Our free NBA picks are out for Monday, March 28th, 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!
Orlando Magic @ Cleveland Cavaliers – 7pm ET
The Orlando Magic kick off a short two game road trip when they travel to Cleveland to take on the Cavaliers, who themselves are in the middle of a three game homestand. The Magic have lost their last two games in a row, as they have gone down to the Thunder and Kings. The Cavaliers are on a three game losing streak, and this brings down their season record to 41-33.
Jeffery Thomas
The Orlando Magic got Sunday off to travel up to Cleveland for a bout with the Cavaliers on Monday. On Saturday the Magic suffered a 110-114 overtime loss to the Sacramento Kings. The loss was even more painful when you look at the fact they led by 8 with 2:01 remaining in the game. Franz Wagner led the way scoring with 19 points and the Magic are now locked in a three-way tie with the Rockets and Pistons for the worst record in the league. The Cavs haven’t been much better recently, losing 3 games in a row after a 94-98 loss on Saturday to the Chicago Bulls.
A slow start put Cleveland in a bad spot all day, as they could only score 35 points in the first half. With the Raptors winning that same night, it pushed the Cavs down to the 7 seed, which now has them in the play-in tournament, so I would expect them to feel a sense of urgency now to try and get back in the top 6. A game against the Magic can cure any losing streak and that’s what the Cavs will see this as. With only 8 games remaining, there’s no time to waste and I think we will see a very solid performance from Cleveland for 48 minutes in a double-digit win.
Jeffery’s NBA Pick: Cleveland Cavaliers -9.5 (-110)
Michael Lantz
After a couple of decent wins, the Orlando Magic are back to their losing ways. They’ve dropped consecutive games against the Thunder and Kings, keeping them as the low men on the totem pole in the Eastern Conference. Still, their young talent is known to impress, so they can never be counted out — especially against a Cleveland Cavaliers team that’s not as hot as they were earlier in the year.
Magic in town on Monday.
— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) March 27, 2022
Still, Cleveland has been one of the NBA’s great success stories this season as they’ve become a playoff contender on season after having a top-three pick. This has been thanks to breakout performances from Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen; plus their Rookie of the Year candidate Evan Mobley. The Cavaliers are in the midst of a three-game losing streak and they’ll hope to end that against a far inferior Magic squad. Jarrett Allen’s absence has been a big factor in this but with Mobley and Lauri Markkanen holding down the front court, the Cavs should be able to slip past the Magic.
Michael’s NBA Pick: Cleveland Cavaliers -9.5 (-110)
Noah Dunlap
This matchup gives us two teams that have had very different seasons, but are playing similar basketball as of late. The Orlando Magic have been one of, if not the worst, team in the league the entire year, and they now find themselves squarely in the mix to have the best odds at landing the number one overall pick in this year’s NBA Draft, depending on how they close out the year, and how the lottery turns out.
Cleveland, on the other hand, spent the first three quarters of the year being one of the more surprising teams in the NBA, as they were one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference for much of the year, despite multiple injuries along the way. However, fatigue during a long season seems to have set in, and with them being a bit short-handed, they’ve slowed down greatly over the past 10-12 games or so, including losing their last three, even though they still sit at a solid 41-33. Despite the struggles, I like Cleveland at home here, as I think Orlando starts looking to enter tanking mode as the end of the season nears and they have nothing to play for. Give me the Cavs by double-digits.
Noah’s NBA Pick: Cleveland Cavaliers -9.5 (-110)
Sacramento Kings @ Miami Heat – 7.30pm ET
The road trip continues on for the Sacramento Kings who will hit the road and travel to Miami to take on the Heat on Monday night. The Kings will be looking to build on their current two game winning streak, as they have wins over the Pacers and Magic. The Heat are struggling at the moment, as they have lost their last four games in a row, including last time out when they went down to the Nets, 95-110.
Jeffery Thomas
The Sacramento Kings are one of the teams that are just playing for the future at this point in the season and the future is very bright for their first round pick from the 2021 draft. His name is Davion Mitchell, he comes from Baylor and he’s finding his groove at the NBA level. Stepping in for the injured De’Aaron Fox, he is averaging 25 points a game in the last three and has carried the Kings to wins in the last two, against the Pacers and Magic. Now he’ll take his hot streak down to Miami for a battle with a very good but struggling Heat team.
The loss on Saturday to the Nets made it four straight for Miami but Monday would seem to be a good bounce-back spot for them against a Kings team that is one of the worst in the league. If the Heat want to show any fight and get any positive momentum this is the spot to do it. The Kings should not be able to come into your house and play a competitive game against any team that has championship aspirations and I’m going to trust the Heat to prove their superiority in this matchup on Monday.
Jeffery’s NBA Pick: Miami Heat -13 (-110)
Michael Lantz
The Miami Heat are in danger: a couple of weeks ago it looked as though they had the one-seed wrapped up in the Eastern Conference; now they’ve lost four in a row to both playoff teams and awful teams. They’ve also had some internal fighting, as this team looks like it’s on the verge of imploding. With the postseason approaching, this team needs to get their act together quick; they’ll hope that happens against the Sacramento Kings.
HB from 3 to seal it 😤@hbarnes | #SacramentoProud pic.twitter.com/qMD8TZ8eJD
— Sacramento Kings (@SacramentoKings) March 27, 2022
No Domantas Sabonis, no worries, as the Kings have won back-to-back games without their All-Star big man. Even though this might be another lost season for the Kings, they have seen some decent play from rookie Davion Mitchell who has been anchoring this team over the last couple of games. While I think Miami has what it takes to finally break their slump, I’m not entirely convinced they can cover the 13.5 spread. So, even though I think they lose, I’ll pick the Kings to cover.
Michael’s NBA Pick: Sacramento Kings +13 (-110)
Noah Dunlap
The Sacramento Kings may potentially have a bright future, depending on how De’Aaron Fox, Domontas Sabonis, and Davion Mitchell all play moving forward, and what other pieces they manage to add to the puzzle, but that doesn’t do them much good for the remainder of this year, as they’re 27-48 and virtually out of realistic playoff contention. Despite all of this, they have won two straight which should have them optimistic moving forward, though I’m not sure how much good that ends up doing them in this matchup. The Miami Heat have been simply abysmal in their last four, all losses, and that has nearly cost them the one-seed in the East.
This includes a loss on Saturday night at the hands of the Brooklyn Nets that saw them get demolished in, and with the end of the season coming up, you would imagine that they’re looking for a win that can get them back on track. This game provides that opportunity, as despite the struggles, the Heat, especially at home, should be able to roll in this one. I don’t actually think we get a blowout, so I’m taking Sacramento to cover the pretty big number, but I do think Miami manages to get a win, which keeps them at the one spot in the conference, at least for now.
Noah’s NBA Pick: Sacramento Kings +13 (-110)
Chicago Bulls @ New York Knicks – 7.30pm ET
The Chicago Bulls kick off the working week with a game on the road when they travel to Madison Square Garden to take on the New York Knicks. The Bulls have lost five of their last seven games, but last time out they did get the win over the Cavaliers, 98-94. The Knicks are playing on two nights in a row, and last time out they beat the Pistons, 104-102.
Jeffery Thomas
The New York Knicks will be on the second leg of a back-to-back after taking on the Pistons in Detroit on Sunday. RJ Barrett had 21 points and 9 rebounds in the 104-102 victory, which was the third consecutive victory for the Knicks. A fourth will be hard to come by against a Bulls team that is fighting for playoff positioning in the Eastern Conference. The Bulls got a much needed win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday which gave them a tad bit of cushion ahead of the 7th seed and that dreaded play-in tournament spot.
They now sit at the 5 seed, but there will be a lot of scoreboard watching since the Cavs are also in action Monday and only sit two games back. The Knicks are peaking a little too late in the year and now are just ruining a spot at a better draft pick in the summer. But it shows they have a lot of pride and with how well they’re playing and them being at home for this game, I think the Bulls are getting a little too many points on the spread here. An outright win isn’t out of the question for the Knicks, but either way I see this as a one possession game so I’m comfortable backing the home Knicks in this spot with the spread.
Jeffery’s NBA Pick: New York Knicks +5 (-110)
Michael Lantz
While this season has been rough on the New York Knicks, they have shown some small signs of life lately. While still nowhere near being a playoff team, they won three in a row, including big wins against the Charlotte Hornets and Miami Heat. They’ll try to grab another big win on Monday as they face off against the Chicago Bulls. Since almost getting back to full strength, the Bulls have shown the time they’ve spent apart is taking a toll on their game.
Heading home with the W.
📹 @SociosUSA x #NewYorkForever pic.twitter.com/yCwGCUnTDZ
— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) March 27, 2022
Sometimes they’ve pulled off brilliant wins; sometimes they’ve looked lost. All the star power is there, they just need to mesh a bit — especially with the postseason around the corner. They’ll need offensive powerhouses DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine to be in full force and the defensive play of Alex Caruso and Patrick Williams to clamp down on the super star talent they’re yet to face. While the Knicks are on a bit of a hot streak now, I expect a Bulls team that’s looking to lock down the fifth seed to step up at MSG.
Michael’s NBA Pick: Chicago Bulls -5 (-110)
Noah Dunlap
The New York Knicks are virtually out of postseason contention, which just concludes yet another disappointing season for New York, even though they have been actually playing a little better lately, including beating Detroit in their last game out. One concern for this Knicks team about this game though is the fact that the win over the Pistons just took place yesterday, so this is going to be them coming into this one on the back end of a back-to-back. The Chicago Bulls are squarely in the playoff mix, as they sit at fifth in the East right now, and are a game up on sixth, though they have struggled a bit more than usual lately.
They’ve lost five of seven, which should be concerning moving forward, but assuming they can get things together over the last two weeks of the season, they’re still a team that can turn things around and has the potential to make a good run in the playoffs. This would give them a good opportunity to get that going again, and even though they do travel to MSG for this one, I actually like Chicago to get the win, as I just don’t know that New York has much to play for at this point. Give me the Bulls in a close one on the road.
Noah’s NBA Pick: Chicago Bulls (-210)
Boston Celtics @ Toronto Raptors – 7.30pm ET
An Atlantic Division rivalry for your Monday night viewing in the NBA, when the Boston Celtics hit the road and take on the Toronto Raptors. The Celtics are playing on back-to-back nights and in their game yesterday they beat the Timberwolves 134-112. The Raptors have won three of their last four games, and this takes their overall record on the season to 42-32.
Jeffery Thomas
Another game, another Boston Celtics blowout. It’s honestly amazing what this team has managed to do over the past couple months and at this point there’s no way we can ignore it. This team is legit and the Minnesota Timberwolves were their latest victim of the rampage tour. The C’s blew out Minnesota 134-112 on the back of Jayson Tatum’s 34 points and Jaylen Brown’s 31. The win here, coupled with the loss by the Sixers on Sunday gave Boston the 1 seed in the East for the first time all season. It is a well-deserved spot for them and now they will travel north of the border to try and maintain it. The Toronto Raptors are in a battle in the standings themselves, only a game ahead of the Cavaliers who are also in action on Monday.
With the Cavs facing a much easier opponent it’s very likely the Raptors end the night tied for at that 6-7 seed line with Cleveland, but maybe we shouldn’t just assume the Raptors will lose here against the Celtics. There’s some question marks heading into this game about Jayson Tatum’s availability for this game but I’m going to go with the assumption that he plays. If we’re assuming that, then we have to stick with our rule and that is to just keep taking the Celtics until they give us a reason not to. It doesn’t matter who you put in front of them these days, they just mow them down in blowout fashion and the Raptors will become the latest victim. Do keep an eye on the injury report throughout the day though, but as of now I’m rolling with Boston.
Jeffery’s NBA Pick: Boston Celtics (+124)
Michael Lantz
The Boston Celtics are the hottest team in basketball and just might be the best team in the Eastern Conference. Marcus Smart has continued to be an animal on defense and Jayson Tatum has worked his way into the MVP conversation. While the Celtics now sit on top of the Eastern Conference, they will also have a huge target on their back. They went from being a team on a streak to a team that’s a title threat. We’ll see how they fare up north of the border on Monday night.
JT just can’t be stopped 😤
Check out tonight’s @gatorade player of the game ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/eqObBllnHC
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) March 28, 2022
After a start of the season filled with injuries and COVID issues, the Toronto Raptors are playing to their full potential, going 8-2 in their last ten and rising up to the sixth-seed in the Eastern Conference. They’ve shown flashes of brilliance on both sides of the ball thanks to the likes of All-Star Fred VanVleet and rookie Scottie Barnes. They also recently got back OG Anunoby and should have Gary Trent Jr. back on the squad this week. This team is hungry to show they should be competing for the one-seed as well. The best way to do that? Beat the one seed head on. They’ll have a chance to do that at home on Monday night. While the Raptors are a tempting pick, I’m going to go with the Celtics. Sure, they’re playing the second part of a back-to-back, but they’re playing such beautiful basketball right now that the only team I think can beat them is the Phoenix Suns.
Michael’s NBA Pick: Boston Celtics (+124)
Noah Dunlap
Why would anyone bet against the Boston Celtics right now? Regardless of who they play, they just take care of business, as they’re now 27-4 in the last 31 games. This has put them squarely in the middle of the conversation to be the East’s number one-seed as we wind down the regular season, and with the way they’re playing, I think there’s a legitimate argument to be made that they should be the favorite to get that spot. From where they were at roughly the halfway point of the season, this would be a massive turnaround, and should give them major confidence heading into the playoffs.
They do take on a Toronto Raptors team that is playing well also, though they haven’t been nearly as hot as Boston. This Raptors squad has been all over the place this year, as they’re a team that has been extremely streaky, both in good and bad ways. The good news for them right now is that it looks as if they’re in the midst of a pretty good streak, given that they’ve won three of four, and they’re virtually completely healthy as well. With this one taking place north of the border, I think Toronto keeps it close, but until Boston shows signs of slowing down, I’m not betting against the C’s. Celtics in a tight one.
Noah’s NBA Pick: Boston Celtics (+124)
Golden State Warriors @ Memphis Grizzlies – 8pm ET
The Golden State Warriors wrap up their five game road trip on Monday night when they take on the Memphis Grizzlies. The Warriors played yesterday when they faced off with the Wizards, in a game they lost, 115-123. The Memphis Grizzlies have won eight of their last nine games, and are on a four game winning streak, taking their season record to 52-23.
Jeffery Thomas
The Warriors will be playing their second game in as many days when they face the Ja-Morant less Memphis Grizzlies. It appeared the Warriors could have figured something out, when they beat the Heat a couple games ago but now they’re back on a losing streak. That Heat win was followed up by a loss to the Hawks on Friday and a loss to the Wizards on Sunday. With the Dallas Mavericks winning on Sunday, the Warriors only have a 2 game lead over them for the 3 seed so wins will need to be had down this final stretch. The Grizzlies are the 2 seed currently and will be doing all they can to keep distance between them and the Warriors.
Memphis has done a good job of that recently, winning four straight over the Rockets, Nets, Pacers, and Bucks all without Ja Morant. Morant is a sure-fire superstar, MVP candidate, and most likely the most-improved player for this season, but his absence has not hurt the Grizz at all this year. Their record without him is 17-2 and they even set the record for largest margin of victory back in December in a game he was sidelined in. That speaks to great depth and coaching, and with the rest advantage and home-court against a short-handed Warriors team, a victory here will be no problem.
Jeffery’s NBA Pick: Memphis Grizzlies -10.5 (-110)
Michael Lantz
In this battle between the Western Conference two and three seed, the Golden State Warriors journey to Memphis to take on the Grizzlies. No Steph Curry has been a major issue for the Warriors. While their star guard should be back for the playoffs, his absence definitely is making it difficult for the Warriors to end the season on a high note. They’ve lost five of six since he went out and won’t have an easier time on the road Monday against the Grizzlies.
Final 📊
Jordan – 26p/6r/2a/3s
Klay – 25p/5r/3a
Andrew – 23p/2r/1s
Otto – 14p/11r/2a
Kevon – 8p/6r/2a/1b
Draymond – 7p/5r/6a/3s
Gary – 5p/2r/2a/1s/1b
JK – 4p/3r/1a
Damion – 3p/6r/2a pic.twitter.com/TkkF7eGDe8— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) March 28, 2022
The Grizzlies are also likely without their star guard for the regular season, as Ja Morant is missing a good amount of time with a knee injury. But unlike the Warriors, the Grizzlies excel when their leader is out. The Grizzlies are 17-2 without Morant this season, including huge recent wins against the likes of the Brooklyn Nets and Milwaukee Bucks. Morant’s departure allows guys like Desmond Bane and Dillon Brooks to shine on offense and Jaren Jackson to show why he’s a Defensive Player of the Year candidate. They’ve also seen some huge play from youngster De’Anthony Melton, who has been an unsung hero stepping up for Morant. While this game could be seen as a toss up without the two stars, I expect a Grizzlies team that’s at home and unfazed by Morant’s absence to pull off the victory.
Michael’s NBA Pick: Memphis Grizzlies -10.5 (-110)
Noah Dunlap
This is a series that is always entertaining, and this one should be no different. The bad news for this one is that both team’s respective superstars, Steph Curry and Ja Morant, will both be out. The other side of this is that these two are currently two and three in the Western Conference, though they’re trending in very different directions. The Golden State Warriors are struggling, and look to have very major issues without Steph Curry in the lineup, and with the end of the regular season nearing, and no timetable for Curry’s return, these are problems they need to fix in a hurry. The free fall continued yesterday, as they lost at Washington, which in most ways is completely inexcusable from this Warriors squad.
Memphis, on the other hand, has shown that they don’t slow down at all when Ja is out, as they’re now 17-2 without him this season, and are, at least record wise, a better team when he doesn’t play. The other focus point for the Grizz is the offense, as they’re 26-0 this season when scoring at least 120. The defense has been problematic at times this season, and that’s a concern for the postseason, but when their offense is fully humming, even a mediocre defense hasn’t been able to slow them down. With Golden State coming in on the second night of a back-to-back, and this one taking place in Memphis, I like the Grizzlies to get the win, but look for it to be extremely close.
Noah’s NBA Pick: Memphis Grizzlies (-600)
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*Odds and spreads correct at time of publication, courtesy of FanDuel.
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