Free NBA Picks Today for Friday, March 4th, 2022

Free NBA Picks Today for Friday, March 4th, 2022
Fri 4th March 2022

Our free NBA picks are out for Friday, March 4th, 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!

Cleveland Cavaliers @ Philadelphia 76ers – 7pm ET

The Cleveland Cavaliers are on the road for just one game when they travel to Philadelphia and take on the 76ers. The Cavaliers have lost five of their last six and their last two games in a row, including losses to the Timberwolves and Hornets. The 76ers are currently on a four game winning streak, and this takes their season record to 38-23.

Jeffery Thomas

Two of the East contenders match up in this Friday matchup in Philadelphia. The Sixers were already one of the top 5 teams in the conference, but now three games into the James Harden era they are looking like one of, if not, the best team in the league. The margin of victory in those three games are 31, 15, and 16 and James Harden has slid seamlessly into the offense averaging over 12 assists a game. Cleveland was hoping their trade deadline move for Caris LeVert would have similar results for their team, but they’ll have to wait to see as he’s still out with a foot injury. They just got their starting point guard Darius Garland back in their last game against Charlotte and in his return he led the Cavs in scoring with 33 points. 

The rest of Cleveland couldn’t hold up their part however, and it was a 98-119 loss for them, making it five losses in their last six games. They now sit tied at the 5 spot in the East with the Celtics after the string of losses so they’ll hope to turn things around Friday against the 3 seeded Sixers. Like I mentioned earlier, Philly looks like the best team in the league and we should continue to buy them until further notice. The Cavs were a force defensively early in the year but that switch has completely flipped and they are one of the worst teams on defense as of late. That smells like disaster against James Harden, Tyrese Maxey, and Embiid and Philly will get whatever they want. 

Jeffery’s NBA Pick: Philadelphia 76ers -7.5 (-110)

Michael Lantz

The Philadelphia 76ers get possibly their biggest test in the newly minted James Harden era. They’ve started 3-0 since acquiring the future Hall-of-Famer, but their wins have come against a Timberwolves team on the second game of a back-to-back and two games against the lowly Nets. On Friday they’ll have to face a Cleveland Cavaliers team that’s currently in sixth in the Eastern Conference, but just 2.5 games behind them for second. The Cavaliers have struggled since the All-Star break, going 1-3 in that time. For the first three games they were without guard depth, as Darius Garland, Caris LeVert and Rajon Rondo missed time. 


But on Wednesday they got Garland back and still were destroyed by the Charlotte Hornets, losing 98-119. Garland dropped 33 points but the team still couldn’t crack 100 points at home against one of the league’s worst defensive teams. While the Cavs have been resilient throughout the year, it seems they’ve finally fallen into a bit of a hole. With MVP candidate Joel Embiid, Harden, and breakout youngster Tyrese Maxey on the floor for Philly, this could be another long night for the Cavs.

Michael’s NBA Pick: Philadelphia 76ers -7.5 (-110)

Noah Dunlap

Have we seen the end of the magical Cleveland run that has lasted virtually the entire year? They’ve been one of the most surprising teams of the season so far, as at one point they were sitting comfortably in the third spot out East, despite relatively low preseason expectations. However, due to injuries of a major degree, they’re fading fast, losing five of their last six, and I’m not sure they’re going to be able to get things going again. And now, to make matters worse, they travel to Philadelphia in this one to take on the new look Sixers, and it’s a 76ers team that looks like they mean business. 

Philly has turned things on lately, after a brief lapse when they were without Joel Embiid, and now they appear to have upped their game even more, with the move to acquire James Harden at the trade deadline. I was nervous about the move, as they traded plenty of key role players to get the deal done, but at least to this point, it’s worked out magically. He and Embiid seem to have solid chemistry, and neither are seeing their number drop because of the other. I’m not convinced that they’re a true title contender, at least not yet, but I do think they have plenty to get past a struggling Cavs squad. Take Philadelphia with ease at home. 

Noah’s NBA Pick: Philadelphia 76ers -7.5 (-110)

Milwaukee Bucks @ Chicago Bulls – 7.30pm ET

The Milwaukee Bucks are on the road for just one game when they travel to Chicago and take on the Bulls. The Bucks are back on track after winning their last two games in a row, against the Hornets and Heat. The Bulls are playing on back-to-back nights, and last time out they lost to the Hawks, 124-130.

Jeffery Thomas

After a hiccup towards the end of February where Milwaukee lost four of five games, they bounced back with two straight wins over Eastern Conference foes in the Charlotte Hornets and top seeded Miami Heat. In the 120-119 win over the Heat on Wednesday, the Bucks had to rally back from down 14 in the fourth quarter and it was a game-winning layup by Jrue Holiday with 1.9 seconds left that sealed the win. The Bulls will be on a back-to-back after suffering a loss in Atlanta on Thursday. They had no answer for Trae Young, who went off for 39 points after being a game-time decision. 

DeMar DeRozan had a slow night by his standards only dropping 22 points and it should be expected he bounces back in a big way against Milwaukee on Friday. Chicago has had a great season and no one can take that away from them, but against the top five teams in the league they are just 1-8. Milwaukee isn’t one of those top 5 record-wise but they are obviously right in that tier after bringing nearly everyone back from their title run last year. These are the games where Chicago gets exposed and there’s no reason to think that will change here. 

Jeffery’s NBA Pick: Milwaukee Bucks (-164)

Michael Lantz

The Chicago Bulls host the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday, in a battle of two teams that are ranked third and fourth in the Eastern Conference respectively. After losing at home to a Kevin Durant-less Nets team on Saturday, the Bucks bounced back exceptionally. They destroyed the Charlotte Hornets 130-106 and then took out the Miami Heat 120-119, leaving the current one-seed in the East looking over their shoulders. Now the Bucks will continue to try and climb the standings as they face a Chicago Bulls team that sits just one game in front of them.


The Bulls have a rough 24 hours: after losing to the Atlanta Hawks last night 124-130, now the team has to play Giannis Antetokounmpo. Still they’ll try to frustrate the Bucks with their ample scoring attack that includes DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, and Nikola Vucevic. Although the Bulls have seemed to miss the high IQs of Lonzo Ball and Alex Caruso on the offensive and defensive end. After a tough loss last night and then 24 hours facing the defending champs, I’m not sure I love the Bulls chances here. Give me the Bucks.

Michael’s NBA Pick: Milwaukee Bucks (-164)

Noah Dunlap

The Milwaukee Bucks are trying to get back on track after a rough stretch to end February. Since that span, though, they’ve won two straight, including a big time win over the East leading Miami Heat in a close one Wednesday night. They finally got a Jrue Holiday sighting, as he’s been extremely mediocre for much of the year, which is partially why they’ve performed worse than expectations so far this year. Giannis has been incredible, to be expected, but the success by and large comes down to the production of guys like Holiday and Khris Middleton. If they play well, Milwaukee is one of the best teams in the league. If they don’t, they struggle. 

Now they take on another elite team in the East, the Chicago Bulls, in what is going to be the second night of a back-to-back for Chicago. The Bulls dropped their contest last night to the Atlanta Hawks, in a game that saw Trae Young take over late, leading to the six point win for Atlanta. Coming off the high paced contest last night, as well as now having to try to get ready for Giannis and company less than 24 hours later, I think this is a game that sees Chicago look a bit exhausted. Give me the Bucks on the road in the Windy City, as I think they sneak away with a close one. 

Noah’s NBA Pick: Milwaukee Bucks -3.5 (-110)

Utah Jazz @ New Orleans Pelicans – 8pm ET

The Utah Jazz hit the road and travel to Smoothie King Center for their Friday night clash with the New Orleans Pelicans. The Jazz are currently on a three game winning streak, and have won nine of their last 10 games. The Pelicans are also on a three game winning streak after defeating the likes of the Suns, Lakers and Kings.

Jeffery Thomas

He won’t be in any MVP talks but Donovan Mitchell is as important to the Utah Jazz as any player in the league is to their team. He returned from a concussion on February 4th against the Brooklyn Nets and the Jazz’s record since then is 8-1. In the previous 11 games (the ones he missed) their record was 3-8, so it’s clear he is their heart and soul. New Orleans is also on a bit of a roll, winning three straight after beating the Sacramento Kings 132-92 on Wednesday. 

Trade-deadline acquisition CJ McCollum has been a great addition to the team, and he dished out a team-high 9 assists in the win. It was Brandon Ingram who paced the Pels in scoring though, as he went off for 33 points on a very efficient 15-19 shooting. Credit to the Pelicans for turning things around after a 1-12 start, as they pushed for a spot in the play-in tournament. They are a much tougher team to beat now with McCollum but this Jazz team is on a whole different level when they are fully healthy, which they finally are. Utah will be on the road but they still will not be contained in this matchup. 

Jeffery’s NBA Pick: Utah Jazz -3.5 (-110)

Michael Lantz

The Utah Jazz kept the wins coming on Wednesday as they (barely) beat the Houston Rockets 132-127 in overtime. The Jazz’s All-Star duo of Rudy Gobert (27 points, 17 rebounds) and Donovan Mitchell (37 points, 10 assists) led the way again as this team is now 39-22 and just three games out of the two seed in the Western Conference. That being said, they can’t overlook their opponent on Friday as this New Orleans Pelicans team is hungry to grab a play-in spot with their recently enhanced roster. After a bumpy start to the CJ McCollum era, the Pelicans have come out hot after the All-Star break. They’ve won three games in a row, which has gotten them to 10th place. 


As of today, that would be good enough to get them a play-in spot, but with a couple of teams still breathing down their neck, and the ninth seed Lakers being in free fall mode, this Pelicans team won’t want to lay off the gas. McCollum is not only another scoring threat for the Pelicans, but he also creates more opportunities for the likes of Brandon Ingram, Devonte Graham, and youngster Herbert Jones. The Pelicans will need all the scoring they can get against a Jazz team that’s incredibly strong on both sides of the ball. I think this one should be quite fun to watch, but with the way things have been connecting for the Jazz lately, it’s hard for me to pick against them.

Michael’s NBA Pick: Utah Jazz (-156)

Noah Dunlap

Now that they’re healthy, how high can the Utah Jazz climb through the Western Conference standings. They’ve spent much of the year fourth or lower, but now that they have Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert back in the lineup, they’re looking like the Jazz team we’re used to seeing, but the question is whether the teams in front of them slow down enough to be caught. They’re a touch behind the Memphis Grizzlies, but with both running down a struggling Golden State squad in second, could Utah end up at two or three by the end of the year? I think the answer is yes. 

Now they take on a New Orleans Pelicans team that has been improving as the year has progressed, despite being without Zion for the entirety of the season. They’ve won three straight coming into this one, and they’re in the process of trying to get a chance to compete for a playoff spot through the play-in, as they currently sit at 10th out West. While I do like their chances of getting one of those play-in spots, I don’t think they have enough to get the win in this one, as the combination of Mitchell and Gobert that Utah is going to throw at them is just too much. Give me the Jazz on the road down in NOLA, with ease. 

Noah’s NBA Pick: Utah Jazz (-156)

Minnesota Timberwolves @ Oklahoma City Thunder – 8pm ET

On Friday we will see a clash between two teams from the Northwest Division when the Minnesota Timberwolves and Oklahoma City Thunder go head-to-head. The Timberwolves have won three of their last four games, including their last two in a row over the Cavaliers and Warriors. The Thunder have won three of their last six games, and this takes their season record to 20-42.

Jeffery Thomas

The Minnesota Timberwolves are going out every night with a mission to prove they are for real and with wins over the 5th seeded Cavaliers and 2nd seeded Warriors in the past two games the league is starting to take notice. They sit at 34-29 and 7th in the West, and are in prime position to make the playoffs for the first time since 2018 when they lost in the first round to Sacramento Kings. The Thunder are also a very young team, but aren’t yet ready to compete at that level. 

They are 14th in the Western Conference standings with a record of 20-42. OKC started the month of March in the win column, beating Denver 119-107 on Wednesday night on the back of 29 points from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The Thunder, to their credit, have been scrappy as of late and the Timberwolves aren’t fully healthy, but there’s no excuse to lose a game like this for Minnesota. The Thunder will have no answer for KAT down low so a bet on his points prop is a great look and I like the Wolves to ride his big performance to a nice road victory on Friday night. 

Jeffery’s NBA Pick: Minnesota Timberwolves -8 (-110)

Michael Lantz

The Minnesota Timberwolves have been a thrill to watch evolve this season. Just two years ago they were picking first in the NBA Draft, now they’re sitting in seventh in the Western Conference. While Anthony Edwards has taken a huge jump in his second year, the team is rolling in large part thanks to the best shooting big man in the game, Karl-Anthony Towns. KAT is averaging 24.5 points and nearly 10 rebounds, which included a 39-point performance against the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday. He’ll hope to turn in a similar performance on Friday against the Oklahoma City Thunder.


The Thunder are hoping they can take a similar path as the Timberwolves real soon. They’re only 20-42 on the season, but with a young core that consists of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Josh Giddey, Lu Dort and a stockpile of draft picks, they’re definitely on their way to successful days. We’ll see if some injuries to Giddey and Dort allow them to be 100% for this one. Imagining at least Giddey plays they should have a chance in this one due to Edwards being ruled out for the Timberwolves. I think Minnesota will probably take this one, but I like OKC to cover at home. 

Michael’s NBA Pick: Oklahoma City Thunder +8 (-110)

Noah Dunlap

The Oklahoma City Thunder are slowly showing signs of improvement, after looking like one of the worst teams in the league for much of the season to this point. They’re still down in the back of the pack, as they’re next to last in the Western Conference, but a bit of their young talent is beginning to resemble a team that can at least compete in the years to come, especially if they add another piece or two this offseason, through the draft or other means. However, I wouldn’t be surprised to see them struggle in this matchup, as they take on a Minnesota team that has a lethal trio when they’re all healthy. 

Behind the play of Karl-Anthony Towns, D’Angelo Russell, and Anthony Edwards, the Minnesota Timberwolves are hanging onto a playoff spot in the West, as they sit in the seventh spot currently. They’ve won three of their last four, and have been playing extremely well as of late, as they’re getting back to being 100% healthy. As for this matchup, even with them having to travel south to OKC to take on the Thunder, I think they just have too much established talent on the roster, and they simply overpower OKC. Give me the T’Wolves comfortably on the road. 

Noah’s NBA Pick: Minnesota Timberwolves -8 (110)

New York Knicks @ Phoenix Suns – 10pm ET

The final game for your Friday night viewing in the NBA will see the New York Knicks face off against the best team in the league, the Phoenix Suns. The Knicks have lost their last six games in a row, and this takes their season record to 25-37. The Suns have got back on track, after losing two games in a row, they won their last game out, 120-90, over the Trail Blazers. 

Jeffery Thomas

The Knicks are slumping just about as bad as any team in the league, as they’ve only won one game since their January 31 win over the Sacramento Kings. Their losing streak was pushed out to six games when they lost to the Sixers 123-108 in Philly on Wednesday. New York has blown double-digit leads in multiple of the losses, including that Wednesday loss to Philadelphia when they were up 16 in the first half. Phoenix snapped a small two-game losing streak when they beat the Trail Blazers 120-90 on Wednesday night. There was no Devin Booker in that contest, and of course no Chris Paul still, so they needed their role players to step up which is exactly what they did. 

They got point guard Cameron Payne back in this game and he dished out 8 assists and backup point guard Aaron Holiday had 9 himself. That was the Suns’ league-leading 50th win on the season. The Suns will still be without Devin Booker on Friday in this game but I’m not sure it will matter a whole lot. The Knicks can’t get out of their own way and haven’t been able to find ways to win against anybody. Even a short handed Suns team should have no issues scoring at will on the Knicks, so take them to win this home game and cover.

Jeffery’s NBA Pick: Phoenix Suns -6.5 (-110)

Michael Lantz

The New York Knicks continue to be a pain to watch. They’ve lost six straight, including consecutive blowout losses to the Philadelphia 76ers. While Derrick Rose’s absence has definitely hurt this team, they’ve also gotten away from the defensive identity that made them so good last season. While they’ve gotten closer to that recently, it’s been too little, too late, as this team sits in 12th in the Eastern Conference.


Things only get more difficult for them as they face the league’s best team in the Phoenix Suns. With Chris Paul sidelined with a hand injury, the Suns were looking a little out of the ordinary in their first three games after the All-Star break. Luckily, a blowout win against Portland on Wednesday changed that as six players scored in double digits, with Devin Booker sidelined. Even with Booker and Paul out on Friday, the Suns are still absolutely loaded with depth. When playing a team like the New York Knicks, plenty of depth should be enough to win easily; I expect the Suns to do so on Friday night.

Michael’s NBA Pick: Phoenix Suns -6.5 (-110)

Noah Dunlap

The New York Knicks have officially hit atrocious status. They’ve lost seven straight, and have only one win since the beginning of February. They have two guys who could be considered stars, in Julius Randle and RJ Barrett, but the rest of the roster is extremely average, to downright bad, and it’s showing in a major way. Knowing the futility of Knicks basketball for the past two decades, this collapse shouldn’t be surprising, but with the way they played through the first month of the season, looking like one of the best teams in the East, this downfall has been somewhat staggering to watch. 

Now they take on the team that has been the best team in the league for the entire year, the Phoenix Suns, and that has me thinking this one could get ugly. This Suns squad took care of Portland in their last outing, without Chris Paul or Devin Booker, and even though it looks as if both guys may miss this one too, I simply think this Phoenix roster is too deep at virtually every position. I like the Suns at home in this one, as I think they roll with ease, despite a depleted roster, over a bad Knicks team. 

Noah’s NBA Pick: Phoenix Suns -6.5 (-110)

If you are looking for 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 FanDuel.

SportsTips covers all the latest betting, odds, picks & predictions news when it comes to major American sports like NFL, NBA, MLB & NHL. If you want to stay up to date with the latest information, SportsTips has you covered!