Our free NBA picks are out for Saturday, January 8th, 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!
Memphis Grizzlies @ Los Angeles Clippers – 3.30pm ET
The Memphis Grizzlies hit the road on Saturday and travel to Los Angeles where they will face off against the Clippers, then against the Lakers. The Grizzlies are currently on a seven game winning streak, and this takes their season record to 26-14. The Clippers will be looking to snap their current two game losing streak, after they lost to the Timberwolves and Suns.
Denis Kirilov
The Memphis Grizzlies take on the Los Angeles Clippers in one of the most entertaining games on Saturday night in the NBA. The Grizzlies won 7 matches in a row, including wins over the Phoenix Suns and the Brooklyn Nets. Ja Morant elevated his game recently as he hasn’t dropped below 20 points for 6 straight games. Even without him, the team has been performing perfectly, winning 5 matches in a row twice. The Grizzlies are currently 4th in the West with 26 wins and 14 losses which gives them a good enough cushion for unforeseeable mistakes.
The Clippers, on the other hand, cannot use such an advantage as they are in the middle of the battle for the Playoffs spots. They are 8th, holding a 19-20 record which means that they will need to catch up with teams like the Lakers, the Mavericks, and the Nuggets. The squad from Los Angeles lost two games in a row, being schooled by the Timberwolves and the Suns. They might have surprised the Brooklyn Nets in Barclays Center, but they couldn’t transfer this performance into the next games. Here, everything other than a convincing win for the Grizzlies would be a surprise for me. So, I will trust Memphis in this one.
Denis’ NBA Pick: Memphis Grizzlies (-108)
Michael Lantz
The Memphis Grizzlies continue to impress; they’ve become one of basketball’s most entertaining teams and are getting big results along the way. They’ve won seven games in a row just weeks after winning 10 games in a row. This team is evolving in front of our eyes, thanks to the performances of Ja Morant and Desmond Bane. On Saturday, they’ll face a Clippers team that’s suffered a lot of injuries, but continue to contend.
.@jarenjacksonjr is third in the @NBA in total blocks 🚫#NBAAllStar pic.twitter.com/dHwRH0EiYr
— Memphis Grizzlies (@memgrizz) January 8, 2022
The Clippers have lost three of their last four, as it seems not having Kawhi Leonard and seldom having Paul George is starting to wear on them. While veterans like Reggie Jackson and Marcus Morris are working their hardest to keep the Clippers in the game, they’re unfortunately not number one options. Things won’t get easier for them against this electric Memphis Grizzlies team. I’ll pick Memphis to cover this one at home.
Michael’s NBA Pick: Memphis Grizzlies +1 (-115)
Milwaukee Bucks @ Charlotte Hornets – 7pm ET
The Milwaukee Bucks and the Charlotte Hornets will play each other in back-to-back games, and this Saturday night clash will be the first leg. The Bucks played against the Nets last night and won, 121-109. The Hornets have won four of their last six games, and this includes wins over the Nuggets, Rockets, Pacers and Pistons.
Denis Kirilov
The Milwaukee Bucks found themselves in a bit of a disarray recently as they lost their last two games at home. They were defeated consecutively by the Pistons and the Raptors which marked their fifth time with back-to-back losses this season. The defending champions will need to take urgent measures in order to improve their game as this won’t be enough for them to clinch the title this year. The competition in the East has increased and the decline in their form will surely make their rivals even more confident and eager to defeat them. They are still without Brook Lopez who is looking to make his return soon following a back injury that has been causing him trouble throughout the campaign.
The Hornets are one of the surprises this season. They came into the regular campaign with a devastating 59-127 loss to the Dallas Mavericks in their last preseason match. The management built a very intriguing team that will be a tough opponent for most of the top squads in the East. Led by Gordon Hayward, LaMelo Ball, and Terry Rozier, the Hornets hold a 20-19 record, sticking to the 8th place for now. They will be looking to build on their fantastic performance from Wednesday when they defeated the Detroit Pistons, 140-111. I think that we might see yet another bad performance from the Bucks who are coming into this game after a tough matchup with the Brooklyn Nets. So, I will go with a win for the Hornets here.
Denis’ NBA Pick: Charlotte Hornets (-116)
Michael Lantz
Even without Jrue Holiday and numerous supporting players out, the Milwaukee Bucks once again were able to beat the Brooklyn Nets last night 121-109. Now they’ll go from one offensive juggernaut to another, as they take on a high scoring Charlotte Hornets team on Saturday.
The Hornets are currently hanging onto the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference. Their offense has been lethal, with the likes of Miles Bridges, LaMelo Ball, and Terry Rozier. Unfortunately, their defense has been abysmal, ranking among the worst in the league. Still, despite that, the Hornets are sometimes able to just overpower their opponents with their offensive firepower. On Wednesday they beat the Detroit Pistons 140-111, thanks to Kelly Oubre Jr.’s 32 points. They’ll hope they can attack the Bucks the same way, due to Jrue Holiday’s absence on the defensive end.
Michael’s NBA Pick: Charlotte Hornets (-116)
Utah Jazz @ Indiana Pacers – 7pm ET
The road trip continues on for the Utah Jazz, and on Saturday night they will take on the Indiana Pacers. The Jazz are playing on back-to-back nights, and last time out they lost to the Raptors, 108-122. The Pacers are currently on a six game losing streak, and will be desperate to turn things around, as their record currently sits at 14-25.
Denis Kirilov
The Indiana Pacers take on the Utah Jazz in their Bankers Life Fieldhouse. The Pacers have been in horrible form recently as they lost six games in a row right after Christmas’ Eve. Most of their losses came as a result from the spike of the Covid-19 cases within the team. They are still without Malcolm Brogdon, Chris Duarte, and Kelan Martin. This recent performance cemented their 13th place as they are now far away from the top 10. The Pacers hold an unattractive 14-25 record and with the level of the teams surrounding them, I would say that it will be a really hard mission to make the Playoffs this year.
The Utah Jazz are on the opposite pole. They are in 3rd place in the Western Conference with 28 wins and 11 losses. The team has been playing really well against teams from the East recently, losing just twice since November 14, 2021. Surprisingly, they were actually defeated by the Pacers right around that date, 100-111. The upset was even bigger keeping in mind that they were at full strength, while Indiana was missing Caris LeVert. However, I think that the Jazz have learnt their lesson as they won’t underestimate the Pacers’ defense once again. Taking into account the current circumstances, I don’t see anything else that is as valuable as the Jazz covering their spread.
Denis’ NBA Pick: Utah Jazz -4.5 (-110)
Michael Lantz
When healthy, the Utah Jazz are one of basketball’s best squads. They’re a complete team that has scoring (Donovan Mitchell), defense (Rudy Gobert), and bench scoring (Jordan Clarkson). Unfortunately, they have an abundance of injuries and COVID cases right now, which was evident in their 108-122 loss to the Toronto Raptors last night. For tonight’s game, it’s still unclear who will be unavailable to play, but against an Indiana Pacers team that’s been massively disappointing, anything is possible.
the Jazz are in town tomorrow. see you at @GainbridgeFH 🙌
🎟️: https://t.co/tUJddhCy13 pic.twitter.com/kqHqPFwtCl
— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) January 8, 2022
The Pacers have lost six games in a row, including an implosion against the Nets on Wednesday night where they lead by 13 at halftime only to be outscored 20-35 in the fourth quarter. They’ll hope to take advantage of the Jazz being down a few key players and get their first big win since before Christmas. It can be hard to decide, without knowing who’s playing at this point, but I’ll pick the Pacers to snap the skid against a Jazz team that’s probably going to be depleted
Michael’s NBA Pick: Indiana Pacers (+162)
New York Knicks @ Boston Celtics – 7.30pm ET
The New York Knicks and the Boston Celtics go at it again after playing each other a couple of nights ago. In that game, it was the Knicks that proved too good for the Celtics, winning 108-105. Can the Celtics get revenge, or will the Knicks come out victorious again?
Denis Kirilov
The New York Knicks and the Boston Celtics are ready for Game 4 for the season. So far, the Knicks lead 2-1 after two wins at home in Madison Square Garden, while Boston was also clinical in their favorite place, TD Garden. In their last meeting, the Knicks took the win through a magnificent jump back 3-point buzzer-beater by RJ Barrett. His whole performance that night suggested that he won’t be able to make that shot, but in the end, it went through. Evan Fournier set a new career-high 41 points, while Julius Randle also played on a high level. For Boston, Jayson Tatum and Dennis Schroder didn’t disappoint, while Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart were on point throughout the game.
This win gave a small lead to the Knicks in the overall standings as they are now with 19 wins and 20 losses, compared to the Celtics who hold an 18-21 record. On top of that, the Knicks managed to break Boston’s confidence after erasing a 25-point deficit built for 20 minutes of playing time. For sure, the confidence will be on their side now, but I think they won’t be able to repeat this achievement. The Celtics will surely be looking to take their revenge and I believe they will do it. They are coming into this match in full strength, while Kemba Walker, Nerlens Noel, and Derrick Rose are uncertain for the Knicks. My pick here goes in favor of the home side – the Boston Celtics.
Denis’ NBA Pick: Boston Celtics -7 (-110)
Michael Lantz
The Knicks and Celtics are matching up for consecutive games after the Knicks won a thriller against the Celtics on Thursday. The game was a nail biter, ending with RJ Barrett calling game as his bankshot three-pointer led the Knicks past the Celtics, in another intense showdown for these two squads. Now, the Knicks are only one game under .500 as they’re slowly but surely looking like the team that made a surprise playoff appearance last season.
Meanwhile, the Celtics season continues to grow more tragic. Sure, they’ve suffered a lot of injuries and COVID cases, but even now, back near full strength, they continue to struggle. It’s gotten to the point where some are pessimistic that this combo of Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum will ever work out. The Celtics not only dropped their game to the Knicks on Thursday, but they blew a 25-point lead in the process. The last time these two teams faced off in Boston, the Celtics were victorious. Even after their embarrassing loss at Madison Square Garden, I expect them to bounce back at home and grab a win.
Michael’s NBA Pick: Boston Celtics (-300)
Miami Heat @ Phoenix Suns – 9pm ET
The Miami Heat have two more games on the road before they return home again, and on Saturday night they take on the Phoenix Suns. The Heat will be looking for another win, after only winning two of their last four games, which takes their season record to 24-15. The Suns are currently on a three game winning streak after defeating the Hornets, Pelicans and Clippers.
Denis Kirilov
One of the most exciting games on Saturday night in the NBA will be between the teams of the Miami Heat and the Phoenix Suns. Both rosters were the runners-up in the last two editions of the NBA as both of them came really close to surprising everybody and winning it all. However, the Heat were defeated by the Lakers, while the Bucks took the better of the Suns in the 2021 NBA Playoffs. Now, they are once again on the road to glory, trying to get an easier task on their road to the upcoming Playoffs. The Suns top the Western Conference with 30 wins and 8 losses, while the Heat are still 4th in the East with a 24-15 record.
This will be their first meeting for the season and it will be very interesting to follow the actions in the game. Unfortunately, both teams are struggling with the inability to use all of their players. For the Suns, Deandre Ayton, JaVale McGee, and Jae Crowder remain under health and safety protocols. The Heat, on the other hand, will be without Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler who are recovering from injuries. The Suns took measures and signed Bismack Biyombo until the end of the season and I think that’s a great deal for them, since the Congolese has proven his worth throughout his spells in Charlotte and Orlando. Hence, I will go with a win for the hosts who will continue to build up their lead in the West.
Denis’ NBA Pick: Phoenix Suns -8.5 (-110)
Michael Lantz
This game should be en Fuego, as the resilient Miami Heat head to the Valley to take on a Phoenix Suns team that’s looking to hold onto the top seed in the Western Conference after the Golden State Warriors lost multiple games. The Heat have suffered numerous injuries this year; they can’t seem to catch a break. Still, they haven’t used that as an excuse, as players have stepped up even when the likes of Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo have been out. A big one has been guard Max Strus, who has been averaging 11.5 points per game this season, and 23 in his last six games. With Jimmy Butler still questionable to play, the team will look to Strus to either be a big contributor in the starting lineup or off the bench.
Let’s get DOMINAYTON in.@DeandreAyton x #NBAAllStar pic.twitter.com/kEHtOKZsAK
— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) January 7, 2022
As for the Suns, they’ve been able to push through recent COVID issues, and regain control of the Western Conference. Even without Deandre Ayton and JaVale McGee, this team has relied on second-year player Jalen Smith to fill in for those big men, and he hasn’t let them down. This just further proves how impressive the Suns’ depth is. They’ll likely have Ayton and McGee back against the Heat, but this trio of bigs should be able to overpower this Heat team down low. I’ll look for the Suns to prevail in this matchup between two squads with plenty of firepower.
Michael’s NBA Pick: Phoenix Suns -8.5 (-110)
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*Odds and spreads correct at time of publication, courtesy of FanDuel.
