Our free NBA picks are out for Monday, January 31st, 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!
New Orleans Pelicans @ Cleveland Cavaliers – 7pm ET
The New Orleans Pelicans kick off a four game road trip on Monday when they travel to Cleveland and take on the Cavaliers. The Pelicans are currently on a three game losing streak, after they lost to the 76ers, Nuggets and Boston. The Cavaliers are playing on back-to-back nights, and last time out they suffered a shock loss to the Pistons, 105-115.
Denis Kirilov
After suffering a tough 10-point defeat to the Detroit Pistons, the Cleveland Cavaliers will try to redeem themselves with a win over the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday. The Cavs have won their last four matches in Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse as they remain one of the best performing teams at home. Their overall performance this season has been remarkable as the team sits in 5th place in the East with 30 wins and 20 losses. However, their Playoffs spot is far from being secured due to the tight competition in the Conference, so they can’t afford to lose the grip right now.
The New Orleans Pelicans are still fighting to keep a close distance between themselves and the Portland Trail Blazers who are in 10th place. The Pelicans hold a 18-31 record which is a perfect illustration to their issues throughout the campaign. The team couldn’t use Zion Williamson as players like Brandon Ingram and Josh Hart have also missed some games. This unavailability cost them a lot of matches and I think it will nearly be a mission impossible for them to make a comeback from that. Keeping all this in mind, I am willing to trust the Cavaliers to cover their spread in what promises to be a very interesting matchup.
Denis’ NBA Pick: Cleveland Cavaliers -10 (-108)
Michael Lantz
After a massive win against the Milwaukee Bucks, the Cleveland Cavaliers might’ve gotten a bit too arrogant. They would proceed to lose to the lowly Detroit Pistons 105-115 yesterday. In a battle between Rookie of the Year candidates, the Pistons’ Cade Cunningham walked away with the last laugh over Cleveland’s Evan Mobley. The Cavs will hope to put this unexpected loss behind them and shift their focus to the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday.
IC3 🥶 @isaacokoro303 | #LetEmKnow pic.twitter.com/5PHzXLC18t
— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) January 31, 2022
The Pelicans continue to have a rough season as they sit at 13th in the Western Conference with a 18-31 record. Still, they try to keep their hope of getting to the play-in game alive as they face an up-and-coming Cavs team on Monday. The likes of Brandon Ingram and Jonas Valanciunas should keep things entertaining, but Cleveland has slowly but surely become an elite team; elite teams don’t lose often. I expect the Cavs to bounce back on Monday and beat a Pelicans team that is solid on offense, but pretty abysmal on D.
Michael’s NBA Pick: Cleveland Cavaliers -10 (-108)
Noah Dunlap
After a shocking, and downright embarrassing loss to Detroit on Sunday night, the Cleveland Cavaliers will try to get back on track, as they head back home to take on the New Orleans Pelicans. This is a Cavs team that has handled virtually every setback that has been thrown their way, as even facing multiple season-ending injuries, they’ve still managed to hang around as the five-seed in the East, but the loss to Detroit has to at least make you a little uneasy if you’re a Cavs fan.
As for New Orleans, they’ve shown flashes at times lately of the kind of team they can be, but their ceiling is a bit limited right now, as they’re still without Zion Williamson, and there’s yet to be a timetable for his return given. With Jonas Valanciunas and Brandon Ingram leading the way, their paint presence is solid, but their perimeter game needs a lot of help. They’re a mediocre team at best, and with them having to travel to Cleveland to take on a Cavs team that should be more annoyed than anything, I like Cleveland to come out and take care of business in this one.
Noah’s NBA Pick: Cleveland Cavaliers -10 (-108)
Memphis Grizzlies @ Philadelphia 76ers – 7pm ET
It’s a new week and a new three game road trip for the Memphis Grizzlies, who kick their road trip off with a game against the Philadelphia 76ers. The Grizzlies have won three games in a row, which includes wins over the Spurs, Jazz and Wizards. The 76ers are currently on a four game winning streak, and this takes their season record to 30-19.
Denis Kirilov
Two of the best teams in the NBA currently will face each other on Monday night. The Philadelphia 76ers will host the pleasant surprise this season – the Memphis Grizzlies. The battle between Ja Morant and Joel Embiid will be really intriguing to watch as both players are on the top of their game at the moment. Memphis’ point guard has led them to their late success as he elevated his team’s performance with a lot of variety in his plays. Desmond Bane was also a key figure for the amazing 11-game winning streak of the Grizzlies in early December. They hold a fantastic 35-17 record which puts them in 3rd place in the Western Conference for now.
The Philadelphia 76ers were unable to use Ben Simmons as he was quite unwilling to play for the team since the beginning of the season. Tobias Harris has also underperformed until now, but Joel Embiid managed to make up for that with his incredible one-man show performance throughout most of the matches. He single-handedly led the team to 4th place in the East with 30 wins and 19 losses which is not far from the top spots of the Miami Heat and the Chicago Bulls. However, I think that the Grizzlies have the more diversified team that can come up with plenty of solutions about stopping the Cameroonian center. Hence, my pick will go towards the guests on Monday.
Denis’ NBA Pick: Memphis Grizzlies (+134)
Michael Lantz
Two of the NBA’s hottest teams face off on Monday night as the Memphis Grizzlies visit Philadelphia to take on the Sixers. Philly is in the midst of a four-game win streak, which included a close victory over the Sacramento Kings on Saturday. Luckily the Sixers have a certain Joel Embiid, who is making a run for MVP this season. They’ll count on him heavily in this one, as they face a Memphis team that’s established themselves as one of the best in basketball.
Memphis is on a three-game win streak, which has not only been thanks to the play of Ja Morant, who’s putting up MVP numbers himself, but Desmond Bane, who has made a major jump in his second season. This one is definitely a dark horse Finals matchup, but for this regular season showdown, I’ll pick the 76ers to fool the Grizzlies in Philly, as I expect not only Embiid, but perimeter defense experts Danny Green and Matisse Thybulle to disrupt the Grizzlies.
Michael’s NBA Pick: Philadelphia 76ers (-158)
Noah Dunlap
Two of the NBA’s best get together on Monday night, as the Memphis Grizzlies kick off a brief three game road trip with a visit to Philadelphia. The Grizzlies have surprised a lot of people so far this year, led by All-Star Ja Morant, as they sit squarely at third in the West right now. On top of Ja playing great basketball, they’ve gotten a lot of help from multiple other guys, including Jaren Jackson Jr., Desmond Bane, and DeAnthony Melton. While Morant is the clear leader of this team, the depth, especially when they’re all playing reasonably well, is what makes this Memphis team dangerous come playoff time.
The Philadelphia 76ers come into this one on a four game winning streak, and are looking like one of the hottest teams in basketball right now. They’re being led by MVP-candidate Joel Embiid, who has played phenomenal ball all year long, and apart from a stretch where he missed substantial time, they’ve continued to roll right along for virtually the entire year. The one concern I have with this Philly team is that they are a touch too reliant upon Embiid, as to this point they just aren’t getting enough production from his supporting cast, which somewhat limits what they can do against some of the league’s best teams. These questions about balance from the Sixers is why I’m going to give the edge to Memphis in this one, by a nose.
Noah’s NBA Pick: Memphis Grizzlies (+134)
Miami Heat @ Boston Celtics – 7.30pm ET
The Miami Heat commence their six game road trip in Boston on Monday night when they take on the Celtics. The Heat are coming off of a dramatic triple overtime loss to the Raptors, 120-124, in their last game. The Celtics have won three of their last four, with their only loss coming at the hands of the Hawks, 98-108.
Denis Kirilov
The Miami Heat have struggled with a lot of injuries throughout the season so far. Their big 4 including Bam Adebayo, Jimmy Butler, Tyler Herro, and Kyle Lowry only played 12 games together which didn’t stop them from taking the top spot in the East. Ahead of their match in TD Garden against the Celtics, the Heat are first with 32 wins and 18 losses. The teamwork they’ve displayed has been one-of-a-kind, while their individual performance also took a leap. In my opinion, they should be considered as one of the top contenders for this year’s NBA Championship.
The Boston Celtics, on the other hand, are a bit hesitant, a bit lucky, and the team is still missing something. Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum managed to erupt in certain games, but they have struggled as well in others which further underlines the issue of their inconsistency. The team from Massachusetts fluctuates around the middle of the table as they are currently 9th with 26 wins and 25 losses. Despite their recent victories over the New Orleans Pelicans, Sacramento Kings, and the Washington Wizards, I don’t think they will be able to beat the Heat for a second time this season.
Denis’ NBA Pick: Miami Heat (+134)
Michael Lantz
Since the returns of Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler to the starting lineup, the Heat have taken over as the one-seed in the Eastern Conference. But, before they got too confident, they lost a shootout to the Toronto Raptors on Saturday in overtime, falling 120-124. The Heat will look to bounce back on Monday as they face an always entertaining Boston Celtics squad.
Riding the momentum of a strong start, we were able to bounce against the Pelicans, nabbing a 107-97 win. pic.twitter.com/2qFI5djIzc
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) January 30, 2022
Boston is looking to hang onto their playoff spot, as they currently sit in ninth, which has them worthy of a play-in game. The Celtics grabbed a much needed win on Saturday, as they beat the New Orleans Pelicans 107-97. This game put them at 26-25, as they still have plenty of time to make a big run in the Eastern Conference. Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum continued to show they’re all-star worthy as they dropped 31 and 38 points respectively on Saturday against New Orleans. They’ll look to keep that going against a very good Heat team. Even if they do, I expect the Heat to be too much on both sides of the ball for this inconsistent Celtics squad to handle. Give me the Heat to cover.
Michael’s NBA Pick: Miami Heat +3.5 (-110)
Noah Dunlap
The Miami Heat have been my pick out of the East since the beginning of the year, and despite a triple overtime loss to Toronto Saturday night, my opinion about that hasn’t changed. They’ve somehow clawed their way to the top spot in the Eastern Conference, and that’s despite the absurd number of injuries and absences they’ve faced. Their core, featuring Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro, Jimmy Butler, and Kyle Lowry, have only managed to play together in a handful of games, which is what makes them being the one seed right now all that much more incredible. With them getting healthier, and getting closer to being at full strength, this is a team that I think only gets better as the year wears on.
They take on a bit of a roller coaster Boston Celtics team in this one, as the C’s are currently fighting for a playoff spot. The talent level is one that should be good enough for a certain postseason berth, led by Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, but they’ve, as a team, had issues shooting the ball all year long, which has caused them to drop in the standings, with them sitting at ninth right now. The good news is that they’ve won three of four, which makes you wonder if they’ve finally found a rhythm. The issue is that even if they have found that rhythm that they’ve been missing for much of the year, I think a healthy Miami team is simply too good for what Boston can throw at them. Give me the Heat to get a big win on the road in Boston on Monday night.
Noah’s NBA Pick: Miami Heat (+134)
Toronto Raptors @ Atlanta Hawks – 7.30pm ET
The Toronto Raptors wrap up their three game road trip on Monday when they go toe-to-toe with the Atlanta Hawks. The Raptors have been trading wins and losses for their last five games, but last time out they did eventually get the win over the Heat, 124-120, after three overtimes. The Hawks are playing on back-to-back days, and last time out they beat the Lakers 129-121.
Denis Kirilov
The Toronto Raptors will travel to Atlanta to face the high-flying Hawks who are on a 7-game winning streak following victories over teams like the Milwaukee Bucks, the Miami Heat, and the Boston Celtics. Trae Young has been remarkable, while John Collins is also putting up some big numbers here and there. The Hawks started playing more consistently relying much on teamwork rather than the individual plays. This is surely paying off for now as they managed to climb back into top 10 for the first time since the early days this season. With a 24-25 record, the team’s position looks promising and they might have a lot of gas left in the tank to compete for a spot in the top 6.
The Raptors, on the other hand, were without Fred VanVleet in two of their last three games in the NBA as he was out with a knee injury. However, he made his return against the Miami Heat, helping his team achieve a narrow victory after three overtimes. Gary Trent Jr. was playing on a very high level recently as the Raptors got more than 30 points from him in each one of their last three matches. In my opinion, the Hawks are slightly more organised and this will be the deciding factor in the game, so I will go with a home-win in State Farm Arena on Monday.
Denis’ NBA Pick: Atlanta Hawks (-142)
Michael Lantz
The Toronto Raptors pulled off a major win on Saturday, beating the number one seed Miami Heat 124-120 in overtime. This game proved that when the Raptors are at full strength, they’re quite lethal. And even though the Heat didn’t have Kyle Lowry, the Raptors have to take great pride in a big win against a top opponent. Now, they take on an Atlanta Hawks team that’s working hard to stay alive in the Eastern Conference playoff race.
The Hawks grabbed a big win yesterday against the LeBron-less Los Angeles Lakers, to strengthen their record to 24-25. They’re hoping to squeeze into the playoffs and make a run similar to last season’s squad that made the Eastern Conference Finals. The Hawks will look to use their offensive firepower to take out a Raptors squad looking to make noise in the East. As impressive as Toronto has been in recent weeks, I think the Hawks are going to start heating up; with a home game on Monday only helping their momentum. Give me the Hawks to pull out a tight one against the Raptors.
Michael’s NBA Pick: Atlanta Hawks (-142)
Noah Dunlap
These are two of the most intriguing teams in the league coming into this one, as the Toronto Raptors, when healthy, have looked like a legitimate contender in the Eastern Conference, as they showed on Saturday night, in a triple overtime win over the Miami Heat. The problem is that when they’re missing a key piece, they tend to fall apart, which is what makes predicting their games so difficult. They’re led by Fred VanVleet, who, while not a superstar, is certainly a star with enough talent to lead a team. The good news is that they are currently virtually fully healthy, which should potentially give them the ability to make a decent run as we get to the homestretch of the season.
For Atlanta, no one quite knows what to make of this Hawks team. Led by Trae Young, they’re extremely flashy, and have shown time and time again that they can compete with anyone, but they’ve also shown stretches of the season where they looked completely outmatched against even some of the worst teams in the league. However, right now they’re squarely in the midst of one of their hot stretches, as they’ve won seven straight, largely due to the fact that Young has gotten plenty of help along the way during the stretch. If they can keep that going, I like this Hawks team to make a late push for the postseason, but the problem is that I think their play is set to once again fall off pretty soon, possibly in this one. That’s why I’m going to take Toronto here, even on the road and coming off of a triple overtime marathon game.
Noah’s NBA Pick: Toronto Raptors (+120)
Golden State Warriors @ Houston Rockets – 8pm ET
One of the best teams in the league, the Golden State Warriors, will face off against one of the worst teams, the Houston Rockets. The Warriors are currently on a five game winning streak, which includes a win over their opponents tonight, 105-103. The Rockets are currently on a three game losing streak, which includes losses to the Warriors, Spurs and Trail Blazers.
Denis Kirilov
The Golden State Warriors finally found the right way back to the winning track after going on a 5-0 run recently. They defeated the likes of the Utah Jazz, Dallas Mavericks, and the Brooklyn Nets. The Warriors’ first victim during that streak was exactly their upcoming opponent in the face of the Houston Rockets who came really close to surprising them actually. The game ended 105-103 in favor of the Warriors, but they had to pull off an impressive 9-point comeback in the last minutes of the match.
Steph Curry has been struggling with his shooting recently as he rarely managed to go beyond the 20-point mark. The Rockets, on the other side, are once again coming off a losing streak after suffering three straight defeats ahead of this game. They have simply been dismantled by the San Antonio Spurs and the Portland Trail Blazers and something tells me that this won’t be the end of them. I suspect that Klay Thompson may erupt for yet another season-high performance which will further help the Warriors cover their spread in this seemingly predetermined match.
Denis’ NBA Pick: Golden State Warriors -10.5 (-110)
Denis’ NBA Bonus Pick: Klay Thompson Points – Over 16.5 (-110)
Michael Lantz
As recent as 2019, this was one of the NBA’s best matchups, but after the Houston Rockets traded James Harden and Chris Paul, they’ve gone into rebuild mode. Still, in that process, they’ve developed some great new talent including, Jalen Green, Kevin Porter Jr., and Christian Wood. This Rockets team may be bad, but they’ve shown some positives. On Monday they’ll have a big test as they face the Golden State Warriors.
A night that #DubNation will never forget.
Go behind the scenes with @getjackblack as No. 11 made his triumphant return to the court 📽️ pic.twitter.com/hccckbpHoy
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) January 31, 2022
After a couple of games where the Warriors looked lost without Draymond Green, the team has gotten back to their winning ways. They’ve won five in a row. The first game of that five-game win streak came against the Rockets, where the Warriors barely pulled off a 105-103 win. Since then the Warriors have continued to mesh significantly better, so I expect them to have a bit more comfortable of a win over the Rockets this time around.
Michael’s NBA Pick: Golden State Warriors (-590)
Noah Dunlap
After a rough stretch that lasted two weeks or so, the Golden State Warriors are beginning to once again look like one of the best teams in the league, which is what they’ve been for much of the year already. With Klay Thompson finally getting more minutes under his belt, he’s slowly but surely looking more and more like the Klay we’re used to seeing from back during the Warriors’ dynasty days, and him playing better looks as if it’s also helped out Steph Curry, who has been stuck in the worst shooting stretch of his career since Klay returned, as he was trying to get his rhythm back. On top of those two guys, they still have guys like Andrew Wiggins, Draymond Green, and Jordan Poole who can pick things up when needed, which is why this Golden State team has to be one of the favorites to win the title right now.
They get one of the worst teams in the league in this one, as the Houston Rockets just don’t have the talent to compete with any of the more elite level teams in the NBA. To make matters worse, they’ve lost three straight, including a loss to this Warriors team, and then being destroyed by Portland and San Antonio. The good news is that they have a few young guys who have shown real potential in years to come, like Christian Wood and Jalen Green, but that does them no good in this one, even at home, against the Golden State Warriors.
Noah’s NBA Pick: Golden State Warriors -10.5 (-110)
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*Odds and spreads correct at time of publication, courtesy of FanDuel.
