Our free NBA Picks are out for Monday, November 8th, 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 @ Philadelphia 76ers – 7pm ET
We kick off the week with two of the East’s best teams from not only last season, but this season as well. The Philadelphia 76ers sit on top of the East with an 8-2 record, despite missing key players for most of the season so far, while the Knicks are 6-4 but have faltered of late, losing three of their last four.
Tim Newton
This is an interesting one as the Knicks played last night, and lost to Cleveland at home. They now have to get on the road and back up again tonight against one of the best teams in the league, the Sixers. This may seem alarming but New York were the fifth best team in the league last season when playing with no rest, going 9-5 for a 64.3% win rate. But is this team as good as last season’s and will they be able to match it with Philly?
The positive is that Kemba Walker sat out last night resting, but the negative is that Tom Thibodeau didn’t guarantee that he would be back in the lineup for this clash. That leaves a lot of pressure on Derrick Rose, RJ Barrett and Evan Fournier, all of whom were outplayed last night.
Philly on the other hand have been able to continue winning despite missing Tobias Harris for all of last week, and he will be out again tonight, as well as continuing to see Ben Simmons stay away from the team. The result of this has been that the role players have stepped up massively, like on Saturday when Forkan Korkmaz dropped 25 in Philly’s 114-105 win in Chicago.
Ultimately, the big difference maker is Joel Embiid. While Mitch Robinson and Nerlens Noel combined for eight blocks last night, they are both prone to getting in foul trouble and Cleveland don’t have anyone on Embiid’s level. He should have a monster night and if the role players step up, again, then the Sixers win this comfortably.
Tim’s NBA Pick: Philadelphia 76ers (-184)
Denis Kirilov
The New York Knicks will have a hard task tomorrow in the face of the Philadelphia 76ers. Phillies’ superstar, Joel Embiid, is in great form and his team is leading the Eastern Conference with 8 wins and 2 losses. The Knicks aren’t far away from them as they hold a record of 6-4, but game-wise they have some holes to fill in. They lost 109-126 at home to a confident Cleveland Cavaliers team yesterday as they let Ricky Rubio go off for 37 points and 10 assists, off the bench.
Both teams occasionally concede more than 100 points which gives me the impression that they will need to work on their defense. The Knicks are focusing their strength towards their offense with RJ Barret, Derrick Rose, and Julius Randle on their roster. The 76ers also consists of plenty of shooters like Curry, Korkmaz, Niang, and Embiid himself. Among these players, only Embiid and Randle show some strength in defense as well. Having this in mind, I will choose over 210 points as I am confident enough in both teams’ offensive lineups and I am sure that their defense won’t have such a huge impact on the game.
Denis’ NBA Pick: Over 210 (-110)
Furk was a Turkish Delight Last Night. pic.twitter.com/UzeGO4cy1k
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) November 7, 2021
Michael Lantz
Just a week ago Knicks fans were on top of the world; now on November 8th, they’re starting to feel an all too familiar inconsistency creep upon them. They may have beaten a depleted Bucks team last week, but they’ve lost three of their last four games to teams that were ranked below them in the preseason. Their chance to get hot again comes against the Philadelphia 76ers, a team they beat earlier in the season by double digits.
The only thing is: that Knicks win is the wake up call that got the 76ers rolling—they haven’t lost since. Despite some key injuries, Philly has shown resilience and role players have stepped up in big ways to assist Joel Embiid and lead the 76ers to the Eastern Conference’s best record. This time playing at Wells Fargo Center, the 76ers will be looking for payback. The Knicks have all the talent to get back on track, and I totally expect them to be contending for a high seed as the season continues, but can they do it against this streaking 6ers team? Despite so many guys stepping up for Philly, tonight’s game will be their 5th in the last eight nights. I’m not convinced they’ll lose at home, but I think the Knicks will at least keep it quite close.
Michael’s NBA Pick: New York Knicks +4.5 (-110)
Noah Dunlap
New York Knicks fans should’ve known this was coming. After starting the year white hot, they’ve fallen on hard times and have now lost 3 of their last 4, and the defensive effort they’ve been putting forth has been below average to abysmal. With guys like Julius Randle, Derrick Rose, and RJ Barrett, the offense is fine, but the defense has to improve.
As for Philly, they’re looking at a situation that is basically exactly the opposite, as they started the year somewhat slowly before turning it on as of late, and they now lead the Eastern Conference – behind the expected solid play from Joel Embiid and getting solid minutes from many of the supporting cast. I expect this one to be a tight game that the Sixers eventually end up finding a way to win, but also one that I think will be close and could potentially see OT in, so I think New York keeps it close enough to cover.
Noah’s NBA Pick: New York Knicks +4.5 (-110)
Brooklyn Nets @ Chicago Bulls – 8pm ET
Two sides trending in opposite directions, the Chicago Bulls, who have lost two straight, play host to the Brooklyn Nets, who won their fifth on the trot last night. This will be the first of three meetings between the sides for this season and Chicago will be hoping that their home-court advantage will allow them to claim this matchup.
Tim Newton
While Brooklyn clearly has momentum on their side in this matchup, winning five straight, I think the Bulls will make this interesting, and FanDuel clearly agrees. Chicago are currently narrow favorites to win this one, and I think their perfect mix of a balanced offense, long & athletic defensive wings and an interior scoring presence will allow them to come out on top.
Brooklyn is also playing the second night of a back to back, with James Harden already claiming that he is still feeling the after-effects of his hamstring injury from last postseason. However, he does seem to have turned a corner, averaging 16 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds over the last week, including a 28 point night last night, where he scored 16 just in the fourth.
While he also has Kevin Durant as a teammate, who is playing at an MVP level, there is a drop off after that, which is where Chicago will be able to take over. Between Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan, the Bulls have two athletic, scoring wings, but they also have Lonzo Ball setting the floor and Nikola Vucevic controlling the paint. It is a formidable lineup and I don’t think Brooklyn, on the second night of a back to back, has what it takes to stop them.
Tim’s NBA Pick: Chicago Bulls (-120)
Denis Kirilov
The Brooklyn Nets are coming up against the Chicago Bulls in the “Windy City” on Monday night. The team from New York is finally back on the right track as they registered 5 straight wins ahead of this game. Among their victims were decent teams like the Pacers, the Hawks, and the Raptors. Each of these matchups has been easily won by the Nets as the lowest margin came against the Pacers with 7 points. James Harden is starting to help Kevin Durant in his mission impossible to carry the whole team on his back. “The Beard” almost had a triple-double against the Raptors as he finished up the game with 28 points, 10 rebounds, and 8 assists.
On the other hand, the Chicago Bulls are looking really well from the start of the season. They are coming into this fixture with a 6-3 record and 2 consecutive losses to their name. The Bulls lost at home and away against the Philadelphia 76ers which brought some concerns to the management. Both games were as narrow as they come and both were decided with a single play in the 4th quarter. However, I am certain that they can transform their great performance against the Jazz and the Celtics in tomorrow’s fixture. It’s time for DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine to shine once again and to make the crowd at United Center explode. My pick here goes to the Chicago Bulls.
Denis’ NBA Pick: Chicago Bulls (-120)
Michael Lantz
Ever since they struggled early on, I’ve been weary about picking Brooklyn when it comes to facing tough opponents. But the Nets have proved me wrong, at home they took out playoff contenders in the Washington Wizards and Atlanta Hawks, and then beat a hungry Toronto Raptors team who welcomed back Pascal Siakim—on the road. They follow that impressive win with a matchup against a tough Chicago Bulls team tonight, at the United Center.
Chicago just lost back-to-back games against a hobbled, but continually dominant Philadelphia 76ers team. The Bulls want to show they’re more than just a hot start; DeMar DeRozen and Zach LaVine continue to provide on offense, but they’ll need a consistent third performer if they want to hang with the best in the conference. Nikola Vucevic doesn’t look as dominant as he once was in Orlando, and the flashy Coby White remains injured. Despite that third option still being a bit up in the air, the Bulls might have some good fortune Monday night as I expect the combo Brooklyn playing a back-to-back and a pesky Bulls defense to burn them out a bit. But in return, the Nets defense hasn’t been as bad as the media wants you to think—they’re top ten in least points per game by an opponent. While I’m not convinced with Nets ability to pull this off, they’ve also been coming back to bite me. Let’s go under 215.
Michael’s NBA Pick: Under 215 (-110)
Noah Dunlap
Chicago has fallen on a bit of rough times, as they’ve dropped two straight, but if you’re a Bulls fan I wouldn’t look too much into it, as the team’s going to be fine. Zach LaVine is playing good basketball, along with new additions Lonzo Ball and DeMar DeRozan give this team a perimeter presence that not many teams have, so while they’re struggling currently, you can expect them to get it right in a minimal amount of time.
For Brooklyn, they look like one of the hottest teams in basketball, having won 5 straight, and putting together better offensive efforts to go along with it. KD has led the way up to this point, but slowly it looks as if James Harden has decided to get things going for the first time all year, which certainly helps the Nets. In the end, however, I think Lonzo Ball ends up being the difference maker, as his length at the point has the potential to disrupt a Brooklyn team that doesn’t really have that kind of length and size, especially at the point guard position.
Noah’s NBA Pick: Chicago Bulls (-120)
Miami Heat @ Denver Nuggets – 9pm ET
Two nights after knocking off the Utah Jazz, the Miami Heat kick-start their five-game, West Coast road trip against the Denver Nuggets tonight. While Miami has looked like one of the best teams in the league this season, Denver has been taking their time to piece everything together, and they may still need more time.
Tim Newton
I’m happy to take the Heat to win and cover as two-point favorites tonight. Denver seriously struggled last week, going 2-2 with their biggest win being just two points. Despite breaking even in wins and losses, they were outscored by eight points across their four games, and only just managed to get over the line against Houston, at home, on Saturday.
Michael Porter Jr, who got a massive extension in the offseason, was supposed to fill the void left by Jamal Murray. Instead, Denver has been left searching for a consistent second option behind Nikola Jokic, and now Porter Jr will miss tonight’s clash with the Heat. That leaves the likes of Will Barton and Aaron Gordon, both of whom are extremely inconsistent, to pick up the slack.
That is a great sign for Miami, who have the perfect mix of offense and defense right now. Between Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, Kyle Lowry and PJ Tucker, the Heat’s defense is near impossible to score on at times. While on the other end, Tyler Herro is averaging over 20 points per game off the bench, while Jimmy Butler is earning himself some MVP recognition through the first three weeks.
Looking to tonight, Adebayo and Tucker should do a great job of pressuring Jokic throughout the game while there is no clear option on Denver to back him up. They also don’t have anyone defensively to stop the Heat’s balanced attack and that will show tonight.
Tim’s NBA Pick: Miami Heat -2 (-112)
Denis Kirilov
The Miami Heat are smoking hot at the moment as they are 7-2 to the start of the season. They outsmarted the Utah Jazz in their previous game, 118-115. Although the Heat suffered a hard loss to the Boston Celtics where they had a quarter scoring just 9 points, I think this was just a single occasion. The biggest factor for this loss was the missed shots from downtown by their main players – Duncan Robinson (5-17), Jimmy Butler (0-4), Kyle Lowry (2-7), and Tyler Hero (0-4). However, with such a low three point percentage, it’s becoming quite impossible to win the game.
The Nuggets are still without Jamal Murray and Michael Porter will most likely miss the game against the Heat as well. Their last match was against Houston Rockets who are 1-8 and the team from Texas came close to getting their 2nd win for the season. They were losing by 5 points with two minutes to play, but two consecutive clutch 3-pointers by Aaron Gordon in the last minutes decided the game in favor of the Nuggets. Before this match, the Nuggets lost twice to the Memphis Grizzlies and this further showed the difficulties they encounter when playing against teams with fast build ups. That’s why I think it shouldn’t be a problem for the Heat to pressure them on both ends and close the game rather early with a double-digit advantage.
Denis’ NBA Pick: Miami Heat (-126)
Bam showed us why he is who he is last night 😤 pic.twitter.com/KE54SVhtbt
— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) November 7, 2021
Michael Lantz
After an uncharacteristically cold performance against the Boston Celtics last Thursday, the Miami Heat got back down to business on Saturday night knocking off one of the Western Conference’s best in the Utah Jazz. A triple-double from Kyle Lowry and big scoring games from Jimmy Butler and Tyler Herro propelled the Heat to a big win. They look to start another win streak against the Denver Nuggets and last season’s MVP Nikola Jokic.
The Denver Nuggets have found a way to fight this season. Despite injuries (Jamal Murray) and underperforming players (Michael Porter Jr.), Nikola Jokic continues his MVP form, and is getting some nice help from Will Barton. Still at 5-4 the Nuggets are just holding on and a close 95-94 victory against the one-win Houston Rockets did not help build confidence. Even with the game being in the “Mile High City”, I expect the Heat to bring a little South Beach sun and burn out the Nuggets.
Michael’s NBA Pick: Miami Heat -2 (-112)
Noah Dunlap
I’ve been big on the Miami Heat all year long, and that’s not stopping now. They look like arguably the league’s best team, as Jimmy Butler, Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo have proven to be balanced enough across the board to not only score when needed, whilst playing above average defense as well.
Going against a Denver team that for some reason is seeming to have trouble meshing currently, I don’t expect the hot start of Miami to stop. Nikola Jokic has been one of the lone bright spots of this Denver squad, and I expect Bam to play enough defense to at least slow down last year’s league MVP. Take Miami and the points in this one, because right now, I just don’t know who’s supposed to beat this Heat squad when they’re playing well.
Noah’s NBA Pick: Miami Heat -2 (-112)
Atlanta Hawks @ Golden State Warriors – 10pm ET
We head to the Bay Area for an exciting matchup between two of the league’s best shooting point guards, Trae Young and Steph Curry. The Warriors did play last night, but made light work of the Rockets and allowed their stars to rest in the fourth, while Atlanta will be looking to bounce back after three straight losses to three of the best teams in the league.
Tim Newton
It is hard to look past the Warriors at the moment. They have only lost one of their nine games so far this season and while they played last night, Steph Curry and Draymond Green had their feet up for the entire fourth quarter. Curry finished with 20 points on 50% shooting with four threes, but the story of the last week for Golden State is Jordan Poole. After averaging just 12 points per game last season, Poole has that up to nearly 18 this season, including scoring 25+ in each of his last three. This has taken the pressure off Curry and Green, who have had to shoulder most of the load while Klay Thompson has been out, and it has resulted in some incredible basketball.
Atlanta on the other hand, hasn’t been able to rise up to the challenge. They have lost to the Nets, Jazz and Suns over their last three, and the Warriors present as the toughest test of the lot. Trae Young hasn’t shot better than 43.8% in each of his last six games, with the Hawks going just 1-5 over that stretch. He also has 22 turnovers in those six games, which means that too many Atlanta possessions are ending in Young giving the ball to the other team, either via missed shots or turnovers. The Hawks will have no chance to win meaningful games if that continues to happen, and it is what will happen tonight.
Tim’s NBA Pick: Golden State Warriors -3.5 (-110)
Denis Kirilov
The Atlanta Hawks travel to San Francisco to face the Golden State Warriors in probably the highlight for Monday night in the NBA. Trae Young and company feel a lot of pressure in the early stages of this season as they are 4-6, sitting in 12th place in the Eastern Conference. Trae Young, himself, is trying to do everything he can in order to get the vital wins, but he has come up short in 5 out of the last 6 games. The Hawks lost to some of their rivals for Playoffs spots like the Wizards, the 76ers, and the Nets. They are far away from their top form and these losses can be taken as an indisputable proof for that.
On the other hand, the Golden State Warriors are giving us flashbacks to their unforgettable run between 2015 and 2018. Although Steph Curry is playing full games, he is still giving more opportunities to his teammates throughout the match. Their guard, Jordan Poole, seems like a hidden diamond who is ready to shine when he gets the chance. He is the leading scorer for the Warriors in their last 3 games and with the splash brothers in the team he can surely develop his game even further. I am expecting an electrifying 48 minutes in Chase Center with only one winner in the end – the Golden State Warriors.
Denis’ NBA Pick: Golden State Warriors (-158)
Michael Lantz
If you were sick of the Golden State Warriors 2014-2019 dominance, I hope you enjoyed the past two seasons when they were a bit down and out. Steph Curry and Co. currently sit with a league best record at 9-1 and Klay Thompson is still set to rejoin the team soon. In addition to Thompson, the team also expects last year’s number two overall pick James Wiseman to be back in action in just a matter of time. In the meantime they’ll have to keep fighting, with their next opponent being a struggling Atlanta Hawks team.
The Hawks have lost three in a row to title contending teams (Nets, Jazz, Suns) and things don’t get any easier as they visit the Warriors in San Francisco. The Hawks have the star power and depth to compete with anyone, but after having a long postseason and a team that’s rarely been at full-strength until now, it may take them a while to get things clicking. While a win against the Warriors would be huge, I’m not sure three games into a difficult road trip will be the time, especially against a Warriors team that may be the top defensive squad in the league.
Michael’s NBA Pick: Golden State Warriors -3.5 (-110)
Noah Dunlap
The Golden State Warriors have surprised many, as they’ve looked like one of the best teams in the league through three weeks. Steph Curry is currently leading the league in points per game, and getting help from Draymond Green and Jordan Poole has caused them to look like one of the more dangerous teams in the league, and that’s without Klay Thompson having stepped on the court at all this year.
Atlanta has currently lost 3 in a row, and they now have to find an answer for a Golden State offense that can score extremely quick and often. Trae Young has played reasonably well so far this year, but is yet to get consistent help from his supporting cast, which is something he’s going to need if the Hawks want to pull off this upset I don’t think Young gets the needed help in the one, and I like Golden State to pull out and take care of business at home.
Noah’s NBA Pick: Golden State Warriors (-158)
Phoenix Suns @ Sacramento Kings – 10pm ET
We round off the night with the Sacramento Kings and Phoenix Suns facing off for the second time this season, after the Kings won the first meeting 110-107. Since then, the Suns have won all four of their games while Sacramento has gone just 3-3 from their six.
Tim Newton
After stumbling out of the gates, Phoenix looks to be back to the form that saw them finish with the league’s second best regular season record and make the NBA Finals last season. Their four-game winning streak has seen them win by an average of 9.25 points and it has allowed Devin Booker to get in a groove, scoring 27+ in three of the four games. Chris Paul has also been a massive factor in these wins, putting up double digit assists in all four games, dishing out 54 assists while committing just 10 turnovers.
If Booker and Paul are playing to their best, like the recent form indicates, it will be hard for anyone to stop them, including the Kings. They are a young side, and with that comes inconsistent performances, which was evident over their last two games. They went from scoring 140 points on Friday to managing just 91 last night, and Phoenix’s defense should be that much better than Indiana’s. Add in the fact that Sacramento went just 6-10 when playing with no rest last season and are now facing a much tougher opponent, I don’t think they can compete with the Suns tonight, despite being at home and already beating them once this season.
Tim’s NBA Pick: Phoenix Suns (-138)
Denis Kirilov
The runners-up from last season, the Phoenix Suns, are slowly but surely finding their winning rhythm. After a 1-3 start to this campaign, they have entered a 4-game winning streak which improved their overall win-rate and put them in 4th place of the Western Conference. Their last loss was against their upcoming opponents from Sacramento. In this masterclass, the game-changer was Buddy Hield with his 7-11 performance from beyond the arc. Harrison Barnes also pulled off a good game with his 22 points and 9 rebounds, while DeAaron Fox contributed for the win with a double-double (18 points and 10 assists).
Deandre Ayton put on a monstrous performance with his 21 points and 21 rebounds while Devin Booker finished off with 31 points, 6 rebounds, and 8 assists. However, Chris Paul and Jae Crowder were to blame for the loss with 10% FG and 33.3% FG respectively. I think that this loss came mainly due to the fact that it was the fourth game of the season and the teams are still adapting to the new campaign. Now, after 2-3 weeks of playing time, I believe that the Phoenix Suns will show their real face in this rematch and wipe the floor with the Kings. Chris Paul owes a lot for the mistakes in the previous game and I am sure he will step up and win this one for the Suns.
Denis’ NBA Pick: Phoenix Suns (-138)
38 points for @DevinBook on 14/21 shooting lifts the @Suns to 4th straight W! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/HbuvzT7cPO
— NBA (@NBA) November 7, 2021
Michael Lantz
When these two teams faced off on October 27th, the Kings won a nail biter thanks to Harrison Barnes’ buzzer-beater. The Kings have gone on to be a thrill to watch and despite some inconsistencies, have shown some playoff potential. Their rematch against Phoenix comes at a time where the Suns are the winners of four straight and appear ready to reassert their dominance in the Western Conference.
While going on a roll, the Suns have been thrilled to have Devin Booker back in MVP form. In addition to Booker shooting lights out, the Suns have been getting plenty of help from their supporting cast after injuries to Cam Payne and now Deandre Ayton (a late scratch against the Hawks Saturday). Ayton’s injury may play to Sacramento’s advantage, even in their close win last game, Ayton bullied them for 21 points and 21 rebounds. If he’s set to miss this game, I think the Kings should be able to slow the Suns down in Sacramento. They had a rough game against the Indiana Pacers last night, but I expect them to bounce back and pull off my upset of the day.
Michael’s NBA Pick: Sacramento Kings (+118)
Noah Dunlap
Much like Philadelphia, after a slow start to the year, the reigning Western Conference champs are finally starting to play good basketball. They’re now in the midst of a 4 game winning streak, and looking like one of the hottest teams in the league, as DeAndre Ayton leads the way, with Chris Paul and Devin Booker picking up the slack when needed.
Sacramento is a young team that has shown flashes of real potential, but their youth has proven to be extremely problematic, as they play virtually every opponent close, but have struggled to put anyone away. Add in an atrocious defense, and I’m not sure that the Kings are gonna be able to pull off this upset, even though the Suns haven’t been playing great basketball either. Give me Phoenix to win a tight one on the road, so don’t worry about trying to predict a line. Instead, just be simple and take what you can with a Suns moneyline win.
Noah’s NBA Pick: Phoenix Suns (-138)
If you need 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.
