Our free NBA picks are out for Saturday, January 1st, 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 @ Milwaukee Bucks – 6.30pm ET
The New Orleans Pelicans have a short one game road trip when they travel to Milwaukee and take on the Bucks. The Pelicans have won three of their last four games, with wins against the Trail Blazers, Magic and Cavaliers. The Bucks are on a five game winning streak, which takes their season record to 24-13.
Denis Kirilov
The Milwaukee Bucks and the New Orleans Pelicans will face each other on the first day of 2022. The Bucks are coming into this match on a 5-game winning streak. They might have defeated some of the worst performing teams in the League throughout this run, but they are surely a team to look up to. Giannis Antetokounmpo has been putting up huge numbers in his last three games and this should solely speak for itself. Khris Middleton is also there to help in the most intense moments, as the only one who remains absent for the Bucks is Brook Lopez. The reigning champions are looking to get closer to the teams ahead of them – the Brooklyn Nets and the Chicago Bulls. The Bucks are currently 3rd in the East with 24 wins and 13 losses. They have the most wins in their Conference, but this came after playing 4-5 more games than their direct rivals.
The New Orleans Pelicans enjoyed a fantastic run since December 10th. They have won 6 out of their last 8 games in the NBA and one of their victories was over the Bucks who were without their superstar, Giannis Antetokounmpo. Jrue Holiday came in really close to lead his team to the final victory, but in the end, the Pelicans took what’s theirs and defeated Milwaukee after overtime, 116-112. Brandon Ingram has been playing quite well recently, but he will miss the upcoming fixture due to an achilles tendon injury. Moreover, Josh Hart might also be absent due to issues with his ankle. Keeping all of this in mind, I would suggest going with the Bucks and staying confident that they will cover the spread with ease.
Denis’ NBA Pick: Milwaukee Bucks -11 (-110)
Tony Battalio
The New Orleans Pelicans will hit the road for one game to meet up with the defending NBA Champions in this one. They will come into this game with a record of 13-22 on the year as they have won their last three of their last four games on the season. New Orleans had such a bright future only a short couple years ago now they look like they are heading for yet another rebuild phase as former number one overall pick Zion Williamson hasn’t quite panned out and has spent more time injured than on the court it seems. After this game against Milwaukee the Pels will return home to play the Jazz, Suns, and Warriors.
End the year accordingly 💪 pic.twitter.com/WlOUVEqPLK
— DeMarcus Cousins (@boogiecousins) December 31, 2021
The Milwaukee Bucks are 24-13 coming into this game. They look every bit of the defending NBA Champions that they are and they have themselves positioned to potentially go back to back to The Finals at the end of this season. The Bucks have won five games in a row coming into this game. As for the result of this one, I have them picking up their sixth straight victory at home. Milwaukee will need every win they can get to keep the surprisingly competitive Cavs off their tail.
Tony’s NBA Pick: Milwaukee Bucks (-590)
Chicago Bulls @ Washington Wizards – 7pm ET
The Chicago Bulls wrap up their two game road trip in Washington when they take on the Wizards on Saturday night. The Bulls are playing on back-to-back nights, and last time out they got the win over the Pacers, 108-106. The Wizards have won three of their last five games, which takes their season record to 18-17.
Denis Kirilov
The Chicago Bulls will play against the Washington Wizards for the first time this season. Both teams have been doing quite well in the NBA throughout the current campaign and it will be interesting to see what this game will bring to us. The Bulls are coming into this meeting on a 6-game winning streak that started on December 19th against the Los Angeles Lakers. Then, they defeated the Rockets, the Pacers, and the Hawks. The Bulls have already given us some signs of some potential decline in their performance as DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine started dropping less points on a worse FG%. With their last victory over the Indiana Pacers, 108-106, the team topped the Eastern Conference with 23 wins and 10 losses. They will need to put in a lot of effort to keep that spot, but I think that everything from the top 4 in the end of the season will do the job for them.
The Wizards have a decent team including players like Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Bradley Beal, and Spencer Dinwiddie. They are currently 8th in the East with an 18-17 record. The Wizards took advantage of the worsened situation within the Cavs and beat them by 17 points in their last match for 2021.The Wizards have also defeated teams like the Utah Jazz, the Dallas Mavericks, the Miami Heat, the Milwaukee Bucks. They might not share the same level as the Bulls, but they are surely capable of surprising them with their fantastic defense at some point. I think that we won’t see many points tomorrow as I expect a bit less effort to be put into the game after New Year’s Eve.
Denis’ NBA Pick: Under 221.5 (-112)
Tony Battalio
The Chicago Bulls are hitting the road for two games as they will meet the Washington Wizards in the nation’s capital on Saturday evening. The Bulls got off to a decent start to the season, they are currently 23-10 on the season. They have been led by the surprisingly stellar play of Lonzo Ball. The Bulls currently find themselves in first place of the Central Division and at the top of the Eastern conference standings as the season approaches the halfway point.
The Washington Wizards have had an up and down season as they currently find themselves with a record of 18-17 on the season as they are floating around the .500 mark on the season. In their last game, the Wizards picked up a huge win over the Cleveland Cavaliers now they will be looking to make it two in a row with a win in this one. However I don’t see that happening as I have the Chicago Bulls picking up the victory in this one.
Tony’s NBA Pick: Chicago Bulls (-134)
Los Angeles Clippers @ Brooklyn Nets – 7.30pm ET
The Los Angeles Clippers wrap up their three game road trip on Saturday night when they take on the Brooklyn Nets. The Clippers are playing on back-to-back nights, and last time out they lost to the Raptors, 108-116. The Nets have won two of their last three games, and this takes their season record out to 23-10.
Denis Kirilov
The Los Angeles Clippers and the Brooklyn Nets will have their rematch after they played each other on December 27th. Then, the Nets were victorious in Crypto.com Arena, 124-108. James Harden led the way for his team with a monstrous double-double (30 points and 15 assists). The Clippers had a lot of their players sidelined either due to injuries or due to COVID-19. The situation within the team led by Tyronn Lue is similar now as they won’t be able to use Batum, George, Leonard, Zubac, Boston, Hartenstein, and most probably Reggie Jackson.
Kevin Durant and James Harden are healthy for the Nets and are expected to start in this game. However, they lost to Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers in their last match, despite both of their stars combining for 66 points. The rest of the roster didn’t manage to deliver big numbers as they were eventually defeated, 102-110. Now, they will have a chance to make up for that loss against the shorthanded Clippers. I think that the Nets and the Clippers might be a fantastic NBA Finals series, but only if everyone on both rosters is 100% healthy. With the current circumstances, I have no other choice, but to support the Nets as they are capable of demolishing the Clippers by more than 20 points.
Denis’ NBA Pick: Brooklyn Nets -11 (-114)
Tony Battalio
The Los Angeles Clippers head East to play the Brooklyn Nets in this one. Los Angeles comes into this game with a record of 18-18 this season. Both Los Angeles teams are having underwhelming seasons, but the Clippers have the bleaker future of the two at the moment. The Clippers will be looking for a win in this one to break a skid of three losses in their last four contests as they are playing a tough stretch of their schedule at the moment. Los Angeles needs to gather as many wins as possible as the Warriors and Suns are running away with the Pacific Division.
Top 10 Kevin Durant plays of 2021@KDTrey5 #NBAAllStar pic.twitter.com/xSL6S0ZgYx
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) December 31, 2021
The Brooklyn Nets are one of the NBAs best teams this season. They come into this game with a record of 23-10 on the year. Led by the big three of Kevin Durant, James Harden, and Kyrie Irving, the Brooklyn Nets are serious contenders to win the NBA Championship this season. In their last game the Nets lost, however they picked up wins in the previous two before that. As for the result of this game, I have the Brooklyn Nets picking up the victory in this game at home against the Los Angeles Clippers.
Tony’s NBA Pick: Brooklyn Nets (-650)
Denver Nuggets @ Houston Rockets – 8pm ET
The Denver Nuggets are on the road on Saturday night, and they will face off against the Houston Rockets. The Nuggets are currently on a two game winning streak, with wins against the Clippers and Warriors. The Rockets are playing on back-to-back nights, and last time out they lost to the Heat, which takes them to six losses in a row.
Denis Kirilov
The Denver Nuggets will have to face one of the worst teams in the NBA, the Houston Rockets. The Rockets made a miraculous jump during the last days of November and the earliest ones in December. After suffering 15 straight losses, they have somehow managed to get to 7 wins in a row which was something that hasn’t been done on any high-level sports in the United States. Then with the time passing, the Rockets went on to win just 2 out of their next 12 matches. On top of that, these victories came against the Atlanta Hawks in a game where Trae Young didn’t get much help from his teammates and against the Detroit Pistons who are simply awful this season. They are dead in the water, sitting in 15th place with just 10 wins from 36 games.
The Denver Nuggets will have to once again hope that Luka Doncic will be able to carry them through yet another night in the NBA. They are 5th in the Western Conference with a 17-16 record. The team won two games in a row against some of their biggest rivals up to today – the Los Angeles Clippers and the Golden State Warriors. In both games, Nikola Jokic had an incredible performance, finishing off with 24 points and 20 rebounds per game in his last two appearances. However, I think that the Nuggets are quite better than the Rockets who seem to have found yet another deep hole to dig themselves into. I strongly believe that the Nuggets will also cover their spread and I recommend you picking exactly that tomorrow.
Denis’ NBA Pick: Denver Nuggets -6 (-110)
Tony Battalio
The Denver Nuggets are coming into this game with a record of 17-16 on the season as they are performing way below expectations as the season approaches its halfway point. The Denver Nuggets have won two games in a row over the Los Angeles Clippers, and the Golden State Warriors as they prepare to hit the road and try and make it three straight against the Houston Rockets. The Nuggets will have to rely heavy on their stars to pick up a hard fought win over a streaky Houston team in this one.
The Houston Rockets have been one of the worst teams in the National Basketball Association so far this season, they lost 15 games in a row at one point in the year, however they responded by winning seven straight nearly right after it. However they still come into this game a full 16 games below the .500 mark and it will not get much easier for them in this one. As for the result of this game, I have the Denver Nuggets picking up the victory in this one on the road in H-Town.
Tony’s NBA Pick: Denver Nuggets (-250)
Golden State Warriors @ Utah Jazz – 9pm ET
The Golden State Warriors travel to Utah to take on the Jazz on Saturday night. The Warriors had their three game winning streak snapped last time out against the Nuggets, 86-89. The Jazz are playing on back-to-back nights, and last time out they won against the Timberwolves, 120-108.
Denis Kirilov
The Golden State Warriors will face off the Utah Jazz in their first game for 2022. Two of the best teams not only in the West, but in the whole NBA haven’t played against each other this season. It’s been a really long-awaited contest, but what makes it even more exciting is both teams’ current form. The Warriors lead the West with 27 wins and 7 losses, while the Utah Jazz are 3rd in the standings with a 25-9 record. The Jazz are coming into this fixture on a 5-game winning streak, while the Warriors have suffered a loss right before New Year’s Eve against the Denver Nuggets, 86-89.
Steph Curry will have a difficult task in leading his team against a squad full of players like him. Bojan Bogdanovic, Joe Ingles, Jordan Clarkson, and Donovan Mitchell might be clutch from the 3-point line the same way the Warriors’ superstar can be. They also have a fantastic center in the face of Rudy Gobert who leads the NBA in total rebounds per game. Mike Conley shouldn’t be underestimated as well as he has shown that he is capable of being in help of his team in the most crucial moments. I think that the potential absence of Draymond Green and Jordan Poole will take its toll on the Warriors and they will fail to surprise the Jazz in their Vivint Smart Home Arena.
Denis’ NBA Pick: Utah Jazz (-200)
Tony Battalio
The Golden State Warriors have been one of the top teams in the NBA so far this season, and that is without their other superstar Klay Thompson. Golden State comes into this game with a record of 27-7 on the season. They are currently in a neck and neck race with the Phoenix Suns for first place in the Pacific Division and the overall Western Conference standings. Steph Curry just continues to make history and the way he plays dictates a lot of the Warriors results this season.
😃😃😃#AndrewWiggins || #NBAAllStar pic.twitter.com/CuKSXu6y83
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) December 31, 2021
The Utah Jazz come into this game with a record of 26-9 as they are another top team in a loaded Western Conference this year. The Utah Jazz are currently on a six game winning streak as they come into this one with tons of momentum. As for the result of this game, I have the Utah Jazz picking up their seventh straight win, with a huge win at home over Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors.
Tony’s NBA Pick: Utah Jazz Utah Jazz (-200)
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*Odds and spreads correct at time of publication, courtesy of FanDuel.
