Our free NBA picks are out for Monday, March 7th, 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!
Chicago Bulls @ Philadelphia 76ers – 7pm ET
The Chicago Bulls kick off a short two game road trip on Monday night when they travel to Philadelphia and take on the 76ers. The Bulls will be looking to turn around the current four game losing streak they are on, after losses to the Grizzlies, Heat, Hawks and Bucks. The 76ers had their five game winning streak snapped last time out, thanks to the Heat, 82-99.
Jeffery Thomas
The Philadelphia 76ers had their five-game winning streak snapped on Saturday against the Heat when James Harden sat the game out with hamstring tightness. He is expected to be back in this game, and they’ll look to keep up their unbeaten record with James in the lineup. Things seemed to be much harder to come by with Harden out for Embiid, who only shot 4-15 from the field. He still put up an impressive 22 points and 15 rebounds, but expect him to get much easier looks against Chicago and have a more efficient night. The Bulls had the weekend off after losing at home to Milwaukee on Friday by the score of 112-118.
Zach Lavine had 30 points in the loss and Demar Derozan had 29 but just couldn’t get enough from the rest of the team. Now the Bulls will start up a brutal stretch of 10 of the next 12 away from home. It’s been a very impressive and somewhat surprising year for the Bulls, but one thing that they have struggled with is beating the top teams in the NBA. Against the top 7 teams in the league record-wise, Chicago is just 1-13 and it’s clear that they just aren’t ready to compete with the teams in that tier. Philly is right up there with the teams that Chicago has struggled with and with Harden back in the lineup, that trend will continue on Monday night.
Jeffery’s NBA Pick: Philadelphia 76ers (-290)
Michael Lantz
In a battle between two top Eastern Conference squads, the Chicago Bulls head to the City of Brotherly Love to take on the Philadelphia 76ers. The Bulls have lost four straight, despite players such as Zach LaVine returning from injury, the Bulls magic is starting to wane. They’re in desperate need of floor general point guard Lonzo Ball and defensive stopper Alex Caruso to return, if they want a shot at competing in the Eastern Conference. With the surging Boston Celtics breathing down their neck, the Bulls need a big win on Monday, but that won’t be easy against a team like Philly.
beep. beep. Minivan coming through.
🪙@Cryptocom pic.twitter.com/cw1iocfFWX
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) March 6, 2022
After winning four straight games to start the James Harden era, the 76ers finally hit a roadblock against the Miami Heat on Saturday, losing 82-99. That being said, the Sixers were without Harden in that game, proving how valuable he is to this squad going forward. Luckily he should be back in this one, as the 76ers look to hold on to their two-seed in the East. The Bulls have struggled when it comes to facing top teams this season, with this one being on the road and against a full strength Sixers squad, I’d say the advantage definitely goes to Philly.
Michael’s NBA Pick: Philadelphia 76ers (-290)
Noah Dunlap
After being one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference for much of the year, the Chicago Bulls have run through a rough stretch of late, having lost four straight, and it won’t get any easier in this one. One reason for that is the fact that they’ve been without Lonzo Ball and Alex Caruso for quite a bit of time now, and even with them having DeMar Derozan and Zach LaVine, it’s proving to be a tall task for them to handle themselves.
Now they take on a Philadelphia team that has been on fire since James Harden was acquired, and actually joined the lineup. They won four straight to open the Harden era, but did finally slip up in their last game to the Miami Heat, though it’s probably worth pointing out that Harden didn’t actually play in that one. Now, with Harden back, I think they manage to take care of business against a struggling, somewhat injured Chicago squad. Give me the Sixers at home in this one.
Noah’s NBA Pick: Philadelphia 76ers -6.5 (-112)
Houston Rockets @ Miami Heat – 7.30pm ET
The Houston Rockets are on the road for just one game when they travel to Miami and face off against the Heat. The Rockets have been struggling pretty much all season long, and they come into this game on the second leg of their back-to-back, but last time out they beat the Grizzlies, 123-112. The Heat have won 11 of their last 13 games, and this includes their last two in a row, which brings their season record to 43-22.
Jeffery Thomas
The Heat got Sunday off after cooling off the Sixers and ending their winning streak in a 99-82 statement win. It was a struggle for Bam Adebayo who had to deal with Joel Embiid on the defensive end, and it appeared to impact him on the offensive side as well, shooting just 3-10 with six points. Jimmy Butler and Tyler Herro picked it up for Bam, both dropping 21 points. The Rockets will be playing their second game in as many days after a huge win over the Memphis Grizzlies at home. Kevin Porter Jr. led them in scoring with 29 points, while Christian Wood had 28 and Jalen Green 24.
It was a nice performance to see for the rebuilding Rockets, who got a glimpse into what their future will look like led by those three. The Houston Rockets had fun in their win over the Grizzlies on Sunday, but this trip to Miami is where the fun stops. The Heat have already slipped up once against these Rockets, so they will not be taking them lightly in this game. Expect a big bounce back game from Bam in what will be a blowout for the home Heat.
Jeffery’s NBA Pick: Miami Heat -15 (-110)
Michael Lantz
The Houston Rockets once again showed their potential going forward, upsetting the Memphis Grizzlies last night, 123-112. The Rockets have had bright spots on offense throughout the season, with players like Jalen Green, Christian Wood, and Kevin Porter Jr. It’s their defense which has been a massive downfall, requiring their offense to overpower opponents night after night. Well, that worked against the Grizzlies last night and they’ll look to do it again against the Eastern Conference one-seed, the Miami Heat, tonight.
Big W 🔥 pic.twitter.com/MbBJTeDXc4
— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) March 7, 2022
The Heat continue to further their dominance in the East, as they dismantled a James Harden-less 76ers squad on Saturday. They’ve gone 8-2 in their past ten, and have continued to look strong despite Kyle Lowry being injured. While their strong play on both sides of the ball should be enough to outplay the Rockets, last night proved they can’t just skate by this young team. While the Rockets have proven that they may be one of the better fifteen seeds in recent history, I’m skeptical of their ability to put together strong performances on consecutive nights against two of basketball’s best teams. Still, with the spread at 15, I’ll take the Rockets to at least cover in what otherwise should be a Heat victory.
Michael’s NBA Pick: Houston Rockets +15 (-110)
Noah Dunlap
Well, the Houston Rockets managed to surprise a lot of people last night by knocking off the Memphis Grizzlies, but I think the train runs off the tracks tonight as they travel down to South Beach to take on the Miami Heat. Even with the win last night, the Rockets are still the worst team in basketball, and arguably the youngest as well. They have some bright future talent on the roster, but it’s simply way too young to be able to imagine that they find a way to knock off two of the best teams in the NBA in back to back nights.
The Miami Heat come into this one as the one seed in the Eastern Conference, and I actually like their chances of having that spot for the rest of the year. The one concern you can have with this Miami team is the fact that they have had a few injury concerns on the season, but if they manage to stay healthy, they’re going to be extremely difficult to knock off come the postseason. Even though they aren’t fully healthy for this one, I think they’re more than good enough to take care of a Houston team that’s on the second night of a back to back, both against top-3 teams in the league. The Heat rolls in this one at home.
Noah’s NBA Pick: Miami Heat -15 (-110)
Portland Trail Blazers @ Minnesota Timberwolves – 8pm ET
Two teams from the Northwest Division will come together in the NBA on Monday night, when the Portland Trail Blazers take on the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Trail Blazers and Timberwolves played each other last time out, and in that game it was the Timberwolves who were victorious, winning 135-121.
Jeffery Thomas
We just saw these two teams matchup in Minnesota on Saturday, with the Wolves claiming their 4th straight win by the score of 135-121. Karl Anthony-Towns went for 36 points and 15 rebounds against a short handed Trail Blazers squad that had no answers for him. Minnesota is averaging 133.3 points per game during the streak and this surge has them just 2 games behind the Denver Nuggets for the 6th seed in the West. D’Angelo Russell had a career-high 15 assists in the win and on the second night of a back-to-back the Wolves had their best shooting night of the season (56.5%). Anfernee Simons led the way for Portland in the loss, dropping 38 points on a career-high nine three-pointers.
It was the fourth straight loss for the Blazers, but they can at least take solace in the fact that they snapped a three game streak of losing by over 30 and failing to cross 95 points. They only had eight players suit up in the game, so depth can once again be a problem on Monday night. This is a rare spot where Minnesota gets two straight home games against the same team and there’s not much that will be different in this one. The Timberwolves may get Anthony Edwards and Patrick Beverly back from injury, which will of course be a welcoming addition and more reason to believe this will be another blowout. I don’t see what Portland can do to keep up with one of the most potent offenses in the league, so I’m going right back to the Wolves to cover this large spread.
Jeffery’s NBA Pick: Minnesota Timberwolves -15.5 (-110)
Michael Lantz
The Minnesota Timberwolves and Portland Trail Blazers face each other for the second straight game. Saturday’s game was a breeze for Minnesota as they won 135-121, it was their fourth straight win, as this young Timberwolves team continues to impress, currently sitting as the seventh seed in the West. While their star players Karl-Anthony Towns, Anthony Edwards, and D’Angelo Russell have been a thrill to watch, the team also has some quality depth. That’s been apparent, with Edwards injured over the last couple of games, as Jaden McDaniels and Jared Vanderbilt have stepped up and taken control. They’ll look to take another game from the Trail Blazers and win their fifth straight.
22 points in 24 minutes.
that’s tough, @JaylenNowell. pic.twitter.com/hGedbId2va
— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) March 6, 2022
Portland has tried to stay resilient this season despite trading CJ McCollum and Norman Powell, and losing Damian Lillard and Jusef Nurkic to injury. They may have their backcourt of the future in Anfernee Simons and Josh Hart, but the rest of the team is pretty depleted right now. That’s been very evident lately as they’ve lost four straight games. They’ll have their second straight matchup against a playoff ready Timberwolves team on Monday, with this game once again being in Minneapolis. Simons is turning into a certified scorer and the Blazers have plenty of offensive talent, but the Timberwolves are becoming a more complete team by the week. Edwards is once again doubtful to play, but with the way the other young T-Wolves have stepped up, I think they should once again win this one with ease.
Michael’s NBA Pick: Minnesota Timberwolves -15.5 (-110)
Noah Dunlap
This is the second of two straight these two have played against each other. The first one saw the Minnesota Timberwolves get the win, and I don’t think this one is going to be any different. The T-Wolves are led by one of the best trios in basketball, in Karl-Anthony Towns, D’Angelo Russell, and Anthony Edwards, and they also have guys like Patrick Beverley that close things down on the defensive end. They’re getting pretty close to the point of locking up at least a spot in the play-in tournament, if not getting out of that mix and getting a shot outright.
Now they take on a Portland team that has struggled all year long, though not all of it is their fault. They were without CJ McCollum for much of the year before trading him to New Orleans, and now they’ve been without Damian Lillard for virtually the entire year as well. They’ve actually managed to play well despite all of that, though I don’t think they’re ready for this one. Give me Minnesota again in this series, as I just think they’ve got too much talent on both ends of the floor. The Wolves take care of business at home.
Noah’s NBA Pick: Minnesota Timberwolves -15.5 (-110)
Utah Jazz @ Dallas Mavericks – 8.30pm ET
The Utah Jazz wrap up their five game road trip tonight with a game against the Dallas Mavericks, who themselves are in the middle of a four game homestand. The Jazz are playing on back-to-back nights, and last time out they beat the Thunder, 116-103. The Mavericks will be looking to build on their current four game winning streak, which includes wins over the Warriors (twice), Lakers and Kings.
Jeffery Thomas
The Dallas Mavericks were without Luka Doncic in their Saturday afternoon game against the Sacramento Kings, but it was no problem as they still got the win 114-113. They had to rally from a 19-point second half deficit for the second time in the week and it was Dorian Finney-Smith who hit the game-winning three with 3.3 seconds left. Spencer Dinwiddie got the start for Luka, and surprisingly gave similar production of the superstar, going for a season-high 36 points and also chipped in 7 assists. The Utah Jazz got back in the win column on Sunday with a victory over the Thunder in Oklahoma City.
Bojan Bogdanovic set a franchise-record with 11 three-pointers in the 116-103 victory and Donovan Mitchell chipped in 24 points and 10 assists. With the loss by the Grizzlies on Sunday, Utah moved to within 2.5 games of the 3 seed in the West with this win. With the return of Luka Doncic on Monday, the Mavericks will have their eyes set on avenging the loss they had to the Jazz in Utah on February 25. Now Dallas will get to host the game and have the rest advantage, and are the team that is in better form right now. It will be a tightly-contested playoff-like battle but I think the home team will pull out the victory.
Jeffery’s NBA Pick: Dallas Mavericks (-120)
Michael Lantz
This should be a thrilling matchup between two Western Conference teams on the rise. After multiple injuries ruined the Jazz’s January, this team is starting to look like last year’s one-seed again, with Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert playing at high levels. After the All-Star break, the Jazz won three straight, but were then blanked by a new look New Orleans Pelicans team last week, losing 90-124. Luckily, they bounced back last night, beating the Oklahoma City Thunder 116-103—without Mike Conley. Conley should be back for this important matchup against the Dallas Mavericks, and they’ll need him as they face superstar Luka Doncic and a much-improved Mavericks defense.
Check out our Top 🖐 Plays of the Week!
5. Luka Magic AND-1
4. Spence tough bucket!
3. Maxi straight lobbin’
2. DWIGHT P💥WELL
1. Can you guess?👇@att | #MFFL pic.twitter.com/dwlokdBp40— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) March 7, 2022
Dallas sits 2.5 games behind the Jazz for the fourth seed and they’ll look to gain more ground by facing them head on tonight. The Mavericks are currently on a four-game win streak with their last loss coming against the Jazz themselves on February 25th. That one was in Salt Lake City; this time Dallas has the home court advantage. Doncic got to sit in Dallas’ 114-113 win over the Sacramento Kings on Saturday, so he should be fully ready for this fierce showdown. Recently acquired Spencer Dinwiddie scored 36 points against the Kings, as he took over Doncic’s spot in the starting lineup, giving him a great opportunity to mesh with his new team. This should be a close call, but I’ll go with Dallas to squeeze by with a home victory and grab their fifth straight win.
Michael’s NBA Pick: Dallas Mavericks (-120)
Noah Dunlap
This should arguably be the best matchup of the night in the NBA, as we get a hot Dallas Mavericks team taking on one of the best teams in the league in the Utah Jazz. The Mavs have won four straight, and that’s without having Luka Doncic on the floor for their Saturday victory, and now it’s expected that he’ll be back for this one. He’s been playing out of his mind lately, and even against a quality opponent in Utah, I don’t know why I’d think anything changes, at least in terms of his play. The question is whether he can get enough help against a loaded Jazz lineup, which has been Dallas’s issue for much of the year.
Utah, on the other hand, started the year extremely hot, before struggling for a time when they were without Rudy Gobert or Donovan Mitchell. Now, with both of them back, they’ve looked more like the team we kind of expected to see, though I do think they may find it difficult to lock up Luka in this one. I think this ends up being a great matchup, but I’m going to give the edge to Dallas by a nose, as I think this one being in Dallas, and with Luka being rested, should end up making the difference. Take the Mavs in an extremely tight one.
Noah’s NBA Pick: Dallas Mavericks -1.5 (-110)
Golden State Warriors @ Denver Nuggets – 9pm ET
The Golden State Warriors wrap up their four game road trip on Monday night when they take on the Denver Nuggets. The slide from the Warriors continues on, and they now have dropped four games in a row, which is their longest losing streak this season. The Nuggets, on the other hand, have won 10 of their last 12 games, and this takes their season record to 38-26.
Jeffery Thomas
Golden State fell victim to a vintage LeBron James performance in Crypto.com Arena on Saturday night. The King went off for 56 points with the Lakers in desperate need for a win and Steph Curry’s 30 was not enough to keep pace. It was announced shortly after the loss that the Warriors would be resting practically all their starters for this Monday matchup with Denver so they will be rolling out all their role players to try and get back to their winning ways.
The Nuggets will be playing their top guys all against Golden State’s B Team in this contest so them being on the back-to-back shouldn’t even matter much. It will be a good time to get some good minutes and experience for the young guys on the Warriors, but as far as winning the game, that’s a longshot. If the Nuggets take this game seriously it will not be close, and that’s what I will be banking on.
Jeffery’s NBA Pick: Denver Nuggets -9 (-110)
Michael Lantz
The Denver Nuggets continue to stay afloat in the Western Conference despite not having Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. They’ve won eight of their last ten, and currently sit one game outside of the Dallas Mavericks for fifth in the Western Conference. This included a massive win last night against the surging New Orleans Pelicans, in which Nikola Jokic had a 46-point triple-double. The Nuggets will play on consecutive nights, this time playing a Golden State Warriors team that’s been in free-fall mode lately. They might be tired after last night’s overtime game, but they’ll be happy to be at home facing a team that’s uncharacteristically struggling.
putting the work in pic.twitter.com/y1l3kHJg63
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) March 6, 2022
The Warriors have dropped six of their last seven, with the lone win being against a depleted Portland Trail Blazers squad. Draymond Green’s absence has taken a major toll on the team and Klay Thompson trying to find his groove after missing two years hasn’t exactly been easy either. Earlier in the season, the Warriors were doing just fine when injuries hit, but it seems they’ve run a bit out of steam and other teams have figured out how to attack them. Still, I can never fully lose confidence in a Steph Curry/Steve Kerr team. But I can lose confidence when Curry, Thompson, Andrew Wiggins and more are all taking Monday off to rest. With Green aiming to be back in the next week or so, the Warriors will look to take it easy now and aim for postseason success later on. So, for this one, expect the Nuggets to take care of business. Even if they decide to rest Jokic themselves, his supporting cast has proven they can step in nicely.
Michael’s NBA Pick: Denver Nuggets -9 (-110)
Noah Dunlap
Despite being arguably the second best team in the league for much of the year, the Golden State Warriors have gone in absolute free fall mode over their last ten or so, and it has to have fans wondering what has gone wrong. They can’t seem to get Steph going, as he’s been struggling a great deal lately, and while they do have Klay Thompson and Andrew Wiggins playing pretty good ball, they are still without Draymond Green, which has affected their defense just a bit, as well. Without Green playing, and until Steph can find his way out of this slump, I think this is a Warriors squad that is probably going to continue to struggle.
Now they get a Denver Nuggets team that is way too much of a one man show, but at least to this point it has worked out for them, as Nikola Jokic has shown the ability to simply carry the team, which he showed with a masterful performance in the 4th quarter and OT of last night’s game, where he scored 30 points just in the last quarter and the extra period, and added 12 rebounds, 11 assists, three steals, and four blocks. That is far and away one of the best performances we’ve ever seen in an NBA game, and the concern is that he may have to basically match that in this one. I don’t think he quite reaches that level on back to back nights, but I do think Denver actually manages to get the home win over a badly struggling Golden State team. Take the Nuggets in a tight one.
Noah’s NBA Pick: Denver Nuggets (-420)
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.
