Our free NBA picks are out for Saturday, January 29th, 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!
Indiana Pacers @ Dallas Mavericks – 7pm ET
The Indiana Pacers hit the road on Saturday and head on over to Dallas to take on the Mavericks. The Pacers are playing on back-to-back nights, and last time out they won in overtime against the Thunder, 113-110. The Mavericks have won two of their last four, which includes a win last time out against the Trail Blazers, 132-112.
Denis Kirilov
The Dallas Mavericks will host the Indiana Pacers on Saturday night in an attempt to prolong the misery of the guests. The Pacers were on the verge of making a nice comeback in the East, but after three consecutive losses, their hopes of doing so simply vanished. The team conceded 158 points against the Charlotte Hornets, allowing Kelly Oubre Jr. to score ten 3-pointers. On top of that, they have only won 6 out of their last 22 matches in the NBA which is really concerning. This awful performance dragged them down to 13th place as they are now holding a 18-32 record.
The situation within the Dallas Mavericks is on the opposite side. They have enjoyed a fantastic start to the new year as they went undefeated in six straight games at home. This achievement launched them into 5th place in the West, holding a 28-21 record before their upcoming fixture. Luka Doncic continues to be their driving force, but he can rely on players like Jalen Brunson and Kristaps Porzingis this year. The Slovenian is hungry for further success, but he will need to hustle in order to reach his full potential one day. Keeping in mind the current circumstances, anything other than a dominant win for the Mavericks would be a surprise. So, I will go with their spread on Saturday, hoping that they will be able to cover it early on in the game.
Denis’ NBA Pick: Dallas Mavericks -9 (-110)
Michael Lantz
Indiana Pacers coach Rick Carlisle gets a chance to grab a win over his former team the Dallas Mavericks. His Pacers have fallen short of expectations this year; despite having so much talent, they just haven’t been able to obtain wins. They’ve been great at scoring, but their defense has been less than stellar. Still they are trying to at least stay competitive in the Eastern Conference, even at 18-32. After an overtime win against the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Pacers will hope to win their second straight game when they play the Mavericks on Saturday.
a triple-double in his return to the floor
24 PTS | 18 REB | 10 AST@Dsabonis11 | #GoldBlooded pic.twitter.com/YuONtik1Ia
— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) January 29, 2022
The Dallas Mavericks have gone 7-3 in their last ten, as they sit in fifth in the Western Conference. Unfortunately, they recently lost two big games against teams higher than them in the Western Conference standings (Golden State Warriors and Phoenix Suns). They definitely miss not having Tim Hardaway Jr. in the lineup but they’re thrilled to have Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis healthy and playing well. This should be a fun offensive game, and even though I think the Mavericks will prevail, I like the Pacers to at least cover.
Michael’s NBA Pick: Indiana Pacers +9 (-110)
Noah Dunlap
Two nights after getting obliterated by the Charlotte Hornets, giving up 158 in regulation, the Indiana Pacers managed to get back on track by knocking off the Oklahoma City Thunder, which while they’re arguably the worst team in basketball, a win is still a win. The problem is that that win encapsulated every issue Indiana has had all year long, as their offense is decent, while their defense has been absolutely non-existent all year long. The talent on the team is arguably that of a playoff team, but until they learn to play any type of defense, they’re going to continue to fall just a bit short of even the most basic goals they set for themselves.
As for the Dallas Mavericks, after starting the year a bit slow, they’ve gone on a bit of a tear as of late, and now find themselves squarely in the playoffs, and now they’re simply fighting for seeding. With Luka Doncic playing much better than he did to start the year (he looks almost like he’s played himself into shape), and with him getting a bit more help from Kristaps Porzingis, Tim Hardaway, Jr., and company, this is a Mavericks team that you absolutely have to keep your eye on as being somewhat of a sleeper to potentially come out of the West. In this matchup, Indiana’s defensive woes just keep me from being able to think that they’re able to keep this one close.
Noah’s NBA Pick: Dallas Mavericks -9 (-110)
Sacramento Kings @ Philadelphia 76ers – 7.30pm ET
The five game road trip continues on for the Sacramento Kings, and tonight they take on the Philadelphia 76ers. The Kings are currently on a five game losing streak, which includes losses to the Rockets, Pistons, Bucks, Celtics and Hawks. The 76ers are on a three game winning streak, and this takes their season record to 29-19.
Denis Kirilov
The Sacramento Kings will try to cut their losing streak as they have lost five games in a row, two of which came against the Houston Rockets and the Detroit Pistons. The team from the West continues its downhill roll and they are now in 13th place with 18 wins and 32 losses, meaning that their task of reaching the Playoffs becomes even more difficult. The Kings have struggled throughout the season due to some injuries that stopped Richaun Holmes and De’Aaron Fox from playing in some of the important games. The Kings will now have an even tougher job as they will try to find a way past the high-flying Philadelphia 76ers.
Joel Embiid has been fantastic for Philly this season as continues to build his legacy in the city. The Cameroonian center didn’t use much of the help from Tobias Harris and company, as he took the charge and began breaking records. The team looks even better with the improvement of Tyrese Maxey and Furkan Korkmaz. On top of that, Seth Curry maintains a high percentage from the 3-point line which further helped the 76ers climb to 4th place in the East with 29 wins and 19 losses. I think that Philly will be able to beat the Kings and I believe this will happen with a huge margin keeping in mind the possibility of Metu, Fox, and Davis missing the game.
Denis’ NBA Pick: Philadelphia 76ers -10.5 (-110)
Michael Lantz
The Philadelphia 76ers had no problem with a LeBron James-less Lakers squad as they were able to win by double digits. Joel Embiid had 26 points and 9 rebounds, which by his recent standards, was an off night. Still the 76ers are starting to cruise after starting off the season with a variety of injuries and COVID cases. Now, just two games out of the top seed they look to keep the momentum going against the Sacramento Kings.
Sacramento is in free fall mode right now, as they’ve lost five games in a row, including to the likes of the Detroit Pistons and Houston Rockets. They’ll hope to break their skid and maybe even have De’Aaron Fox back, who has missed the last three games with injury. Still, they won’t have an easy task against a Sixers team that’s starting to roll and has a potential MVP candidate in Joel Embiid. Barring a major mess up, the Sixers shouldn’t have any issue against this Kings team in Philly. I’ll pick the Sixers to cover.
Michael’s NBA Pick: Philadelphia 76ers -10.5 (-110)
Noah Dunlap
The Sacramento Kings had hopes of being a borderline playoff contender coming into this season, and for the early part of the year it looked almost like they could turn that into reality, but their play as of late has virtually ended all hope of that turning into a thing. They’ve lost five in a row, including a few of those being to the worst teams in the league, and while part of that is possibly due to De’Aaron Fox being out with a minor injury, the team still has some serious problems outside of that. They are hopeful that Fox returns in this one, but even if he does come back for this matchup I don’t think it matters, as they’re travelling all the way across the country to play one of the hottest teams in the NBA.
Philadelphia enters this one playing like one of the best teams in the league, and with that they’re back in the conversation of trying to chase down the Heat, Bulls, Nets, and Cavs for the East’s one seed. They did struggle for a stretch, which is why they’re currently the fifth seed, but a large part of that was when potential league MVP Joel Embiid was out for a few games with COVID, and the rest of the team simply couldn’t get going. With virtually the entire roster healthy once again, Philly looks like a dominant force, but the one concern I have is their reliance on Embiid. That may become a problem eventually, but not in this one, as they simply have too much talent for a Kings team that is currently in free fall.
Noah’s NBA Pick: Philadelphia 76ers -10.5 (-110)
Toronto Raptors @ Miami Heat – 8pm ET
The Toronto Raptors are in the middle of their three game road trip and on Saturday they take on the Miami Heat. The Raptors have been a tad inconsistent as of late, and this takes their season record 23-23. The Heat are playing on back-to-back nights and on Friday they faced off against the Clippers, in a game they won, 121-114.
Denis Kirilov
The Toronto Raptors will try to stop the Miami Heat’s winning streak in its tracks on Saturday. The 2019 NBA Champions are looking good right now, but there is still a lot to do before they can relax as they continue to be 9th in the standings in the East. The Canadian team holds a record of 23 wins and 23 losses which keeps them barely ahead of the Washington Wizards, and the resurrected New York Knicks and Atlanta Hawks. Fred VanVleet is questionable for the meeting with the Heat and if he doesn’t show up on the court, the Raptors will be in quite some trouble.
The Miami Heat are playing very well recently which helped them climb their way to the top in the East. Sitting in first place with 32 wins and 17 losses definitely boosts their confidence as they are even more determined to keep up this pace. The Heat were forced to play without Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler for a long time, but even in their absence, they found other people to substitute them in the face of Omer Yurtseven and Max Strus. On top of that, Gabe Vincent got some really important minutes on the court as this will surely play its role towards the end of the season. I think that the Heat are favourites to smash the Raptors and I will take their spread on Saturday.
Denis’ NBA Pick: Miami Heat -3 (-112)
Michael Lantz
The Miami Heat continue to prove they’re worthy of the number one seed in the Eastern Conference as they rolled past the Clippers 121-114. All five of their starters scored 15+ points as they continued to show they’re one of the league’s most well-rounded teams. On Saturday they’ll play their second game in a 24-hour period as they take on a Toronto Raptors team that’s looking to rise in the Eastern Conference standings.
La Spoelstra Nostra#COTY // #SpoKnows pic.twitter.com/DiS4sI3LFk
— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) January 29, 2022
Toronto was starting to look like a contender in the Eastern Conference before Fred VanVleet had to miss time with an injury. He’s questionable to return on Saturday, but if he does, the Raptors might be able to break their recent uneven streak of wins and losses and turn them straight into wins. This Raptors team is a thrill to watch when fully healthy, and they have so many scoring options along with VanVleet including Pascal Siakam, Gary Trent Jr., and rookie Scottie Barnes. This one is all dependent on if VanVleet plays, but I’m going to go with the Raptors to at least cover in this one.
Michael’s NBA Pick: Toronto Raptors +3 (-108)
Noah Dunlap
The Miami Heat were my preseason pick to win the Eastern Conference, and at least as of right now I’m not disappointed with my pick. They’re sitting as the one-seed in the conference, and with a starting lineup that may be the most balanced of any team’s starting five, I like their chances of being able to hold off the likes of the Bulls, Cavs, and Nets to maintain that seed going into the postseason. The only concern coming into this one is the fact that this is the second night of a back-to-back, and you always have to wonder about fatigue playing a factor in those kinds of situations.
Toronto comes into this one as a complicated team trying to predict. The talent is without a doubt there for them to not only be a playoff team, but for them to make a decent run through the Eastern Conference, but all of that is reliant upon their leader, Fred VanVleet, being healthy. When he, and everyone else on the roster is healthy, they’re a dangerous team, as they’ve shown at times this year. The problem is that VanVleet has a tendency to find himself banged up, never normally serious, but enough to miss a game or three here or there. He’s been out for the past few, but there is some speculation that he returns for this one. If he does in fact play, I think the Raptors can hang in and make a game out of this one, but if he doesn’t I think the clear play has to be the Heat. With the uncertainty, I like the play here being to take Miami on the moneyline, and just not worrying about the spread at all.
Noah’s NBA Pick: Miami Heat (-158)
Washington Wizards @ Memphis Grizzlies – 8pm ET
The Washington Wizards kick off a three game road trip on Saturday night when they face off against the Memphis Grizzlies. The Wizards are currently on a four game losing streak, after suffering defeats at the hands of the Nets, Raptors, Celtics and Clippers. The Grizzlies are another team that is playing on back-to-back nights, and yesterday they played the Jazz, and won 119-109.
Denis Kirilov
The Washington Wizards will have a tough encounter for their road game on Saturday as they will face the Memphis Grizzlies in their FedExForum. The Wizards have shown some concerning signals over the past couple of weeks as they are coming into this fixture on a 4-game losing streak. The team from Washington has lost all of these matches at home, disappointing their fans with losses to some of their direct rivals including the Raptors, the Celtics, and the Nets. What is even more troublesome for the Wizards is the fact that they have been shut down in the presence of every single key player on their roster.
The Memphis Grizzlies, on the other hand, are still looking to chase down the Golden State Warriors for second place in the West. However, after a couple of losses recently against the Milwaukee Bucks and the Dallas Mavericks, the team from Memphis should be focused on keeping the distance between themselves and the squads behind them in the leaderboard. Ja Morant and Desmond Bane have been the essence for their success lately as they will need to keep up the pace in order to secure a good place for the Playoffs. I think that the Grizzlies will slow down the pace and focus more on their defense which makes me believe that we won’t see that many points on Saturday.
Denis’ NBA Pick: Under 229.5 (-110)
Michael Lantz
Last night, the Memphis Grizzlies had no issues with a Utah Jazz team that’s missing Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert, winning 119-109. Now, with Desmond Bane back in the lineup, the Grizzlies are looking to go on another win streak as they hope to make it three straight against the Washington Wizards.
Washington is just barely holding on to their playoff hopes, but those dreams are quickly fading away. The Wizards have lost four straight games and even near full strength are finding it hard to close out games, losing three of those four by four points or less. Bradley Beal still leads the team in scoring, but he doesn’t seem to be quite as lethal as last season due to more scoring options being present (Spencer Dinwiddie and Kyle Kuzma). Still, the multiple option approach hasn’t been helping them win games, so if they want any chance they may need Beal to start completely taking over. I’m not sure the Wizards are in the right place right now to take out a team of Memphis’ caliber. I’ll pick the Griz to take out the Wiz in Memphis.
Michael’s NBA Pick: Memphis Grizzlies -6 (-110)
Noah Dunlap
The Memphis Grizzlies picked up yet another win last night, continuing their somewhat surprising season, as they knocked off the Utah Jazz, although it was a Utah squad that was without Rudy Gobert or Donovan Mitchell. The fact that Memphis was able to win this one was a good sign, as in years past this was the kind of game they struggle with: games they’re supposed to win that they somehow end up losing. With one of the best young duos in the league, Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr, this is a Grizzlies team that has seemingly stopped worrying about making the postseason, and have now begun to focus on how high they can make their seeding for the playoffs.
On the other side, the Washington Wizards have literally taken a nosedive this season. They started the year as arguably the best team in the Eastern Conference, as it looked like their splashy offseason additions were going to work out, but it quickly became pretty evident that that wasn’t the case at all, as the wheels came off in a hurry. They’ve currently lost four in a row, even having virtually their entire roster available, which is the part that makes this even more concerning if you’re a Wizards fan. I don’t think they have anywhere near enough to hang around with Ja and company, especially in Memphis, so I’m taking the Grizz and the spread in this one, despite this being the second night of a back-to-back.
Noah’s NBA Pick: Memphis Grizzlies -6 (-110)
Brooklyn Nets @ Golden State Warriors – 8.30pm ET
The final game on Saturday night’s slate is a real treat – the Brooklyn Nets head on over to Chase Centre and take on the Golden State Warriors. The Nets will be looking to snap their three game losing streak tonight, after consecutive losses to the Timberwolves, Lakers and Nuggets. The Warriors, on the other hand, are on a four game winning streak, and this takes their season record to 36-13.
Denis Kirilov
The Brooklyn Nets and the Golden State Warriors take on each other for a second time during this campaign. Their first meeting went in favor of the Warriors who defeated their rivals from the East by 18 points. It was all mainly due to the monstrous performance from Steph Curry who dropped down 37 points on 12-19 shooting. The Nets are actually in big trouble at the moment as they lost their last three games to the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Los Angeles Lakers, and the Denver Nuggets. This surely took its toll on their rankings as the team dropped to 5th place, holding a 29-19 record ahead of this matchup.
The Golden State Warriors managed to escape the void by entering a 4-game winning streak recently. All of these wins came in Chase Center as Steph Curry and Klay Thompson slowly, but surely made progress in their mutual understanding on the court. The team dealt with the Minnesota Timberwolves in its last match – a game in which Klay dropped a season-high 23 points on 9-16 shooting. The “Splash Brothers” might be back on top form right for the Playoffs, but there is still plenty of time until then. I think the Warriors are the better team and the one that is more consistent and disciplined, so I will take them to cover the spread against the shaky Nets.
Denis’ NBA Pick: Golden State Warriors -6.5 (-108)
Michael Lantz
This one would be a little more exciting if Kevin Durant were playing, but with KD continuing to sit on the sideline, the Nets will have to make way with James Harden and (hopefully) Kyrie Irving. Losers of three straight games, the Nets will face one of the league’s top teams, the Golden State Warriors in the Bay Area on Saturday.
weekend moooood 😎 pic.twitter.com/p4RtaFM238
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) January 29, 2022
After a couple games where the Warriors looked stale without Draymond Green, the Dubs have gotten back to their winning ways, grabbing four straight wins, including big victories over the Dallas Mavericks and Minnesota Timberwolves. The “Splash Bros” (Steph Curry and Klay Thompson) were back against Minnesota, as they scored 29 (Curry) and 23 (Thompson) points to show the up-and-coming Timberwolves that they still have a long way to go to be among the best in the Conference. Now the Warriors will look to make it five straight—I think they should be able to take down a Durant-less Nets squad at home. With great play on both sides of the ball they should be able to frustrate a Brooklyn team that’s going through a rough patch right now.
Michael’s NBA Pick: Golden State Warriors (-260)
Noah Dunlap
This would be one of the best matchups of the year if everyone on both sides were healthy. However, with Kevin Durant out of the lineup due to injury for Brooklyn, it takes a bit of the mystique out of this game. I still think this Nets team is one that can potentially make a run in the East, as they still have Kyrie Irving (on the road), James Harden, and LaMarcus Aldridge in the lineup, They’re one of the best teams in the conference, and once KD returns, I fully expect them to return to playing great basketball.
For this matchup however, they travel across the country to take on a Golden State team that after a brief rough stretch, has finally turned things around and won three straight. Steph Curry is stuck in arguably the worst stretch of his career, but with Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins, and company, his help has picked up the slack and carried the team. I don’t expect that to change in this one at home, so give me the Warriors to win a tight one.
Noah’s NBA Pick: Golden State Warriors (-260)
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*Odds and spreads correct at time of publication, courtesy of FanDuel.
