Our free NBA Picks are out for Saturday, November 27th, 2021! Make sure you check our picks before the action kicks off.
Look below to find our free NBA Picks for the five best games on today’s schedule!
Minnesota Timberwolves @ Philadelphia 76ers – 6pm ET
The Minnesota Timberwolves end their short two game road trip in Philadelphia when they take on the 76ers for the first game on Saturday night’s slate. The Timberwolves have crashed back down to Earth, after their high flying five game winning streak was snapped by the Hornets last time out. The 76ers are still struggling to find any momentum, they have gone win-loss-win-loss in their last four games, which brings their season record to 10-9.
Denis Kirilov
The Minnesota Timberwolves have been in a fantastic 5-game winning streak before losing to the Charlotte Hornets yesterday. Timberwolves’ trio, Anthony Edwards, Karl-Anthony Towns, and D’Angelo Russell showed their potential with great performances in victories over the Sacramento Kings, the Memphis Grizzlies, and the Miami Heat. If this team manages to start working on the issues in terms of defense, they might have a decent shot for a Playoffs spot in the spring next year. However, so far, they mostly rely on outscoring their opponent which doesn’t always go as planned.
The Philadelphia 76ers are finally back together, since Joel Embiid might return from Covid-19 absence. However, he and Tobias Harris are still questionable for the match against the Timberwolves, but it’s almost certain that they will be available for next week. After dominating through the opening games for the season and being 2nd in the East at some point, the team started sliding down the table. They had to endure a 5-game losing streak in mid-November which was mainly due to the issues with Joel Embiid. He missed a total of 9 matches and he hasn’t played for 20 days which I think will have a negative impact on his performance, if he eventually shows up against the Timberwolves. Tobias Harris suffered a minor hip injury which will also affect his team. For me, Minnesota is slightly better at the moment and they will prove that tomorrow.
Denis’ NBA Pick: Minnesota Timberwolves (+166)
Michael Lantz
The Minnesota Timberwolves had a statement win on Wednesday night, as they beat the Miami Heat 113-101, to give them five straight wins. Anthony Edwards was electric in that contest, scoring 33 points and hauling in 14 rebounds. Unfortunately, Minnesota’s recent success didn’t travel with them to Friday night, as they lost to the Charlotte Hornets 115-133. Now this young T-Wolves team will head up to Philadelphia to take on the 76ers. Since Joel Embiid caught COVID-19 and was sidelined, the Sixers have gone an abysmal 2-7. Luckily, the team has finally upgraded Embiid to questionable ahead of Saturday night’s showdown.
the streak ends at 5. pic.twitter.com/O4Jh2Zjr8c
— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) November 27, 2021
Philadelphia would love to have him, as Embiid has always provided great entertainment when playing the Wolves’ Karl Anthony-Towns. It’s hard to provide a pick on this one with Embiid’s status being questionable. He’s such a difference maker: even when other teammates went down earlier in the year with COVID or injuries, he was still leading the shorthanded 76ers to big wins. Still, even if he comes back you have to think he’ll be on a bit of a restriction after not playing for three weeks. The Timberwolves had a tough loss against Charlotte on Friday, but we can’t forget how well they were dominating prior. I’m not sure picking them outright is the wisest choice, but I’ll pick them to cover.
Michael’s NBA Pick: Minnesota Timberwolves +4.5 (-110)
Noah Dunlap
The Minnesota Timberwolves finally saw their five-game winning streak snapped at the hands of the Charlotte Hornets, but this is still a team that has the talent to use that winning streak to their advantage, and look to create momentum for the rest of the year. As long as they can keep everyone healthy, I think this is a team that can push towards a playoff run late in the year, and potentially sneak into the postseason as a low seed.
The 76ers come into this one on a roller coaster of a stretch, but that isn’t representative of the talent level the team has. With Joel Embiid out due to Covid, and having Seth Curry, Tobias Harris, and Danny Green miss time recently as well, it’s hard for them to find a rhythm with an ever-changing lineup. Once Embiid returns, and the rest of the roster becomes fully healthy, I think they immediately become one of the best teams in the East. Embiid is currently listed as questionable, which causes me to lean slightly towards Minnesota in this one, but not without doubt, so the easiest play would be to take the T-Wolves to cover the spread.
Noah’s NBA Pick: Minnesota Timberwolves +4.5 (-110)
New York Knicks @ Atlanta Hawks – 7:30pm ET
The New York Knicks start a short two game road trip in Atlanta when they take on the Hawks. The Knicks are another team that has been inconsistent as of late, taking that win-loss pattern for six games now, which brings their season record to 10-9. Who can stop the Hawks? Seven teams have tried, but none have succeeded! The Hawks winning streak continues on and they will be looking to make it eight in a row with a win against the Knicks on Saturday.
Denis Kirilov
The New York Knicks experience their Renaissance this year as they are once again favorites for a Playoffs spot. Consisting of players like Derrick Rose, Kemba Walker, and Julius Randle, the team has most certainly set high expectations for this campaign. Evan Fournier, RJ Barrett, and Immanuel Quickley also find their place under the spotlight and continue gaining this much-needed experience. However, the Knicks lost their last game to the undefeated in their last 15 games, Phoenix Suns, by 21 points. They also suffered some really unpleasant losses recently as the game with Orlando Magic is a precise example of that.
After starting quite awful this season, the Atlanta Hawks bounced back with a 7-game winning streak ahead of this game. They smashed teams like the Milwaukee Bucks, the Boston Celtics, and the Memphis Grizzlies to get back in Playoffs’ position, sitting in 7th place with 11 wins out of 20 games. Trae Young is one of the best performing point guards recently as he enjoyed five 30+ games in his last 8 appearances. At first sight, it seems like a pretty straight-forward match, but such meetings could take a 180-degrees turn. For me, it will be safer to choose between “over” and “under”. Looking at the way the Knicks’ struggle to go past the 100-point mark, I’d rather go with “under” for this upcoming fixture.
Denis’ NBA Pick: Under 217.5 (-110)
Michael Lantz
On Friday night, the New York Knicks had a chance to slow down a Phoenix Suns team that’s won 14-straight, as they took on the NBA’s hottest team at home. Unfortunately, the Knicks continued to move away from the defensive juggernaut that they were last season, losing to Phoenix 118-97. Despite the pathetic performance from the Knicks, they’ll have a chance to rebound against the team that sent them packing last season: the Atlanta Hawks. Not only have the Hawks been the Knicks kryptonite, but they’ve been one of the league’s hottest teams, winning seven straight, including a massive Friday night win over the Memphis Grizzlies, in which they won 132-100.
The Hawks will look to continue their dominance over a Knicks team that doesn’t quite have the grit they had last season. That being said, Trae Young loves to play this Knicks team no matter what their identity is. Young averaged 29 points per game and nearly 10 assists per game in last season’s playoffs against the defensive-minded Knicks. Sure, he won’t have the motivation of being a villain at home in Atlanta, like he did against the Knicks on the road, but I expect him to continue his wrath upon the Knickerbockers, ultimately leading to a Hawks win.
Michael’s NBA Pick: Atlanta Hawks (-215)
Noah Dunlap
The Atlanta Hawks are on absolute fire right now. They’ve now won seven in a row, including a massive 32-point demolition of the Memphis Grizzlies in their last outing. Trae Young has been virtually unstoppable as of late, and he’s finally getting help from a supporting cast that struggled at the beginning of the year. Playing the way they are now, it’s easy to see them having the ability to make a repeat run to the Eastern Conference Finals.
On the other side, the New York Knicks have shown the ability to be one of the best teams in the conference when they’re playing well, and an absolutely abysmal team when they aren’t. For this Knicks squad, it all flows inside-out. If Julius Randle is playing well down low, and the defensive energy is there, New York will win this ballgame, but with the inconsistent play that we’ve seen from them over the past two weeks, along with the level that Atlanta is playing at right now, it’s hard for me to bet against the Hawks. I like Young to have another big night, with John Collins and Clint Capela doing enough down low to limit Randle’s execution. Hawks win, but the NYK keep it close, making the easy play to just take the Hawks on the moneyline.
Noah’s NBA Pick: Atlanta Hawks (-215)
Phoenix Suns @ Brooklyn Nets – 7:30pm ET
This has got to be one of the best games of the day, when the Phoenix Suns (16-3) take on the Brooklyn Nets (14-5). The Suns are yet to drop a game in November, yes you read that right! We are in the closing days of November, the Suns have just two more games to play, and they haven’t dropped a game yet. The Nets are also having a great November so far, with two games left to play, they have only dropped two games this month.
Denis Kirilov
The Phoenix Suns and the Brooklyn Nets is a long-awaited fixture that will take place in Barclays Center on Saturday night. Both teams are looking fantastic recently as the Nets are on a 12-2 run ahead of this game, while the Phoenix Suns are undefeated in a mind-blowing 15 games already. Brooklyn also had quite an easy task as they played against teams like the Detroit Pistons, the Orlando Magic, and the Cleveland Cavaliers without Collin Sexton and Evan Mobley. Although at first look, this run seems decent, I’d say it’s a bit overrated as they had lost their two most important matchups against the Golden State Warriors and the Chicago Bulls.
On the other hand, the Phoenix Suns are dominating the whole NBA at the moment. In November, they managed to defeat teams like the Atlanta Hawks, the Portland Trail Blazers, the Dallas Mavericks, the Denver Nuggets, and the New York Knicks. The team from the “Big Apple” was their most recent victim as they lost by 21 points in a one-sided game at Madison Square Garden. The Suns also defeated the Nuggets by a spectacular 29 points a week ago. For me, their current form will keep them going for a bit more as I think they will be able to go past the Nets on Saturday. Devin Booker, Chris Paul, Deandre Ayton, Mikal Bridges, Cameron Payne and Jae Crowder seem to be too much to handle for Kevin Durant and his teammates. If Kyrie Irving was playing, then it would have made the choice a little more difficult, but under the current circumstances, I am going all the way with the Phoenix Suns.
Denis’ NBA Pick: Phoenix Suns (+118)
Michael Lantz
In what could be an NBA Finals preview, the Phoenix Suns will visit Brooklyn on Friday night to take on the Nets. Phoenix have won 15 straight games and are clicking on all cylinders as Kevin Durant and the Nets look to cool them off. The Nets got a big win in Boston on Wednesday night, as they beat a full-strength Celtics team by almost 20 points at the TD Garden. It was a big win for a Nets team, who despite having a 13-5 record, has had a hard time generating wins against top-tier opponents. They’ll get a chance to further prove they’re worthy of the number one spot with a win over the NBA’s hottest team.
📼 | @patty_mills: still doesn’t need a winter coat 🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/xjKnsz0VJ6
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) November 25, 2021
The Suns couldn’t be more on fire; they didn’t let the Thanksgiving holiday slow them down on Friday night as they pulverized the Knicks by over 20 points. Now they’ll face the conference leading Brooklyn Nets, a team many believed they would have faced in the Finals last season had it not been for injuries to the Nets’ Kyrie Irving and James Harden. This one should be explosive, but there’s still some doubt on whether the Nets can hang with top teams in each conference. After the Golden State Warriors blew past this Brooklyn team at home a couple of weeks ago, it’s hard to not think this Suns team will do the same.
Michael’s NBA Pick: Phoenix Suns (+118)
Noah Dunlap
On paper, this is absolutely the best game of the night, and arguably one of the best games of the year to this point. Phoenix comes in on a 15-game winning streak, and they show no signs of slowing down. With Devin Booker, Chris Paul, and DeAndre Ayton all playing well, and getting solid minutes from the eighth and ninth players on the roster, it’s going to take a magnificent effort from anyone in the league to knock them off.
Brooklyn comes into this one almost as hot, having won eight of their last ten. Kevin Durant continues to lead the way for the Nets, but the team is also seeing James Harden continue to improve after a rough start to the year. Patty Mills and LaMarcus Aldridge are also giving meaningful minutes, which helps to take some of the pressure off of KD and Harden. Even on the road, until they slip up at some point, I simply can’t bet against this Suns team and how they’ve been playing. Take Phoenix on the moneyline, especially seeing as they’re currently the underdogs, according to Fanduel.
Noah’s NBA Pick: Phoenix Suns (+118)
Miami Heat @ Chicago Bulls – 8pm ET
The Miami Heat wrap up their four game road trip in Chicago when they take on the Bulls on Saturday night. The Heat have had a few days rest, and they are hoping that will do the trick, as they look to recover from a loss last time out against the Timberwolves, which has brought their season record to 12-7. The Bulls snapped a two game losing streak last time out, with a dominant win against the Magic, 123-88.
Denis Kirilov
The Miami Heat and the Chicago Bulls are without a doubt one of the best performing teams in the Eastern Conference this season. They are respectively 3rd and 2nd in the current standings as the only team ahead of them is the Brooklyn Nets. Both teams enjoyed a fantastic period in the beginning of this campaign as they managed to outclass some of their direct rivals for the NBA Championship. For instance, the Heat have already defeated the Milwaukee Bucks, the Brooklyn Nets, the Utah Jazz, and the Dallas Mavericks. Chicago doesn’t really fall behind as they found a way to outscore the likes of Utah, Dallas, and Brooklyn as well, they also add Denver, New York, and both teams from Los Angeles to their list of victims.
Both teams show a high level of play in the early stage this season and this promises to be a treat to watch. The fans at United Center hope for a second consecutive win for the Bulls over the Heat, while people in Florida want to see Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, and Tyler Herro come out of this game victorious. For me, this is a really tough game to call, so I‘d rather enjoy the spectacle and let the better team win. Instead of choosing a winner, I will go with the option for “over”. In my honest opinion, I think both teams have a fantastic defensive lineup, but players like DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, Jimmy Butler, Tyler Herro, Bam Adebayo cannot be stopped that easily. Since the rosters are almost 100% healthy, I will trust their offensive skills and go with “over” in this long-awaited meeting.
Denis’ NBA Pick: Over 212 (-110)
Michael Lantz
Although the Suns vs Nets may overshadow, the Heat vs Bulls may end up being the game of the night. Both these teams are directly behind Brooklyn atop the Eastern Conference. With Brooklyn playing a Phoenix Suns team that’s won 15 straight on Friday night, one of these teams has a big chance to rise in the conference standings. Miami will be looking to bounce back after they were outplayed by a young Minnesota Timberwolves team on Wednesday night. They were outscored 39-59 in the second half against the T-Wolves, which furthered their second half struggles in recent games. They’ll look to correct those mistakes as they face Chicago on Saturday night.
After a couple of rough losses, the Bulls got back on track Friday night, blowing out the lowly Orlando Magic 123-88. The Bulls are thrilled to have big man Nikola Vucevic back after he had COVID, as he scored 16 points and had 8 assists against his old Magic squad. Even better for the Bulls is the fact that they have Coby White coming off the bench, to give them a legit sixth-man scorer. This will be a great help when guys like Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozen need some rest on the bench. For their matchup against the Heat on Saturday night, it’s going to be a tough pick. Even though Miami rarely gets on losing streaks, this Bulls team seems to really step up against tough opponents. Now that they’re at full-strength, I expect them to win a close one against Miami.
Michael’s NBA Pick: Chicago Bulls (+108)
Noah Dunlap
These two teams started the year as being two of the best teams in the league, but have since fallen off just slightly. They’re still among the leaders in the Eastern Conference, but haven’t been quite as dominant over the past 2-3 weeks. For Miami, I think the key is how well Bam Adebayo plays. Tyler Herro, Kyle Lowry, and Jimmy Butler can all handle the perimeter if they need to, but without Bam playing well, there’s a void in the paint for the Heat. If he does play well, which I do believe he will, I think they will find a way to win this one, even after having been on the road for what will have been four games following this one.
Chicago comes in needing the solid play of Lonzo Ball, DeMar Derozan, Zach Levine to continue, because without these three all playing well, I don’t know that the rest of the roster is talented enough to compete against the NBA’s best teams. This is one of the harder games you’ll find in terms of trying to predict, as both teams come in mostly healthy, and in terms of position-by-position matchups I think they’re nearly identical, as well. This one’s a coin flip, so give me Miami to win an extremely tight one on the road, but with a bit of hesitancy.
Noah’s NBA Pick: Miami Heat (-126)
Washington Wizards @ Dallas Mavericks – 8:30pm ET
The Washington Wizards are in the middle of their road trip when they take on the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday night. The Wizards are playing in back-to-back games, and last time out they got the all important win against the Thunder, 101-99. The Mavericks got a win last time out, which put an end to the three game losing streak they were on, and this moves their season record up to 10-7.
Denis Kirilov
The Washington Wizards are off to a great start this campaign as they are 4th in the Eastern Conference with 12 wins and 7 losses. However, the team has lost 4 out of their last 6 matches in the NBA. They suffered an unpleasant 25-point defeat to the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday, but still managed to pull themselves together for the next fixture against the Oklahoma Thunder, which was won by the Wizards. Washington looks reborn with the likes of Bradley Beal, Kyle Kuzma, and Montrezl Harrell. Only time will show whether they will be a great trio, but so far everything suggests precisely that.
The Dallas Mavericks are also performing well in the early stage of the 2021/22 NBA season as they gathered 10 wins out of 17 games. They suffered 3 losses in a row, but this was mainly due to Luka Doncic’s absence. The Slovenian is the driving force of his team which is further visible in the times when he is not on the court. Without him, Kristaps Porzingis took the lead, but didn’t manage to outscore the whole Phoenix Suns’ squad. For me, the Latvian is a fantastic player who can have a huge impact on his team with his presence in the paint. In their last match, the Mavs found their way past the Clippers in a tight contest finishing after overtime. Here, I will also trust Doncic and Porzingis as I believe they can whitewash the Wizards even just after the 1st half. Another thing that caught my attention was the option for the top scorer in the game and I will suggest picking Porzingis at (+600), since I am expecting a quite dominant display for the Mavs in the first two quarters.
Denis’ NBA Pick: Dallas Mavericks -7.5 (-110)
Denis’ NBA Bonus Pick: Top Points Scorer – Kristaps Porzingis (+600)
Michael Lantz
The Dallas Mavericks were thrilled to have Luka Donicic back from injury on Tuesday night as they beat the Clippers 112-104 in OT, with Doncic’s near triple-double leading the way. Now the Mavericks will face another true test on Saturday night as they play one of the Eastern Conference’s top dogs, the Washington Wizards.
Full bellies and immaculate vibes 💯 @BioSteelSports | #MFFL pic.twitter.com/h3eI7eGiM7
— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) November 26, 2021
After starting off the season atop the Eastern Conference, the Washington Wizards have fallen on some tough times. After a big 16-point comeback win last week against the Miami Heat, the Wizards lost to the Hornets for the second time in five days and followed that by being embarrassed by the New Orleans Pelicans—losing by 25. Luckily the Wizards got back on track Friday, beating the Oklahoma City Thunder 101-99. The Wizards are far superior to the Thunder, but a win is still a win. Now they’ll have a chance to make it consecutive victories against a bit of an unpredictable Mavericks squad.
The Mavericks may sit at 10-7, but they’re still having a hard time convincing folks they can be a true contender. Luckily, they’ve provided a bit more confidence in recent weeks as Kristaps Porzingis is really starting to settle in as Luka Doncic’s number two. He’s put up all-star worthy numbers, in an attempt to silence the critics that called him soft. They’ll need his size desperately on Saturday night, as they face a Washington team that, aside from Daniel Gafford, lacks size. Still, despite the Wizards recent struggles, they still look like a more complete team. This one should be close, so I think the best bet is to go with the Wizards to cover.
Michael’s NBA Pick: Washington Wizards +7.5 (-110)
Noah Dunlap
This is yet another matchup between two teams that, when healthy, are among the league’s best. Washington has surprised a lot of people this season with their performance, as they come in at 12-7, and even with a tough two weeks or so, they remained tied for first in their division with the Miami Heat. Led by Bradley Beal, and getting good minutes from new additions Kyle Kuzma and Montrezl Harrell, this Wizards team is the real deal, and has the potential to be a problem for many teams by the time the postseason comes around.
For Dallas, the answer is simple: they go as Luka Doncic goes. If Doncic is healthy and playing well, Dallas is a tough team to beat, as it allows guys like Kristaps Porzingis and Tim Hardaway Jr. the chance to play without as much pressure, but if Luka is out or struggling, this is a Dallas team that has shown that they have problems. Kristaps isn’t a number one option in the NBA, and when Luka is out, he ends up having to be, which is problematic. Lucky for Dallas fans, Luka returned from his injury Tuesday night against the LA Clippers, and put up a monstrous performance, quieting some of the questions about his health. Doncic being back and seemingly playing good basketball is why I’m leaning Dallas in a close one at home, but not enough to take them and the 7.5 that they’re being given in this one. Take Washington to cover.
Noah’s NBA Pick: Washington Wizards +7.5 (-110)
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*Odds and spreads correct at time of publication, courtesy of FanDuel.
