Our free NBA picks are out for Sunday, February 6th, 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!
Philadelphia 76ers @ Chicago Bulls – 3.30pm ET
The Philadelphia 76ers wrap up their short two game road trip on Sunday afternoon when they face off against the Chicago Bulls. The 76ers were on a five game winning streak before dropping their last two in a row, against the Wizards and Mavericks. The Bulls have won five of their last seven, and this takes their season record to 33-19.
Denis Kirilov
The Philadelphia 76ers have lost their last two matches in the NBA against the Washington Wizards and the Dallas Mavericks. This marked their first back-to-back losses since December 16th when they went on a 3-game losing streak. The 76ers had a remarkable month of January storming the NBA and defeating some of the toughest opponents out there. Joel Embiid enjoyed a fantastic streak as he occasionally dropped more than 30 points in double-double performances with around 12 rebounds. He has been playing on a whole new level and he solely made the difference for the 76ers throughout this period.
The Chicago Bulls might not have a strong player like the Cameroonian centre, but their duo, Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan, has been magnificent so far this season. On top of that, Nikola Vucevic was also a great bonus for his team, although he doesn’t average the same numbers as his rival in Philly. The Bulls continue to lead the Eastern Conference with 33 wins and 19 losses as they will be looking for their fifth consecutive victory in the United Center. Unfortunately, Alex Caruso, Lonzo Ball, and Zach LaVine are uncertain for the match and I think this might affect their ambitions of winning. That’s why I am happy to choose the 76ers here.
Denis’ NBA Pick: Philadelphia 76ers (-116)
Michael Lantz
After the Philadelphia 76ers looked like they were about to go on a roll to capture the Eastern Conference’s one-seed, they ran into a little bit of trouble. On Wednesday they lost to a Bradley Beal-less Wizards squad; then followed that up with a double-digit loss to a Dallas Mavericks team that was missing Kristaps Porzingis. They now face a big test on Sunday as they face the Chicago Bulls—the current leaders in the Eastern Conference.
gave ’em the hook + 1.
👟@Xfinity pic.twitter.com/WjU01hfwIR
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) January 15, 2022
Despite injuries running through their entire squad, the Bulls have found a way to prevail and continue to be a major threat in the East. Thanks to their two all-stars (DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine) this Bulls squad has plenty of scoring options. Even with LaVine out the other night, the team was able to turn to Nikola Vucevic for some help, as he dropped 31 points in a victory over the Indiana Pacers. Still, they’ll hope that LaVine is active on Sunday as they’ll have their hands full against MVP candidate Joel Embiid and the 76ers. This one should be close, but I’m going to go with the Bulls to take care of business at home.
Michael’s NBA Pick: Chicago Bulls (-102)
Noah Dunlap
These are two of the best teams in the Eastern Conference, and I think they’re both probably a few of the best teams in the league, as well. The difference is the way they go about doing it. Philadelphia comes into this one at 31-21, but they have lost two in a row, which may be somewhat concerning if they can’t get back on track soon. The other problem with this Sixers squad is that they’re simply too reliant on Joel Embiid, who is arguably the front runner for league MVP. If he plays well they’re fine, but if his play slips, so does the teams, and oftentimes they struggle even when he plays well as there are limitations to a virtual one-man team.
The Chicago Bulls come into this one slightly better, at 33-19, and leading the Eastern Conference right now. The biggest difference between these two teams right now though is the fact that Chicago does it more by committee than they do by relying on one player. They have multiple stars in DeMar Derozan and Zach LaVine especially, but they get much more help from a supporting cast, as well. They’ve won five of seven, and I think that continues in this one, as I like the Bulls to get a big home win over a really good Philadelphia team.
Noah’s NBA Pick: Chicago Bulls (-102)
Brooklyn Nets @ Denver Nuggets – 3.30pm ET
Another Sunday afternoon game in the NBA to get excited about, when we see the Brooklyn Nets go toe-to-toe with the Denver Nuggets. The Nets are continuing to free fall, as they have now dropped seven games in a row, which takes their season record to 29-23. The Nuggets are also on a losing streak, standing at three in a row, with losses to the Timberwolves, Jazz and Pelicans.
Denis Kirilov
The Brooklyn Nets are officially the worst team in the NBA when taking into account the last seven matches. They have lost every single one of these meetings, marking their worst performance throughout the campaign. It seems that the team cannot function well without Kevin Durant, despite having James Harden and Kyrie Irving (for road games) in the starting lineup. Their overall ranking took a serious hit as they dropped down to 6th place in the East with 29 wins and 23 losses. Teams like the Raptors and the Celtics are almost within striking distance of the Nets and they might suffer further complications, if they don’t do something right now.
The Denver Nuggets have also been struggling lately, losing their last three matches in the NBA. Their amazing 36-point win over the Milwaukee Bucks has already been forgotten after suffering defeats to the Minnesota Timberwolves, Utah Jazz, and the New Orleans Pelicans. Nikola Jokic was sidelined against the Jazz with a toe injury and it seems that he is really feeling some discomfort as he wasn’t able to help his team go past the Pelicans. I think this is a good opportunity for the Nets to break the losing streak and make their way back on the winning track. Although they are a big underdog in the game, I am willing to trust them in this one.
Denis’ NBA Pick: Brooklyn Nets (+180)
Michael Lantz
The once NBA Finals favored Brooklyn Nets are struggling: Kevin Durant is injured, James Harden is upset, and Kyrie Irving isn’t full-time. Without Durant, they’re obviously going to be a bit more vulnerable—but they’re currently in the midst of a seven-game losing streak. They’ve had unacceptable losses to the likes of the Sacramento Kings and were blown out by a Utah Jazz team that was missing Rudy Gobert. Still, this Nets team has so much talent, they can turn it on at any time. They’ll have a chance to turn things around on Sunday as they face the Denver Nuggets.
After Denver’s 36-point win over the Milwaukee Bucks last Sunday, they’ve dropped three straight. After dropping two to playoff-caliber teams in the Utah Jazz and Minnesota Timberwolves, the Nuggets were bullied by a New Orleans Pelicans team that’s well under .500 on Friday night. Nikola Jokic has been impeccable this year, but with Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. out with injuries, he needs his supporting cast to be on their “A-game” at all times. They’ll hope to have Aaron Gordon back on Sunday to give the rest of Denver’s starting five a little more life. With so much drama surrounding the Nets, it’s hard to pick them right now during this rough go of games. While they’re fully capable of breaking out at any time, I think they’ll have issues with Jokic and some of the Nuggets’ strong wing players. I’ll pick Denver.
Michael’s NBA Pick: Denver Nuggets (-215)
Noah Dunlap
This is a matchup between two of the (supposedly) better teams in the NBA, though both currently seem to be struggling in a major way. The Brooklyn Nets have taken an absolute nosedive, as they’ve dropped seven in a row, and while they do have the defense of being without Kevin Durant, a roster that still includes James Harden and Kyrie Irving should be able to find ways to win. They now get the chance to end the streak in the Mile High City against a Denver Nuggets team that is struggling in a major way as well.
Denver looked like they had finally found a way to right the ship last weekend in a huge 36-point win over the defending champion Milwaukee Bucks, but since then they’ve dropped three straight, and have gone right back to looking like the shaky team we saw for much of the early parts of the year. Much like Philadelphia in a lot of ways, they’re too reliant upon last year’s MVP Nikola Jokic, and quite simply that hasn’t been enough for much of the year. If they can get even a minimal amount of help, this is a team that can be extremely dangerous, but as of right now they just haven’t been able to get any type of consistent help at all. That’s why I’m taking Brooklyn on the road to finally snap their losing skid in a really tight ballgame.
Noah’s NBA Pick: Brooklyn Nets (+180)
Indiana Pacers @ Cleveland Cavaliers – 6pm ET
The Indiana Pacers and the Cleveland Cavaliers will come together in an inter-division game. The Pacers have lost six of their last eight games, and this takes their season record to 19-35. The Cavaliers continue to build up, and have won five of their last seven games, with their two losses coming against some of the worst teams in the league currently, the Pistons and Rockets.
Denis Kirilov
The Indiana Pacers had to go through several tough periods lately which ended up with them being in 13th place in the East with the unattractive 19-35 record. The team has been without T.J. Warren and Malcolm Brogdon for quite some time, while Myles Turner has already missed 11 straight games due to a foot injury. Their centres, Domantas Sabonis and Goga Bitadze, are also uncertain for the Pacers which makes their task even more difficult. It really seems that the team will miss the Playoffs this year, but they can at least focus on the upcoming season.
The Cleveland Cavaliers are on quite the opposite pole now as they are 3rd in the Eastern Conference with 32 wins and 21 losses. Despite playing without one of their key figures, Lauri Markkanen, the team managed to keep up their pace for the last 10 days. They have also been forced to deal without Ricky Rubio and Collin Sexton who suffered season-ending injuries. On top of that, Darius Garland has been absent in their last three meetings, but this didn’t really affect their overall performance. Keeping in mind the problems ahead of the Pacers, I will confidently pick the Cavs’ spread here as they are the better team by far at the moment.
Denis’ NBA Pick: Cleveland Cavaliers -6 (-110)
Michael Lantz
As if things weren’t disappointing enough for the Indiana Pacers this season, the team now is suffering from injuries and COVID issues, as Domantas Sabonis, Myles Turner, and Malcolm Brogdon have all missed time recently. While there have been some bright spots, like rookie Chris Duarte, the team has all-in-all been frustrating to watch this season. Now on Sunday, they play a Cleveland Cavaliers team that’s becoming one of the NBA’s most fun to watch.
THE FUTURE IS BRIGHT 🤩
Congratulations to rookie Chris Duarte on being named a 2022 Rising Star. ¡Felicidades!
📰: https://t.co/UKF17tqYk9#GoldBlooded pic.twitter.com/YKRVQWJn1z
— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) February 2, 2022
Cleveland has been a pleasant surprise this year, as they currently sit third in the Eastern Conference, after having a top-three pick in last season’s NBA Draft. Even though they’ve been hit with a couple of brutal injuries, they’ve stayed resilient, thanks in large part to the likes of rookie Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen, and all-star Darius Garland. They’ll look to improve their record even further on Sunday, as they face a Pacers team that knows how to score but struggles in almost everything else. The only thing that might go in Indiana’s favor is that Garland is currently questionable for the game with a back issue. The Cavaliers were without him in a 102-101 win over Charlotte on Friday, as they beat another team that has a whole lot of offense but can be suspect on defense. Imagining the Pacers are still without a couple of their key players. I’ll pick this Cavs team that has developed one of the league’s best defenses in this breakout season.
Michael’s NBA Pick: Cleveland Cavaliers -6 (-110)
Noah Dunlap
The Indiana Pacers come into this one as being one of the more infuriating teams in the league. They have plenty of talent, but for whatever reason they simply refuse to play defense. Their offense oftentimes performs as one of the best units in the league, but the defensive energy and effort is simply atrocious. They sit at 19-35 on the year, including losing six of eight, but if they had any semblance of a defensive unit I could easily see them sitting comfortably in the playoff picture, as a potential sleeper to make a deep run.
The Cleveland Cavaliers enter this one just continuing to surprise everyone, as they sit at third in the Eastern Conference with a 32-21 record. This comes despite having a majorly depleted roster, and most of what they do have is extremely young. They’ve still managed to win five of their last seven, despite the obstacles, and I think that continues in this one, as I just can’t trust the Pacers defense to be able to stop anyone.
Noah’s NBA Pick: Cleveland Cavaliers -6 (-110)
Atlanta Hawks @ Dallas Mavericks – 6pm ET
The Atlanta Hawks wrap up their two game road trip on Sunday night when they take on the Dallas Mavericks, who themselves are in the middle of a six game homestand. Since the Hawks had their seven game winning streak snapped, they have gone 1-2, with both their losses coming at the hands of the Raptors. The Mavericks have won three of their last five games, and this takes their season record to 30-23.
Denis Kirilov
The Atlanta Hawks will try to further build on their fantastic performance recently as they went on a 7-game winning streak towards the end of January. The team defeated the likes of the Milwaukee Bucks, Miami Heat, and the Phoenix Suns which surely brought them back into Playoffs contention. Despite this incredible run, the Hawks are still back in 10th place with 25 wins and 27 losses as they will need to make the best out of this momentum. Trae Young has shown some of his vintage plays throughout the last couple of matches as he is definitely ready to lead his team to even further heights during the current campaign.
The Dallas Mavericks have also been playing on a high level lately which helped them climb to 5th place in the West, holding a 30-23 record. Luka Doncic is undoubtedly the sole driving force of the team from Texas as he started racking up triple-doubles. His clinical performance was the essence for the Mavs’ victories over the likes of the Philadelphia 76ers, Memphis Grizzlies, and the Chicago Bulls. The battle between him and Trae Young will be really intriguing, but I think the Slovenian will prevail in the end.
Denis’ NBA Pick: Dallas Mavericks (-134)
Michael Lantz
When Luka Doncic and Trae Young face-off, it’s always must-watch basketball. These two will forever be compared after they were part of a draft-day trade in 2018. Luckily for both the Dallas Mavericks and Atlanta Hawks, both players have developed into stars; both will be playing their hearts out Friday as they try to take their respective teams to the playoffs in 2022. The Mavericks are coming off a huge Friday win against a Philadelphia 76ers team that’s been on the rise in the Eastern Conference. Even more impressive: they did it without Kristaps Porzingis. Luka Doncic strung together a triple-double and Jalen Brunson added on 19 points as the Mavericks sent out a notice that they can compete with the best. They’ll look to improve upon their fifth-seed against a Hawks team that’s looking to emulate last season’s success.
The Hawks have a variety of talent on their team, but so far they’re just barely hanging onto a play-in game spot in the Eastern Conference. Fortunately, they’ve gone 8-2 in their last ten, and are starting to look like last season’s team a bit, with Trae Young starting to put up some MVP type numbers, DeAndre Hunter returning from injury, and Onyeka Okongwu showing some Draymond Green type play off the bench. The last time these two met, it was the first game of the season, in which the Hawks blew out the Mavericks 113-87. But things have changed since then, and currently, the Mavericks are in a pretty secure playoff position, while the Hawks are just hanging on. While the Hawks are starting to really come together on offense, their defense is pretty putrid; with this one being in Dallas, I think Luka and Co. find a way around the Hawks on Sunday.
Michael’s NBA Pick: Dallas Mavericks -2.5 (-108)
Noah Dunlap
The Dallas Mavericks host the Atlanta Hawks in a game that I think has the potential to be one of the best of the night in the league. Dallas comes in having played decent ball as of late, but certainly not great, although some of that may be due to the fact that they’ve been without Kristaps Porzingis and Tim Hardaway Jr. for a bit of time. This has caused them to lean too heavily on Luka Doncic, which while he’s been phenomenal, can only do so much.
The key to this matchup is that Dallas is taking on a team that’s in basically the same situation. The Atlanta Hawks have struggled all year, in large part due to the fact that Trae Young has basically been a one man team. That being said, they recently went on a seven-game winning streak that showed what they could do when Young gets help, although the help has been rare. Since that streak they’re 1-2, and with the fact that going on the road to Dallas is no easy test, I’m going to take Dallas in a tight one here.
Noah’s NBA Pick: Dallas Mavericks (-134)
Milwaukee Bucks @ Los Angeles Clippers – 9pm ET
The final game of the week will see the Milwaukee Bucks travel to Los Angeles and play the Clippers in their Crypto.com Arena. The Bucks are playing on back-to-back nights, and last time out they won against the Trail Blazers, 137-108. The Clippers will be riding high after a narrow 1 point win over the Lakers, this win last time out takes their season record to an even 27-27.
Denis Kirilov
The Milwaukee Bucks have been playing on plenty of ups and downs recently. The defending champions are 3rd in the East with 33 wins and 21 losses which makes them a huge favourite to make the Playoffs this season. Despite having some struggles with their bench players, Giannis Antetokounmpo has managed to lead the team past their opponents. However, Bobby Portis and Khris Middleton will need to level up their game, if they want to make the Greek Freak’s task easier towards the most important matches in the Playoffs.
The Los Angeles Clippers have also been quite unimpressive during this campaign, but this is mainly due to the absence of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. Their two biggest superstars will try to make a return for the potential Playoffs, but this remains uncertain for now. They are currently 8th in the West with 27 wins and 27 losses meaning that they will most surely make it through, but they will definitely need to change something in order to be competitive. The Clippers have proven to us that even without half of their roster, they have been able to put up some good fights and even cause the upset in the end. That’s why I am happy to trust them here as they will face the not-so-dominant Milwaukee Bucks who are also dealing with some issues.
Denis’ NBA Pick: Los Angeles Clippers (+190)
Michael Lantz
The Milwaukee Bucks had absolutely no issues with the Portland Trail Blazers last night, as they destroyed CJ McCollum and Co.137-108. After a brutal 100-136 loss to the Denver Nuggets last Sunday, the Milwaukee Bucks have taken that loss out on their last two opponents: the Washington Wizards and Portland Trail Blazers. That being said, both of those teams are without their star players (Wizards are missing Bradley Beal and Blazers are missing Damian Lillard) and both are currently either out or slipping out of playoff contention. The Bucks’ next game will be their toughest of the last three as they play a Los Angeles Clippers team that’s also been without its top talent (Kawhi Leonard and Paul George), but have continued to stay in playoff position.
First day at the office. pic.twitter.com/i2q8Ov6QWw
— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) February 6, 2022
The Clippers snagged a huge win against their in-town rivals the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday, as they won 111-110 thanks to Reggie Jackson’s game-winning shot. After a couple of days’ rest, the Clippers will have the chance to grab another big win as they face Giannis Antetokounmpo and Co. on Sunday. The Bucks have been struggling a bit and are coming off another game 24 hours prior. So if there was a right time for the Clippers to beat the Bucks, this would be it. While the Clippers are without a certified superstar, they still have a deep team of talent, so the Bucks will have to take every matchup seriously. On any given night, a different Clippers player can be the leading scorer, so the Bucks can’t be submissive in their play. While the Bucks might continue to ride off of last night’s scoring bonanza, I expect the Clippers to make it a close one. I’m not entirely sure they’ll win, but I like their chances of covering.
Michael’s NBA Pick: Los Angeles Clippers +5.5 (-110)
Noah Dunlap
This is a matchup between a Milwaukee team that has struggled at times this year, but is still one of the best in the East, largely due to the fact that they have MVP contender Giannis Antetokounmpo on their roster. They obliterated Portland last night, and while there could be some concern about fatigue from a Bucks team that certainly isn’t exactly young anymore, they do take on an Los Angeles Clippers team that is dealing with their own issues.
The Clippers come into this one hanging onto a playoff spot in a wide open Western Conference, which is magnificent seeing as they’re playing without their two best players in Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. Even with guys like Luke Kennard and Terrance Mann, this isn’t the kind of roster that strikes fear into opponents even though they are playing pretty good ball for what they have. In the end though, I think Giannis proves to be a bit too much, so give me Milwaukee in a close one, even on the road.
Noah’s NBA Pick: Milwaukee Bucks (-230)
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*Odds and spreads correct at time of publication, courtesy of FanDuel.
