Our free NBA picks are out for Saturday, March 5th, 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!
Sacramento Kings @ Dallas Mavericks – 5pm ET
The Sacramento Kings wrap up their five game road trip in Dallas tonight when they face off against the Mavericks. The Kings have gone 2-2 in their road trip so far, and this takes their overall season record to 24-41. The Mavericks have won their last three games in a row, and this includes wins over the Warriors (twice) and the Lakers.
Jeffery Thomas
The Sacramento Kings will be wrapping up a 5-game road trip when they travel to Dallas for Saturday matchup with the Mavericks. The Kings got a 115-112 win over San Antonio on Thursday on the back of 27 points from Harrison Barnes. De’Aaron Fox had a great stat line himself, adding 26 points, 6 rebounds, and 9 assists on 10-20 shooting. That win pushed their record to 24-41 and will now look towards this game against the 38-25 Mavericks. Dallas is coming off another win over Golden State, their second in three games and this time it was at home by a score of 122-113.
Luka Doncic continued his great season and had one of his best games of the year, dropping 41 points, 10 rebounds, and 9 assists. He added four 3-pointers and all five starters scored in double digits. The Kings have some exciting young pieces but they are still a tough team to back due to their inconsistency and inability to play defense. They’ve allowed over 110 points in nine of their last ten games and are only 4-6 during that stretch. Dallas is rolling and several classes ahead of them so they will have no problem taking care of business in this one.
Jeffery’s NBA Pick: Dallas Mavericks -7.5 (-110)
Michael Lantz
The Dallas Mavericks are becoming a force in the Western Conference. With a tightened defense, and the scoring talents of Luka Doncic, this team is ready to challenge the best teams in the Western Conference. They’re currently in fifth place and just 1.5 games out of fourth. On Saturday they’ll play a Sacramento team that still has some hopes of inching into a play-in game.
A Saturday matinée at the @aacenter!
Join us tomorrow at 4PM CT as we take on the @SacramentoKings! The first 5k fans in attendance will get a free scarf! #MFFL pic.twitter.com/BKYHU3YoCa
— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) March 5, 2022
While many were surprised by the Sacramento Kings’ deadline trade of (essentially) Tyrese Haliburton for Domantas Sabonis, the team still has slight hopes for making the playoffs. The Kings have won two of three since dropping two in a row to the Nuggets after the All-Star break. They have plenty of talent on their roster to win at any time, but have had a rough time as a unit. The Mavericks ability to control the ball on both sides of the game should be enough to overpower the Kings. I’ll pick them to cover.
Michael’s NBA Pick: Dallas Mavericks -7.5 (-110)
Noah Dunlap
The Dallas Mavericks just continue to roll right along, looking like one of the best teams in the NBA over the past month or so. They’re being led by Luka Doncic, as he’s simply been playing out of his mind lately, and shows no signs of stopping. They’ve won three straight, including two over the Golden State Warriors, which has to have them feeling confident as we start to reach the stretch run of the regular season. If there’s one concern, it’s that they’re a bit too reliant on Luka, but so far that hasn’t slowed them down, even when they traded away Kristaps Porzingis, so I don’t think it will now.
Now they take on a Sacramento Kings team that has shown flashes of future potential, but for this year they’re too young and inconsistent, which is why they currently sit at 24-41 on the year. Harrison Barnes and De’Aaron Fox are leading the way, but that doesn’t mean they’re playing defense, which has been one of their biggest problems all year. Lack of defense doesn’t bode well when you’re getting ready to take on Luka, so give me the Mavs with ease, as I think they simply overpower Sacramento in this one.
Noah’s NBA Pick: Dallas Mavericks -7.5 (-110)
Philadelphia 76ers @ Miami Heat – 8pm ET
The Philadelphia 76ers will hit the road on Saturday night and travel to FTX Arena in Miami to take on the Heat. The 76ers are playing on back-to-back nights, and last time out they beat the Cavaliers, 125-119. The Heat have won five of their last six games, with their only loss in this time coming at the hands of the Bucks, 119-120.
Jeffery Thomas
Miami bounced back from their collapse against Milwaukee to beat the Nets on Thursday by a score of 113-107. It was KD’s first game back for Brooklyn and he got 31 points, but only two other Nets could even cross double digit points. It was Tyler Herro’s 27 points and Bam Adebayo’s 30 that led the way for Miami getting their East leading 42nd win on the campaign. Philadelphia will be on the back-to-back after a very entertaining game against the Cavaliers on Friday. Tyrese Maxey led them in scoring with 33 and five 3-pointers, with James Harden adding 25 and Embiid 22 points.
They now are 4-0 in games with James Harden and he’s seemed to have elevated the game of the second-year guard Maxey. Since the James Harden trade, he is averaging 26.8 points on 64% shooting overall and 70% 3-point shooting. He’ll look to stay hot in this battle for East supremacy on Saturday. I love this battle of two teams who could very well end up representing the East in the NBA Finals. However, there is no way you can confidently pick against the Sixers right now or give any good reasons to. They are the best team in the league right now and their offense is simply unstoppable with their Big 3. The Heat will make them work for it but the Sixers will come out victorious here.
Jeffery’s NBA Pick: Philadelphia 76ers (-108)
Michael Lantz
In a battle between two of the Eastern Conference’s best teams, the Philadelphia 76ers visit the Miami Heat in South Beach for a temporary bragging right of the best team in the East. For the Sixers, the start of the James Harden era began with a bang, as they went 3-0 with both Harden and center Joel Embiid putting up big numbers. Last night the team faced the Cleveland Cavaliers, who had them in the doghouse after the first half. Luckily for Philly, talent prevailed as they ended up winning 125-119. Now a day later they’ll face an even tougher opponent in the Miami Heat.
He’s a winner. He’s a #COTY. #SpoKnows. pic.twitter.com/R2h54ojWrL
— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) March 5, 2022
The Heat were able to prevail on Thursday as they beat the Brooklyn Nets without Jimmy Butler and Kyle Lowry. Not only were they able to win that game but they were able to rest their best player for a matchup against a Sixers squad that feels it’s Championship ready. This one should be pretty close, as it’s potentially an Eastern Conference Finals preview, but with it being in South Beach, I’ll pick the Heat to slip by.
Michael’s NBA Pick: Miami Heat (-108)
Noah Dunlap
This is the matchup of the night in the NBA, as the Philadelphia 76ers travel south to take on the East leading Miami Heat in South Beach. The Sixers have been great since pairing James Harden with Joel Embiid, and they’re quickly becoming a team that you have to watch out for in the East, as Embiid has continued to play like the league MVP, while Harden hasn’t slowed down at all since returning from injury.
For Miami, they lead the East, and I think the biggest question is simply whether they can stay healthy. They have one of the deepest rosters in basketball, but that’s dependent on everyone being on the floor, which they haven’t had much of this season, as it seems like virtually every game they’re missing at least one or two of their key guys. It’s yet to be determined who all suits up for the Heat in this one, but with the success they’ve had regardless, and it being at home, I’m taking Miami by a nose, as new-look Philly has to lose eventually, and I think this could be the one.
Noah’s NBA Pick: Miami Heat (-108)
Orlando Magic @ Memphis Grizzlies – 8pm ET
The Orlando Magic wrap up their short two game road trip on Saturday with a game against the Memphis Grizzlies. The Magic are playing two nights in a row, and last time out they played the Raptors, in a game they won, 103-97. The Grizzlies have lost three of their last five games, and this takes their overall season record to 43-21.
Jeffery Thomas
Memphis isn’t used to losing that often nowadays, but ran into a hot Celtics in Boston on Thursday and suffered a 107-120 defeat. They couldn’t win despite another amazing performance from Ja Morant, who dropped 38 points and with Boston being without Jaylen Brown. It was instead Brown’s running mate Jayson Tatum who stepped up in his absence and dropped 37 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists. Even with the loss, the Grizzlies sit comfortably at the 3 seed in the West, and only a .5 game back of Golden State for the 2 seed. The Orlando Magic will be on the back-to-back after beating the struggling Raptors on Friday night.
That win ended a nine game skid as Cole Anthony had 15 points and 12 rebounds. It was also the first win for Orlando over the Raptors since February of 2019. Now they will make the trip to Memphis for a date with the Grizzlies. Great bounce back spot here for a Memphis team that won’t be too happy with that loss in their last contest. These two teams met last month and it was a 20-point blowout for Memphis on Orlando’s floor and I think we see a similar result on Saturday. Give me the Grizzlies to win this one easily against one of the league’s worst teams.
Jeffery’s NBA Pick: Memphis Grizzlies -15.5 (-110)
Michael Lantz
The Memphis Grizzlies’ rise to the top of the Western Conference was humbled on Thursday by the Boston Celtics. They lost at the TD Garden to one of the league’s hottest teams, 107-120. After a disappointing loss, the team will be looking for a bounce back win and there’s no better team to do that against than the Orlando Magic.
What era did you first start watching the Grizzlies?
(sponsored by @SociosUSA)
— Memphis Grizzlies (@memgrizz) March 4, 2022
While the Magic have plenty of young talent, the team has been pretty abysmal this season, as they currently sit at 16-48. Still, a win against the Toronto Raptors last night should give them confidence going forward. On the contrary, playing back-to-backs is rough, especially when you play a team with the firepower of the Grizzlies. I expect Memphis to run away with this one.
Michael’s NBA Pick: Memphis Grizzlies -15.5 (-110)
Noah Dunlap
Despite falling in their last game on the road against the Boston Celtics, one of the hottest teams in the league, the Memphis Grizzlies are still rolling along this season, looking like one of the best teams in the league. They’re led by Ja Morant, who became the second player in the league this season to score 200 points over a five game span with his performance against Boston, putting him along with Joel Embiid in that category. The one concern is their defense, as it has a tendency to disappear, which could prove to be problematic as we reach the postseason.
However, in this one, at home against one of the worst teams in the NBA in the Orlando Magic, I don’t expect them to have many issues. Orlando has shown flashes throughout the year, but they’re extremely young, and in need of multiple other pieces before they can be considered a tough out. The Grizz took the first one in the series this year with ease, and I think they do the same here. Grizz in a big way.
Noah’s NBA Pick: Memphis Grizzlies -15.5 (-110)
Portland Trail Blazers @ Minnesota Timberwolves – 8pm ET
Two teams from the Northwest division will go toe-to-toe on Saturday night when the Portland Trail Blazers face off against the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Trail Blazers will be looking to turn things around after dropping their last three games in a row, to the Warriors, Nuggets and Suns. The Timberwolves are another team that are playing on back-to-back nights, and last time out they beat the Thunder, 138-101.
Jeffery Thomas
Minnesota is trying to continue stacking up wins and they got another one Friday against the Oklahoma City Thunder. In the 138-101 victory, Karl Anthony-Towns and Naz Reid dominated down low scoring 20 a piece. There was no Anthony Edwards, but there was a full team effort with 6 guys scoring in double figures. Now with a record of 35-29 they are within 2 games of the Nuggets for the 6th seed, which is significant because it would get them out of the play-in tournament. Portland on the other hand, is right outside of the play-in tournament with a record of 25-37.
They are 1.5 games back of the Pelicans, who are suddenly on a tear, so it’s paramount that the Trail Blazers start stringing some wins together and they’ll look to start Saturday on the road in Minnesota. The Timberwolves are already 2-0 against the Trail Blazers this year and those matchups were when Portland had CJ McCollum or Damian Lilliard. Now they have neither and are without their starting center Nurkic, so it’s going to be a much steeper test for a young short handed bunch. Minnesota’s offense is too much right now for most teams in the league, especially this Portland squad who really only has Simons as a true offensive threat. I like the Wolves here in the first of two back-to-back games between these teams.
Jeffery’s NBA Pick: Minnesota Timberwolves -13 (-110)
Michael Lantz
Even without Anthony Edwards, the Minnesota Timberwolves proved they’re capable of putting up big numbers, as they demolished the Oklahoma City Thunder 138-101. Karl-Anthony Towns and D’Angelo Russell were able to lead the way even without Edwards, as youngster Jaden McDaniels was able to step in and score some points. The seventh seed T-Wolves will look to improve their record Saturday as they take on the Portland Trail Blazers.
goodnight, wolves fam. 💤 pic.twitter.com/KAGEYvyaTw
— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) March 5, 2022
The Trail Blazers have either traded their best players away or lost them to injury this season. Still, they’ve been able to be a dark horse play-in team thanks to Josh Hart and Anfernee Simons. Despite their potential, the team will likely have a hard time against Minnesota even if they’re without Anthony Edwards. The Timberwolves’ defensive mastermind Patrick Beverley should be able to shut down one of those featured guards, making it a runaway for the T-Wolves.
Michael’s NBA Pick: Minnesota Timberwolves -13 (-110)
Noah Dunlap
Portland is one of those teams that has found this year to be more disappointing than many would’ve imagined early on. They lost CJ McCollum for nearly two months with a punctured lung, then proceeded to trade him at the trade deadline. On top of that, Damian Lillard has missed much of the year, and will miss the rest of it, which doesn’t help them by any means. They had high hopes coming in, but with all the obstacles they’ve faced, they currently sit at 25-37, and find themselves a game and a half back of the tenth spot in the West.
Minnesota comes in playing really good basketball as of late, and I think they have the real chance to play themselves out of the play-in tournament and into the sixth spot, assuming they play really well down the stretch. With one of the best trios in basketball, even if they do finish at seven, I think they’ll advance through the play-in with ease, as I think they do in this one as well. Even without Anthony Edwards; Karl-Anthony Towns and D’Angelo Russell have shown the ability to handle business, and against a struggling Portland team, I expect no different. Take Minnesota at home, but with the line sitting at 13, I think that’s a touch too high.
Noah’s NBA Pick: Portland Trail Blazers +13 (-110)
Golden State Warriors @ Los Angeles Lakers – 8.30pm ET
We wrap things up in the NBA on Saturday night with a game between the Golden State Warriors and the Los Angeles Lakers. The Warriors are in need of a win, as they have dropped their last three in a row, and seven of their last nine games. The Lakers are in a worse position, they have lost their last four in a row, and 11 of their last 14 games.
Jeffery Thomas
It’s a matchup of two struggling teams Saturday night when the Warriors and Lakers meet up in Los Angeles. For Golden State it’s seven losses in the last nine games including another loss to the Mavericks on Thursday in Dallas. Klay Thompson returned in that game, dropping 16 points but was clearly rusty and hopefully will have that all shaken off for this matchup against his dad’s former team. The Lakers are in even worse form, losing eleven of their last fourteen games and it’s just a total free fall right now.
The last game was a 21 point loss to their crosstown rival Clippers and now sit at 9th in the West with a disappointing 27-35 record. One of these teams will finally get a win after severe struggles and I don’t see it being the Lakers. The Warriors struggles are due to injuries, while the Lakers have been bad all season. You could say the Anthony Davis injury has played into Los Angeles’ struggles but like I said they were never really in a groove all season. Golden State is already 2-0 against the Lakers this season and on Saturday they will make it 3-0.
Jeffery’s NBA Pick: Golden State Warriors -6 (-112)
Michael Lantz
A battle between two Western Conference teams that have struggled heavily recently. The Los Angeles Lakers desperately miss Anthony Davis, as they’ve gone 0-4 since he went out injured. LeBron James has tried to carry the team, but at 37 years old he can only do so much. On Saturday they host a Golden State Warriors team that’s had its fair share of struggles as well. The Warriors have been struggling without Draymond Green, as they’ve lost five of six and their second seed is currently in jeopardy.
Final. pic.twitter.com/EbnQ3oYavK
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) March 4, 2022
Luckily they have a chance to break that as they face a Lakers team that has been absolutely abysmal lately. While Green’s absence should continue to be an issue down low and for playmaking abilities, the Warriors perimeter shooting should cause problems for a lackluster Lakers defense. I expect the Warriors to continue the Lakers’ misery.
Michael’s NBA Pick: Golden State Warriors -6 (-112)
Noah Dunlap
Despite the serious struggles as of late, Golden State is winning this basketball game. Put bluntly, the Los Angeles Lakers are truly atrocious, and I don’t know why anyone would think that’s going to change, especially in a game against one of the most talented teams in the NBA. Nothing Los Angeles has done this year has worked, as they’re nothing more than a one-man show at this point, with LeBron being the only consistent player they can rely on, and at age 37, he’s beginning to show some limitations, primarily in the sense that it isn’t feasible for him to be playing 44+ minutes a night anymore. None of their offseason acquisitions have proven to be difference makers, and that’s why I’m doubtful as to whether they even make the postseason.
On the other side, the Warriors have struggled recently, but before that they had been rolling right along, as the second best team in the NBA. With Steph Curry, Andrew Wiggins, and Klay Thompson, they’re still a ridiculously talented team, they’re just in need of Draymond Green to get healthy once again. Once Green comes back, I think this is a team that can go on yet another tear, and will likely end as the two or three seed out West. Even without Draymond, they roll in this one, as the Lakers are so bad that I simply can’t justify picking them to beat any quality opponent.
Noah’s NBA Pick: Golden State Warriors -6 (-112)
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.
