Our free NBA picks are out for Sunday, January 16th, 2022! Make sure you check our NBA picks before the action kicks off.
Look below to find our free NBA picks for the four games on today’s schedule!
Phoenix Suns @ Detroit Pistons – 1pm ET
The first game on Sunday’s slate will see the Phoenix Suns face off against the Detroit Pistons. The Suns have won five of their last six games, with their only recent loss coming at the hands of the Heat, 100-123. The Pistons have won three of their last four games, and this takes their season record to 10-31.
Denis Kirilov
The Phoenix Suns take on the Detroit Pistons on Sunday as they will try to take even more advantage on the top in the Western Conference. They lead with 32 wins and 9 losses as they are getting chased by the Golden State Warriors holding a 31-11 record. The Suns have won their last 4 matches on the road facing the likes of the Hornets, the Pelicans, the Raptors, and the Pacers. In-between these games, Devin Booker and his teammates suffered a huge 23-point upset to the short-handed Miami Heat. However, overall, the team has been performing on a high level which is directly reflected in the standings.
The Detroit Pistons have been quite terrible, but they have improved a lot recently. The team won 5 out of its 8 appearances in 2022 and the teams they have beaten are also quite strong including the Milwaukee Bucks, the Utah Jazz, and the Toronto Raptors. Although they managed to surprise the favorites, the Pistons suffered some huge losses in-between these performances. They lost to the Charlotte Hornets by 29 points, followed by a 30-point defeat to the Grizzlies and a 46-point loss to the Chicago Bulls. The inconsistency within the roster prevails for now, but there seems to be some light in the end of the tunnel. However, I would still choose the Suns’ spread in this game as they defeated the Pistons in their previous game by 11 points without Devin Booker.
Denis’ NBA Pick: Phoenix Suns -12.5 (-110)
Michael Lantz
The Detroit Pistons got a confidence boosting win on Friday, as they beat the Toronto Raptors by 16 points. At 10-31, this team is definitely a work in progress, but they’ll try to stay competitive as the season continues. On Sunday night they’ll have their work cut out for them as they take on one of the league’s best teams, the Phoenix Suns.
One of one. pic.twitter.com/7pztvY4cSj
— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) January 15, 2022
Thanks to a recent skid by the Golden State Warriors, the Phoenix Suns are back atop the Western Conference. After a tough loss to a fairly depleted Miami Heat team, the Suns won consecutive games against the Toronto Raptors and Indiana Pacers. In the Pacers game, Phoenix’s two young stars Devin Booker and Deandre Ayton scored 35 and 27 points respectively. On paper, a game against the Pistons should be an easy win, but the Pistons have pulled off some surprise upsets this season. With this one being at home they have a fighting chance, but I think the Suns, who are arguably the league’s best team, should be able to run away with this one.
Michael’s NBA Pick: Phoenix Suns -12.5 (-110)
Noah Dunlap
The only thing keeping this Detroit Pistons team from being arguably the worst team in the league right now is the fact that they’ve played better basketball recently, having won three of their last four, but even with that there’s a lot of people that’ll tell you they’re still the worst team out there. The talent isn’t where it needs to be, but at least they are showing some signs of improvement, which is all you can really ask for if you’re in the kind of situation they find themselves in.
Now they get to take on the Phoenix Suns, who are certainly one of the top-3 teams in the league, if not the best. They’re 5-1 in their last six, being led by a core featuring DeAndre Ayton, Devin Booker, and Chris Paul. With some of the best depth in the NBA as well, with guys like Cameron Johnson and Jae Crowder, this is a team that has a really good chance to repeat as Western Conference champions. A team with that potential can’t afford to be dropping contests to lowly teams like Detroit, even with them playing better, so give me the Suns and the spread here.
Noah’s NBA Pick: Phoenix Suns -12.5 (-110)
Houston Rockets @ Sacramento Kings – 6pm ET
The Houston Rockets and the Sacramento Kings play each other in the second game of their back-to-back on Sunday night. The first game was won by the Kings, 126-114. Will the Rockets get revenge tonight, or will the Kings prove too good yet again?
Denis Kirilov
The Sacramento Kings take on the Houston Rockets in their Golden 1 Center on Sunday night in the NBA. The Kings have registered a couple of COVID-19 cases, but none of their top players has been affected so far. They won their last two meetings at home against the Los Angeles Lakers and the Houston Rockets. Marvin Bagley came up huge, dropping a double-double, 26 points and 13 rebounds, for the final score against the Rockets, 126-114. Jalen Green was quite disappointing throughout the match, finishing off with just 11 points on a 5-18 shooting. This win put the Kings into the top 10 in the West as they hold an 18-27 record.
The Houston Rockets continue to hold tight onto the last place in the Western Conference with 12 wins and 32 losses. The team has been struggling a lot this season as they are in a rebuilding stage following the departure of James Harden and Chris Paul in recent years. They won twice in their last 14 appearances in the NBA and both wins came on the road. First, the Rockets took down the Washington Wizards, while later on, they managed to deal with the San Antonio Spurs. However, their defense seems quite disoriented and not that compact which will once again affect their chances against the Kings. That’s why I will take Sacramento’s spread in their rematch on Sunday.
Denis’ NBA Pick: Sacramento Kings -6 (-110)
Michael Lantz
These two young teams have plenty of exciting players, but neither look quite ready to compete in a loaded Western Conference. The Houston Rockets are likely headed for another high lottery pick, but at least they have some exciting players including Jalen Green and Christian Wood that they’re hoping to build around in coming years.
The Sacramento Kings also have some thrilling talent that they hope to have for years to come. Guard Tyrese Halliburton has been looking like a star in the making this year and the team always has De’Aaron Fox’s dynamic play to electrify audiences. These two teams just played each other on Friday, with the Kings winning 126-114 behind Fox’s 27 points. With this one coming back to Sacramento, I expect the Kings to pull off a similar result.
Michael’s NBA Pick: Sacramento Kings -6 (-110)
Noah Dunlap
In one of the lower level games you will ever see in the NBA, we get the Sacramento Kings and the Houston Rockets battling for the second time in three days. The Kings got a 12-point win in the first meeting of the set, and I’m just not sure what we’re expecting to change that would warrant taking a different outcome. The Rockets are the worst team in the West, and while they did have a brief stretch where they began to look like a decent team, they’ve slipped again and have looked more than the team we all expected to see.
For Sacramento, they play hard, and they’ve looked decent at times, but with the roster as it’s currently constructed, I just don’t think there’s enough talent for this team to make legitimate noise as a playoff contender in a Western Conference that is loaded with good teams. However, given their win in the last game over Houston, with this one being at home, I am taking the Kings once again to get another win here.
Noah’s NBA Pick: Sacramento Kings -6 (-110)
Golden State Warriors @ Minnesota Timberwolves – 8pm ET
The Golden State Warriors wrap up their road trip on Sunday night when they take on the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Warriors have only managed to win two of their last four, and this takes their season record to 31-11. The Timberwolves are currently on a two game losing streak, after losing to the Pelicans and Grizzlies.
Denis Kirilov
The Golden State Warriors are coming into this game after a fantastic 42-point victory over the Chicago Bulls in United Center. Jonathan Kuminga and Jordan Poole led the way for the team with 25 points and 22 points respectively. Zach LaVine was forced to leave the court early in the first quarter due to a knee injury which was decisive for the outcome of the match. With this win, the Warriors managed to put an end to a 4-game losing streak on the road that started with a tough 82-99 loss to the Dallas Mavericks. This bad performance reflected on the situation on the top in the West as the Warriors gave away their first place to the Phoenix Suns as they are now chasing them with a 31-11 record. They still have a huge advantage over the 5th spot occupied by the Mavericks and this will surely give them more free space for experiments with their roster.
The Minnesota Timberwolves cannot really do much in terms of adding some new players to their rotation. They mainly rely on their highly offensive trio that can play on a high level in defense as well. Even though Edwards, Russell, and Towns combined for a total of 84 points against the Grizzlies, Minnesota eventually lost the game, 108-116. It’s clear that there is a great discrepancy between the leading players and the rest of the squad within the Timberwolves. Reid. Beasley, Beverley, and McDaniels finished off with 14 points scored on a 5-32 shooting from the field. However, the Warriors should still be without Draymond Green who is vital for their overall performance and I think this might turn out to be crucial for the outcome on Sunday. However, I will trust both teams’ ability to drop big numbers and go for the option for “over points” here.
Denis’ NBA Pick: Over 215.5 (-110)
Michael Lantz
After Klay Thompson’s return last week against the Cavaliers things haven’t exactly been smooth sailing for the Golden State Warriors. They fell to the Milwaukee Bucks and Memphis Grizzlies in consecutive games, but they were able to bounce back with a massive win over the Chicago Bulls. They’ve been missing Draymond Green over the past couple of games, which is always a big hole to fill on both ends of the floor. His return is questionable against the Timberwolves, but the Warriors will hope he can play against an exciting young Timberwolves team.
ice cold in the clutch 🥶
RT N:OW to make @Dloading an #NBAAllStar pic.twitter.com/7CSp2yIc4s
— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) January 15, 2022
After winning four in a row to start the new year, the Timberwolves have dropped their last two games. They’ve been able to stay in the playoff race this year, but will need to be a bit more consistent if they want to take that next step this season. Their three young stars Karl Anthony-Towns, Anthony Edwards, and D’Angelo Russell have been electric and are putting up all-star worthy numbers, they’ll have their work cut out for them on Sunday against a title contending team in Golden State. I expect them to put up a fight but the Warriors appear to be back in the groove after a win against the Bulls. I’ll pick the Dubs to come out on top.
Michael’s NBA Pick: Golden State Warriors (+164)
Noah Dunlap
The Golden State Warriors come into this one as arguably the best team in basketball, despite having roughly a week long stretch recently, where they struggled to find a rhythm, but given the fact that that has coincided perfectly with the return of Klay Thompson, one could make the argument that they’re simply struggling to reincorporate him into the lineup, which should begin to get better as he gets more minutes under his belt. Assuming that Klay begins to play better, and knowing that Steph Curry won’t continue his tough play forever, this team is going to get back on track, which they may have done in their last one, as they destroyed the Chicago Bulls.
For Minnesota, they’re a decent team when they have everyone healthy, but the one problem is that I don’t think they have the depth to compete at a truly high level, outside of their trio of Karl-Anthony Towns, D’Angelo Russell, and Anthony Edwards. I do think this group has the chance to keep things close, I just doubt their ability to pull out the win, so give me Golden State on the road in this on. .
Noah’s NBA Pick: Golden State Warriors (+164)
Utah Jazz @ Denver Nuggets – 8pm ET
The Utah Jazz kick off a two game road trip on Sunday when they play the Denver Nuggets, who are in the middle of a four game homestand. The Jazz keep slipping, as they have lost four games in a row, and this takes their season record to 28-14. The Nuggets are playing on back-to-back nights, and last time out they won, 133-96, against the Lakers
Denis Kirilov
The Utah Jazz will face the Denver Nuggets in the most interesting match on Sunday in the NBA. The Jazz are in shambles since their loss to the Toronto Raptors. The team lost four games in a row which is their worst performance throughout this season. They are having a lot of trouble when Rudy Gobert is absent from the court. His impact on the overall performance of the Jazz has been quite significant, since he regularly dominates the paint. What is even more concerning for the team from Salt Lake City is the fact that they didn’t even have the slightest of chances to win any of their most recent matches. This downfall reflected on their rankings in the West as they lost their 3rd place for a day or two before Memphis took a loss to the Dallas Mavericks. The Jazz remain 3rd with 28 wins and 14 losses, but they are now quite behind the Suns and the Warriors.
The Denver Nuggets rally back in 6th place with 22 wins and 19 losses. The team has been playing on ups and downs recently as they dropped just 85 points against the Clippers, followed by 140 points against the Blazers and 133 points against the Lakers. Nikola Jokic continues to assert his dominance as a Nugget, since he has already beaten some long-lasting records this season. The Serbian rarely misses to finish off with a double-double as this further supports his MVP ambitions. Aaron Gordon and Will Barton have also come in handy for the Nuggets in recent games. I think that this will be a tight game, but with Rudy Gobert back on the court for the Jazz, I don’t think we will see a lot of points in the match. He will surely elevate their performance in defense and this will make the Nuggets switch to more 3-point attempts which hasn’t been quite beneficial for them all season long.
Denis’ NBA Pick: Under 223 (-108)
Michael Lantz
The Denver Nuggets are coming off a massive blowout win, as they destroyed the Los Angeles Lakers by 30+ points. They had seven players score in double digits, including Jeff Green who dropped 26 points. This resilient squad will look to continue their impressive season against one of the league’s top teams the Utah Jazz.
Despite having a good record, the Jazz have actually struggled quite a bit over the last few games due to the absence of Rudy Gobert. They’ve lost four straight without their revered big man, which is a bit shocking due to how stacked their team is depth wise. The Nuggets are a very good team, they don’t use injuries as excuses no matter who they’re playing. Still, the Jazz can’t keep up this losing streak with all their great players. I think they finally snap their skid against a Nuggets team that’s playing back-to-backs.
Michael’s NBA Pick: Utah Jazz (-176)
Noah Dunlap
The Denver Nuggets are a difficult team to try to speculate on right now, as the team struggled all year long, but still come in at 22-19, with a huge 37-point win over the Lakers last night. The biggest question right now with this Nuggets squad is whether they can get healthy enough, and enough help from a supporting cast to give Nikola Jokic even a sliver of help. Right now they find themselves way too reliant on last year’s league MVP for me to consider them a legitimate threat at this point.
For the Utah Jazz, they come in having lost four in a row, and while it’s easy to blame a few COVID problems for the slip, I think there’s a bigger problem, as what we’re beginning to see is that they’re too reliant upon Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell. If either of those guys are out, due to COVID or injury, the entire team’s play seems to drop a notch, which is somewhat problematic moving forward. For this one, I’m going to go out a bit of a ledge here and take Denver, a slight underdog at home, to pull off the upset.
Noah’s NBA Pick: Denver Nuggets (+148)
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*Odds and spreads correct at time of publication, courtesy of FanDuel.
