Our free NBA Picks are out for Friday, November 12th, 2021! Make sure you check our NBA Picks before the action kicks off.
Look below to find our free NBA Picks for the five best games on today’s schedule!
New York Knicks @ Charlotte Hornets – 7pm ET
The Charlotte Hornets return home after a five-game road trip, where they went just 1-4, to host the New York Knicks tonight. Charlotte’s win did come in their last game, indicating that they may have recaptured some form and that will be needed against a New York side that, while struggling, is a formidable opponent in the East.
Tim Newton
I’m waiting for the penny to drop with the Knicks and for them to click back into gear, but it just hasn’t happened yet. Outside of a win over the Sixers JV squad and a once in a lifetime comeback, they have looked really ordinary over the last two weeks. That isn’t a good sign for them, considering they have to get on the road to face a competitive Charlotte side that returns home with some wind in their sales, taking the Lakers to overtime before beating the Grizzlies.
The Hornets, while still relatively young, seem to have figured things out offensively. LaMelo Ball sets the table, allowing the likes of Miles Bridges, Terry Rozier, Gordon Hayward and Kelly Oubre Jr to each have their moments in the spotlight and help put points on the board.
The issue is, their defense isn’t quite there yet. However, that shouldn’t be an issue against a New York side that is struggling on offense through the first few weeks of the season. I think Charlotte simply put too many points on the board and will be able to pick up the win at home.
Tim’s NBA Pick: Charlotte Hornets (+100)
Denis Kirilov
The New York Knicks entered a bad run in the last 10 days in the NBA as they couldn’t find a way to get two wins in a row. They were either stopped by the Cavaliers or by the Bucks. The Indiana Pacers and the Toronto Raptors gave the head-start to this downgrading performance for the Knicks. However, they managed to pick up some victories over the Milwaukee Bucks and the Philadelphia 76ers. It’s time for Julius Randle and Derrick Rose to show once again what they are capable of and get yet another win on the road for the Knicks.
The Hornets can feel relieved as they stopped their losing streak at 5 games with their 118-108 win over the Memphis Grizzlies. Kelly Oubre Jr. led the way to the victory with his 37 points on 7-9 three-point shooting and 13-17 field goals made. Gordon Hayward also did his best to get the win as he put in some clutch shots in the end. Miles Bridges is a ticking time-bomb that is waiting to explode at some point as he is capable of having great nights and delivering for the Hornets. All in all, Charlotte seems like a decent team that will fight until the end for a Playoffs spot, but is it good enough to defeat the Knicks? I don’t think so, at least not at the moment. My pick here goes towards New York and the Knicks.
Denis’ NBA Pick: New York Knicks (-118)
Eric Collins just lost his voice on this @MilesBridges hammer 🤯 pic.twitter.com/Vi5O0Imqcy
— Bally Sports: Hornets (@HornetsOnBally) November 11, 2021
Michael Lantz
Ever since New York fans started yelling “Bing Bong”, the Knicks haven’t quite been the same. Still, despite an inconsistent run as of late, I fully expect them to bounce back and get on another run. This will depend heavily on veterans Evan Fournier and Kemba Walker. Both are fully capable of going on putting up massive scoring stats, but unfortunately they also go very cold at the snap of a finger. The Knicks will need more consistency from those two in both their shot selection and overall awareness. Also both can be a defensive liability, which sort of goes against this Knicks team’s philosophy. So in order to make up for that, they’ll need to find ways to help the team win on offense, whether their shots are falling or not.
The Knicks will definitely have their hands full against a Charlotte Hornets team that is one of the best offensive units in basketball. The Hornets had been slipping a bit recently, sitting at 5-7. Luckily, they got a big win on Wednesday night against the Memphis Grizzlies. The Hornets are poor on defense, so the aforementioned Knicks players should be able to have great games, particularly Kemba Walker, who spent eight seasons in Charlotte and knows the floor quite well. I’ll pick the Knicks to bounce back. While the Hornets have plenty of scorers, I expect the Knicks to kick it into gear for a little challenge, all while completely taking advantage of the Hornets poor D.
Michael’s NBA Pick: New York Knicks (-126)
Noah Dunlap
Eventually the New York Knicks are going to have to decide whether they’re the team that started the year hot, or whether they’re the team that has fallen on hard times as of late. The lineup is talented enough for them to be a contender in the Eastern Conference, and they played according to talent level to start the year, but since then they simply haven’t looked like the same team.
For Charlotte, they find themselves in a similar situation, as after a pretty solid start to the year, their defense got worse and the offense slowed down a bit, leading to too many losses. They did get a road win over the Memphis Grizzlies in their last outing, which should boost their confidence. However, I expect New York to come out and play a physical, defensive minded game, leading to them getting a tight win in a lower scoring game than many may expect.
Noah’s NBA Pick: New York Knicks (-126)
Milwaukee Bucks @ Boston Celtics – 7:30pm ET
Two of the East’s best teams from the last 4+ years face off, with both sides underperforming through the early stages of the season. The Boston Celtics have gotten off to one of their worst starts in recent history, and now have Jaylen Brown sidelined, while the Bucks have dealt with injury after injury, only just making their way back to 0.500 in their last game.
Tim Newton
It is weird to think that the Bucks come into this one with two straight wins and it is only the second time through 12 games they have managed to win consecutive games. They are yet to win a third straight, but I think tonight is the night, against a helpless Boston side. The Celtics may have three wins from their last four, but two of their wins were against lesser opposition and the other saw one of the best teams in the league unable to hit a shot. That doesn’t instill a lot of confidence regarding the Celtics’ chances.
On the other hand, the Bucks have been fighting valiantly through their injury troubles, with the likes of Jrue Holiday, Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez all missing considerable time already this season, with the latter two still out at the moment. However, Holiday’s return has been massive for the Bucks, giving Giannis some much needed support on both ends of the floor. This is more than enough for me to pick the Bucks in this one, given how poorly the Celtics have been playing this season.
Tim’s NBA Pick: Milwaukee Bucks (-126)
Denis Kirilov
The Milwaukee Bucks gave us Championship vibes in their last two games. Although they have been without Brook Lopez and Khris Middleton, Giannis Antetokounmpo and his teammates proved once again they aren’t just another one-season wonder. Jrue Holiday and Pat Connaughton covered for Giannis’ missed shots in the game against the Knicks, while Antetokounmpo, himself, gave us a Playoffs performance against the Philadelphia 76ers with his 31 points, 16 rebounds, and 0 turnovers.
The Boston Celtics find themselves in a pretty unusual position for them – in 11th place in the East with a negative win ratio. They had troubles in the early games with their shooting as Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Dennis Schroder, Marcus Smart, and Al Horford just couldn’t get in those three-pointers. However, throughout the next couple of matches things began to work and they started to catch up with the best. They even defeated the Heat in an unorthodox away game that finished 78:95. In the meantime, the Celtics couldn’t handle Luka Doncic as he put up 33 points on a 12-21 shooting from the field. I think that the Bucks will be eager to defend their name and legacy as they wouldn’t want to be remembered by one of the worst defending champions in NBA history. I believe this game will go in favor of Milwaukee, but it will surely be a tight contest in the end.
Denis’ NBA Pick: Milwaukee Bucks (-126)
Michael Lantz
After a poor start to the season, the Boston Celtics are finally coming along. They’ve won three of their last four (barely losing to Dallas), and have been missing Jaylen Brown for the last two. But, Brown’s absence has allowed Celtics role players to shine. In an impressive home win against a good defensive Toronto team, six Celtics players scored in the double digits. This included newly acquired Josh Richard son who had 15 and young Robert Williams who had a double-double with 16 points and 13 rebounds. Celtics fans know they can always expect big games from Jayson Tatum and can always get solid showings from vets Al Horford and Marcus Smart, but it’s key for some of the other role players to come up big, especially when others are injured.
Meanwhile the often hobbled Milwaukee Bucks are looking to get back toward the top of the Eastern Conference. They beat another hobbled Philadelphia 76ers squad 118-109 on Tuesday and then beat the Knicks at MSG on Wednesday night, but not before nearly letting a 24-point lead slip away. They’ll get one off day before facing a Celtics team that seems to be coming together. The Bucks are also still without some key players, and have lost the last two times they’ve played Boston at home; with the way the C’s have started to look, I’ll take them in a close win over the defending champs.
Michael’s NBA Pick: Boston Celtics (+108)
Noah Dunlap
The Milwaukee Bucks continue to show that they’re one of the best teams in the NBA, however not based on wins and losses. They’ve been bludgeoned with injuries and Covid issues, including three of their top-4 players missing substantial time. Yet despite key players missing time, they’ve continued to be competitive in games against quality opponents. They’ve come up short in most of these, but even managing to stay close is a win in and of itself.
Boston really doesn’t have the same excuses, as they’ve just played disappointing basketball for much of the season so far, even when completely healthy. At some point, we would assume that they get it figured out, but there’s been no evidence of that occurring anytime soon, and until I see a shift in place with their performance, I can’t take them in any game against a quality opponent, even one that’s depleted to the manner that Milwaukee is.
Noah’s NBA Pick: Milwaukee Bucks (-126)
Phoenix Suns @ Memphis Grizzlies – 8pm ET
After a tough home loss to the Hornets, despite Ja Morant having another brilliant game, the Memphis Grizzlies are tasked with hosting the Phoenix Suns, who come into the game on the back of six straight wins. The two sides have had opposite starts to the season, with Memphis firing out of the blocks before struggling of late, while Phoenix took a while to warm into the season, but are clearly on fire right now.
Tim Newton
While the Suns have won six straight, I actually think the Grizzlies match up really well against them and could give them a run for their money. Ja Morant has the speed and athleticism to give the aging, yet still brilliant, Chris Paul some issues, while they have good, young, tenacious wings to throw at Devin Booker. With Deandre Ayton unlikely to suit up, the Suns will go small but the Grizzlies love going small and will thrive in that scenario.
Jaren Jackson, while still inconsistent at times, plays perfectly as a stretch five for the Grizzlies and it allows more shooters and defenders to take the floor with Morant, opening up scoring opportunities for the entire roster. While the Suns are a great defensive unit, with the likes of Mikal Bridges and Jae Crowder manning the wings, if they aren’t hitting their shots then the Phoenix offense can get clunky.
I’m actually surprised to see that FanDuel has Memphis as slight favorites for this clash, but maybe the loss of Ayton is bigger than I am making it out to be. Regardless, I like Memphis to cause the upset (kind of?) in this one.
Tim’s NBA Pick: Memphis Grizzlies (-116)
Denis Kirilov
On Friday night we will see a game between two of the most promising teams in the NBA – the Phoenix Suns and the Memphis Grizzlies. The Suns have managed to rise from the ruins as they won 6 games in a row which led them to a 7-3 record and a convincing 3rd place in the Western Conference. They started using Frank Kaminsky quite often in their last games due to the injury that Deandre Ayton suffered. It pays off for now as his 31 points against the Blazers led his team to the victory. Players like Landry Shamet and Abdel Nader are getting more and more playing time which will help them gain vital experience that might come in handy for the Suns throughout the season. On top of that, Devin Booker, Mikal Bridges, Cameron Payne, and Chris Paul are always ready to rise up to the occasion.
The Grizzlies started off their campaign in high spirits after a couple of fantastic games against the two teams from Los Angeles, the Warriors, and the Nuggets. Apart from that, they have been quite mediocre, suffering 20+ point losses to the Blazers, the Heat, and the Wizards. Moreover, the Charlotte Hornets got the better of them on Wednesday after a great last quarter from Kelly Oubre Jr. and Gordon Hayward. However, Ja Morant continues to be on fire for the Grizzlies as he frequently puts up more than 30 points for them. He has come close to a triple-double on several occasions and it’s a matter of time to achieve it. The game against the Suns seems like a good opportunity as he will need to play beyond his limits, if the Grizzlies want to have a shot at the final victory. However, although he might erupt in this match, I think his efforts won’t be enough for the win. I am going with the Suns on this one.
Denis’ NBA Pick: Phoenix Suns (-102)
Frank the Tank had himself a night. pic.twitter.com/KBMUsitA4p
— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) November 11, 2021
Michael Lantz
The Memphis Grizzlies sit at a reasonable 6-5 to start the season, with Ja Morant looking like the All-NBA talent many predicted he’d be. The Grizzlies offense also got some reinforcement as Dillon Brooks recently returned from an early season hand injury—unfortunately after a brief return Brooks will likely be back out on Friday against Phoenix. The Suns also will have some key players out against the Grizzlies: DeAndre Ayton continues to battle a lower leg injury and is doubtful and bench spark plug Landry Shamet also is questionable with a foot injury.
Ayton’s loss would normally be looked at as quite a disadvantage for the Suns but Memphis might also be without their enforcer down low as Steven Adams is listed as questionable with an ankle sprain. Even with those two Suns players either out or not 100%, Phoenix is thrilled to face a Memphis defense that is among the NBA’s worst. They sit in the bottom three of the NBA in opponent points per game and field goal percentage. Even with a couple guys ailing, the Suns still have Devin Booker and Chris Paul, who should be able to be a handful for Memphis. I’ll pick the Suns to take care of business in “Bluff City”
Michael’s NBA Pick: Phoenix Suns (-102)
Noah Dunlap
Despite a great streak in place for Phoenix, as they enter this one on a six game winning streak, I think Memphis, who’s coming off a disappointing loss at home to Charlotte, gets the win. The issue is that the matchup just seems to give the advantage to the Grizzlies. With Ja Morant playing phenomenal basketball to start the year, with the absurd speed and athleticism to give the aging Chris Paul fits, as well as an inside presence with Jaren Jackson Jr and Steven Adams to give a small Suns lineup (they’ll be without DeAndre Ayton) problems.
Memphis also has long athletic wings with the likes of Desmond Bane and De’Anthony Melton, who are primed to have the ability to create issues for Devin Booker and Cameron Johnson. I think the Suns are a better team, but the position-by-position matchups between these two teams favors Memphis, and Memphis, while having a few disappointing losses this season, has played virtually every top team they’ve faced this year extremely well, getting a few wins along the way, so I like the Grizz to get a big home win in this one.
Noah’s NBA Pick: Memphis Grizzlies -1 (-110)
Brooklyn Nets @ New Orleans Pelicans – 8pm ET
After hitting rock bottom on Wednesday night, losing to the Thunder at home, the New Orleans Pelicans face one of their toughest tests of the season. They play host to a Brooklyn Nets side that has won six of their last seven games and seems to have figured out all of their early-season problems.
Tim Newton
I am genuinely surprised that the Nets are only laying 7.5 points in this clash. Three of their six wins over this seven game stretch have been by more than eight points and they are coming off a 33 point win in Orlando. New Orleans on the other hand has lost eight straight games, with the last five of those all being by eight or more points.
I don’t know where to start, so I’ll keep it short and simple. The Pelicans rank in the bottom four in the league for points scored, points allowed, three point shooting and three point shooting percentage allowed. Simply put, they can’t score and they can’t stop anyone from scoring as well.
While Brooklyn hasn’t been on fire this season, especially offensively, they still rank 3rd for three point percentage and have a top 10 scoring defense through their first 12 games. That is more than enough for them to pick up a comfortable win here, as long as they actually try.
Tim’s NBA Pick: Brooklyn Nets -7.5 (-110)
Denis Kirilov
The Brooklyn Nets managed to make up for their bad start for the 2021/22 NBA season with a 6-1 run in their last 7 games. They have been quite dominant in these matches as they didn’t have any problems in their wins, but still underperformed against the Bulls, losing 118:95. Kevin Durant is one of the most consistent players in the NBA at the moment as he hasn’t dropped below 22 points in a single game. His impact on the team is huge and although there are two more parts to the famous Nets’ trio, James Harden and Kyrie Irving, Durant seems the most irreplaceable one amongst them. The 36-year-old veteran, LaMarcus Aldridge, also has good games recently as he has been quite unpleasant for their opponents’ offense.
On the other hand, we have the worst team in the League, the New Orleans Pelicans, with just 1 win out of 12 matches. The absence of Zion Williamson takes its toll on the team and with the injury of Brandon Ingram things aren’t looking bright for them. The Pelicans have troubles in putting up more than 100 points per game as they can only rely on Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Devonte Graham, and Jonas Valanciunas. The Lithuanian, himself, posted double-doubles in his past 10 games and it doesn’t seem that he will be stopping this streak anytime soon. However, I think that it will be another hard match for the Pelicans against a team full of superstars. I wouldn’t try my luck with these high spreads, but I will fancy a shot with the “under” for the game.
Denis’ NBA Pick: Under TBA (TBA)
Michael Lantz
On paper this one should be no-contest—the New Orleans Pelicans are 1-11 and without their two all-stars Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson. The only hope they truly have is that Brooklyn shows up and just plays like they don’t care—which is entirely possible. An experienced Nets team wants to dominate the East, but they also know that slow and steady wins the race. Sometimes they play down to their lesser opponents and take it easy. There’s no team in the league that it may be easier to skate by against than this current Pelicans squad.
Still, I can’t see Brooklyn wanting to deal with that embarrassment. The same thing could’ve happened when they took on a terrible Orlando Magic team Wednesday night, but they won by 33. Pelicans do have some guy that can launch from three and the Nets are pretty terrible at creating turnovers, but I just don’t see that as being enough. The Nets should be able to cover that -7.5 spread and after Kevin Durant has carried the weight in every game this year, I expect James Harden to get in on the fun and score over 20.5.
Michael’s NBA Pick: Same Game Parlay – Brooklyn Nets -7.5 / James Harden o20.5 (+234)
Noah Dunlap
Even with Brooklyn looking shaky at times so far this season, with Kyrie out and James Harden not playing particularly well, this matchup still doesn’t require much thought. The Nets are still one of the most talented teams in the East, and maybe the league, and the Pelicans are one of the worst teams in basketball.
When Zion finally returns, we’ll see if he can bring some sort of spark to this New Orleans team that just looks abysmal so far this season, but until that return happens, this is a team that just quite frankly looks dead in the water. Outside of Jonas Valanciunas, the Pels don’t have much of an offensive weapon, and the defense has been atrocious. That all plays into the easy assumption that Brooklyn, even if they struggle, can get a pretty big win in this one.
Noah’s NBA Pick: Brooklyn Nets -7.5 (-110)
Chicago Bulls @ Golden State Warriors – 10pm ET
The Golden State Warriors are the best team in basketball right now and they put their 10-1 record and six-game winning streak on the line against the Chicago Bulls tonight. While Chicago is equal-first in the East and has won two straight, including over Brooklyn, they have now lost Nikola Vucevic to COVID-19, leaving a glaring hole in the middle. Can they overcome this to cause the upset or will Golden State continue on their merry way?
Tim Newton
I think the loss of Vucevic is massive for the Bulls, but it is cancelled out by the fact that Draymond Green is likely to miss, and you could argue that Golden State actually suffers more in that scenario. Green is such an important part of their defense, as well as setting things up on offense, meaning that the Golden State guards and wings may not find their shots as easy as they have so far this season.
On the other side of the ball, Chicago continue to impress with their two-pronged attack on the wings, Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan. Both LaVine and DeRozan are averaging 26 points per game, the former with more playmaking numbers while the latter has more defensive stats. With the two of them, plus the likes of Lonzo Ball and Alex Caruso causing troubles for opposing guards, like they will with Steph Curry, it isn’t hard to like what Chicago is doing at the moment.
In saying that, the Warriors are humming right now, both offensively and defensively. They are first for points scored and fourth for points allowed, with role players like Andrew Wiggins, Jordan Poole, Damion Lee and Gary Payton II stepping up when needed. Golden State has a perfect blend of youthful athleticism and experienced veterans, but is Draymond too big of a loss to overcome?
I’m actually going to take the Bulls to cover here, as I think that Green is too big of a hole to cover up, especially against a good side. While Golden State is the best team in the league through three weeks, they have had the eighth easiest schedule, and now face one of their toughest tests without one of their main pieces.
Tim’s NBA Pick: Chicago Bulls +5.5 (-110)
Denis Kirilov
The Chicago Bulls will try to put an end to the remarkable 10-1 run of the Golden State Warriors which brings back memories from their 73-9 season in 2016. The Bulls seem to be slowly but surely turning into title contenders this year as they have an amazing roster that combines experience, youth, and most important of all – a will to succeed. They have already defeated some of the best teams in the NBA – the Utah Jazz, the Brooklyn Nets, and the Dallas Mavericks. The team from the “Windy City” knows perfectly well how to prepare for big games and I am sure that Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan will be ready to bully the Warriors’ defence.
The Golden State Warriors have been waiting for this moment since their loss in the NBA Finals to the Toronto Raptors in 2019. They are once again a top contender for the Championship as the only thing that is still missing is Clay Thompson. “Chef” Curry is cooking his best meals at the moment and on top of that, Jordan Poole and Andrew Wiggins are feeling on cloud nine as they start to get more responsibility throughout the games. Poole is, without a doubt, the player with the biggest potential on the Warriors’ roster and Steve Kerr will try to use that to their advantage. Having in mind the intensity of the upcoming fixture, I think that we won’t see a shooting spectacle. I think it’s going to be quite the opposite as both teams will try to contest as much as possible each single shot. So, I will go with the “under” here.
Denis’ NBA Pick: Under TBA (TBA)
Welcome to the Gary Payton II dunk show 🐰 pic.twitter.com/pM8AYBqCOP
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) November 11, 2021
Michael Lantz
Let’s face it, when the Bulls are good, the league is just a little more fun. Especially with flashy scorers like DeMar Derozen and Zach LaVine. Also, Alex Curuso has been a joy to watch on defense as he leads the league with 2.6 steals per game. The Bulls are looking like the real deal in the Eastern Conference, even after they lost young defensive talent Patrick Williams for the rest of the regular season with wrist surgery. Unfortunately another Bull will be down for the Warriors game, as Nikola Vucevic will miss a couple games due to COVID. That’s a big hit to the front court for a Bulls team looking for another statement win against the 10-1 Golden State Warriors.
The Warriors currently have the best record in the NBA, as they’re making sure no one has forgotten how dominant they can be. The even more impressive thing—it hasn’t fully been “The Steph Show”. Yes, the two-time MVP has been phenomenal, but he’s had some great help from guard Jordan Poole and former first overall pick Andrew Wiggins. They also are the top defensive team in the entire NBA. Additionally, the team is still awaiting Klay Thompson and Andrew Wiseman to return from injury, in which the rich will just get richer. It’s a shame Chicago will be without Vucevic, so we could see what a potential (and I say potential loosely) Finals matchup would look like. At home, I expect the Warriors to keep the wins coming in a battle with two teams that are a lot of fun to watch on both sides of the ball.
Michael’s NBA Pick: Golden State Warriors -5.5 (-110)
Noah Dunlap
With each team’s main big man expected to miss this one, as Nikola Vucevic will be out for Chicago and Draymond Green is expected to be out for Golden State, the paint is set to be a glaring hole in this matchup. What that means is for each team’s stars, Zach LaVine and DeMar Derozan for Chicago and Steph Curry and Andrew Wiggins for the Warriors, should all get major shot attempts, which I think is likely to lead to a potentially ridiculous number of points, as all of these players have shown the ability to be extremely efficient from the field.
I’m hesitant to take a winner in this one, or a pick on the spread, as Golden State currently has the best record in the NBA, but Chicago has also looked like one of the league’s best teams to this point, so trying to decipher what happens on that end is a risk I’m not sure would be worth taking. What I do think we see is an offensive showcase, from both sides, leading to an easy play with the over.
Noah’s NBA Pick: Over TBA (TBA)
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*Odds and spreads correct at time of publication, courtesy of FanDuel.
