds and spreads correct at time of publication, courtesy of FanDuel

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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.