Our free NBA picks are out for Thursday, December 16th, 2021! 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!
Detroit Pistons @ Indiana Pacers – 7pm ET
The Pacers will be playing the second game of a back to back at home after losing to the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday night by 15 points. Meanwhile the Detroit Pistons have the league’s worst record so far this season as they will continue to look for any kind of momentum as the season continues. This Central division battle will be between the 4th and 5th placed teams in the division.
Denis Kirilov
The Indiana Pacers host the Detroit Pistons in a clash in the bottom of the East. Indiana is the last team in the mix for the top 10, while the Pistons are dead last with 4 wins and 22 losses so far. Detroit is on a 12-game losing streak at the moment and they don’t show any signs of improvement. It seems like they will be able to beat the Rockets’ anti-record for most losses this campaign. They will literally try to minimize the damages done throughout the season and if they hopefully get some decent pick, they will be able to build a more competitive squad.
The Pacers are on a 12-18 record barely keeping up with the teams ahead of them. This year the competition in the East is on a next level as teams like the Cavs, the Wizards, and the Hornets are also in the battle for the top spots. Indiana has a decent team that can surprise any opponent which was supported in their three consecutive victories recently. They beat the Washington Wizards, the New York Knicks, and the Dallas Mavericks, all at home. Then, they let the Warriors make an unpleasant comeback in the final minutes of the game as the match ended 100:102. In their last meeting, they faced off the Milwaukee Bucks who defeated them 114:99. I think it’s time for the Pacers to assert some dominance in Bankers Life Fieldhouse and cover the spread against the Pistons.
Denis’ NBA Pick: Indiana Pacers -10 (-114)
Michael Lantz
Just as the Indiana Pacers were starting to take off with big wins, they fell 114-99 to a Milwaukee Bucks team that didn’t have either Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton. It’s bad news that a team that almost beat the Golden State Warriors, couldn’t take down a Bucks team without its two best players. Now they’ll face a young Detroit Pistons team that has lost 12 games in a row.
We’re away during the week but have back to back home games this weekend.
Get your tickets via @Ticketmaster 🎟: https://t.co/nGkpt7kYcE pic.twitter.com/TaRsvLmHlw
— Detroit Pistons (@DetroitPistons) December 13, 2021
But before that 12-game skid, the Piston’s last win was against this Pacers team. A silver lining for this Pistons team is that Cade Cunningham is looking like he’s coming along just fine. The first overall pick has had the ups and downs rookies often go through, but he’s shown a lot of promise in scoring, passing and his rebounding ability. Even though this team might be headed for another top pick, they’re at least getting some positive play from their youngsters. Still, despite Indiana’s disastrous performance against Milwaukee I can’t see them losing to this Pistons team that has looked so bad in recent weeks.
Michael’s NBA Pick: Indiana Pacers -10 (-114)
Noah Dunlap
This matchup sees two disappointing teams face off against each other in what is probably still going to be a close game, at least. The Indiana Pacers have performed worse than expected, as the offense and defense have been extremely inconsistent. When they play well they can take just about any team in the league to the verge, but those games for them this year have been few and far between.
On a positive note for Indiana fans, they get the worst team in the league in this matchup. Detroit, despite picking up the number one pick in this year’s draft, have been absolutely atrocious and I’m not sure there’s much reason to think that changes throughout the rest of the year. If there’s one good thing about the Pistons this season, it’s that the fight is there. The talent may not be, but the heart is, as they’re a team that plays competitively in a lot of their losses. I’m taking Indiana to get the win at home here, but I think Detroit plays well enough to at least cover the line, as it sits at Indiana-10 currently.
Noah’s NBA Pick: Detroit +10 (-106)
Philadelphia 76ers @ Brooklyn Nets – 7.30pm ET
The Sixers are playing the second night of a back to back in this game. Last night they lost to the Miami Heat by five points. Now their record sits at 15-14 this season. The Nets come into this game with a 20-8 record, as they are one of the top teams in the league. This divisional game between these two Atlantic division teams should be a good one.
Denis Kirilov
The game between the Philadelphia 76ers and the Brooklyn Nets will surely get our attention on Thursday in the NBA. Both teams are considered to be title contenders this season, although both of them had to go through some difficult periods. The 76ers still try to fill in the gaps left from Ben Simmons, while the Brooklyn Nets are still without Kyrie Irving. Philly’s Joel Embiid has been playing on a whole new level after contracting Covid-19, but he didn’t succeed in showing his full potential when it was most needed against the Miami Heat. His team lost 96:101 as he only dropped 17 points on a 5-13 shooting, missing the game-tying shot with one second remaining.
The Brooklyn Nets increased their lead on the top of the Eastern Conference as they now have 20 wins and 8 losses. They are coming into this electrifying game with 3 wins in a row, defeating the likes of the Atlanta Hawks, Detroit Pistons, and Toronto Raptors. However, although they have been racking up victories, the team seems incomplete. Kevin Durant had two monstrous performances in his last two appearances as he dropped 51 points against the Pistons and posted a triple double (34 points, 13 rebounds, and 11 assists) against the Raptors. He will definitely need more help when it comes to games like this one. Fortunately for him, Patty Mills and Blake Griffin are there, while James Harden and LaMarcus Aldridge can come in at any time to help the “Durantula”. I think that the problems within the Nets’ roster are quite less than the ones in Philly, so I will go with Brooklyn as the final winner.
Denis’ NBA Pick: Brooklyn Nets (-116)
Michael Lantz
After the 76ers captured a big win last Saturday against the Golden State Warriors, it looked like their season was finally getting into gear. They followed that win with an unfortunate loss against the Memphis Grizzlies, but they had the excuse of a sidelined Joel Embiid and Seth Curry. But on Wednesday they had both those players back while facing a Miami Heat that was without both Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo. The Sixers lost that game 101-96, bringing up many questions about this team going forward. It won’t get any easier for them on Thursday as they face the 20-8 Brooklyn Nets.
Despite having the best record in the Eastern Conference, Brooklyn are pretty depleted right now due to COVID and injuries. They will be without the likes of James Harden, LaMarcus Aldridge, and more. They were without these players in a Tuesday night showdown against Toronto, which they ended up winning in overtime thanks to Kevin Durant’s triple-double. It won’t be easy for them to continue this run without some of their best players, but with the way this 76ers team has played against injured opponents, they definitely have a shot at winning their fourth straight game. With this one in Brooklyn, I’ll pick the Nets to win a close one.
Michael’s NBA Pick: Brooklyn Nets (-116)
Noah Dunlap
Philadelphia is a team that has also been somewhat disappointing this year. They sit at 15-14 following last night’s loss to Miami, and while I know that a lot of those losses came with Joel Embiid out of the lineup due to Covid, since he came back they started great, and have now slipped and fallen on hard times once again. There are some serious issues with production right now, and a game against the best team in the East isn’t likely to fix the problem.
The Brooklyn Nets currently have the best record in the Eastern Conference and I don’t see that changing, assuming Kevin Durant and James Harden stay healthy. Harden has been a little shaky this season, causing some to worry, but the Nets have gotten help from LaMarcus Aldridge in these instances, which has alleviated some of the Harden struggles. With this one taking place in Brooklyn, and with Philly coming in on the second night of a back-to-back, I like the Nets to get a big performance from KD, which proves to be enough for you to feel confident enough to take them and the points in this matchup.
Noah’s NBA Pick: Brooklyn Nets -1 (-110)
New York Knicks @ Houston Rockets – 8pm ET
The Houston Rockets got absolutely embarrassed by the Cleveland Cavaliers in their last game, last night. Now they will be playing the second leg of a back to back at home against the New York Knicks. The Rockets are one of the league’s worst teams at 9-19. The Knicks aren’t much better as they will come into this game with a losing record of 12-16.
Denis Kirilov
The New York Knicks found themselves in a really odd situation as they lost 7 out of their last 8 games in the NBA. This dropped them down to 12th place in the East with a 12-16 record. The team hasn’t won in Madison Square Garden since November 24th which results in 5 straight losses at home. The situation on the road seems to be slightly better for them as they won 7 out of 13 games. Something is not in the right place for the Knicks and they will need to figure out what it is before it’s too late. They have fantastic players in the faces of RJ Barrett, Julius Randle, and Derrick Rose, but it seems that the understanding between them is missing.
The Houston Rockets might have started the season in one of the worst possible ways, but after 15 straight losses, they managed to bounce back. They became the first team in all US-sports history that achieved 7 straight wins after a negative 15-game streak. Christian Wood and Eric Gordon became the leaders of the team in this period as they displayed some decent performances. The Rockets found the right way past the Atlanta Hawks on Monday, but they were dismantled by the Cavs, 124:89, on Wednesday. However, I am still willing to trust them as they seem like a well-structured team with the potential to put up a good fight at Toyota Center against the Knicks. So, I will suggest picking their spread for this match.
Denis’ NBA Pick: Houston Rockets +6.5 (-110)
Michael Lantz
The New York Knicks are looking to end a four-game skid with a win against a Houston Rockets team that sits at 9-19, but recently won seven straight games. They are without second overall pick Jalen Green, but have been getting some great productivity from veteran Eric Gordon and center Christian Wood. They were blown out by the Cleveland Cavaliers yesterday, but the Rockets were also without Gordon, who sat with an injury. Gordon should be back against a Knicks team that’s struggled heavily, after a season where it looked like they were a legitimate threat in the East.
Off to H-Town 🛫 pic.twitter.com/I4w64lMlX3
— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) December 15, 2021
The Knicks have gone from last season’s top defensive team to the middle of the pack in 2021-22. Moving away from that identity has hurt them in the standings as they’re currently 12th in the Eastern Conference. There;s still plenty of time to turn things around, but it’ll need to start happening soon for Tom Thibodeau’s squad. A good time to start will be against this Houston Rockets squad, that are ten games below .500. Based on how bad the Knicks have played this year, this game isn’t a sure thing for them. I think they’ll win, but imagining the Rockets have Gordon back I’ll pick the home team to cover.
Michael’s NBA Pick: Houston Rockets +6.5 (-110)
Noah Dunlap
Following my pick of taking Houston last night against Cleveland, in a game that they got destroyed by 35, does anyone think I’m taking Houston again anytime soon? There’s just no chance. I was hopeful that their stretch of pretty good basketball would continue, only to be let down in a major way, so now I have no choice but to assume that that’s going to continue against against the New York Knicks, in a game the Knicks are sure to win by 20, just because Houston decided to let me down.
Even though New York has been awful lately, the Houston Rockets are going to prove that they’re a solid antidote for a struggling franchise. Julius Randle is going to have a great night, and I like RJ Barrett to also come out and put up good numbers against a Houston team that’s perimeter play is shaky at best. I don’t actually think the Knicks win by 20+, but I do absolutely think they take care of business, winning by double-digits, making the play to take them and the points.
Noah’s NBA Pick: New York Knicks -6.5 (-110)
Washington Wizards @ Phoenix Suns – 9pm ET
This will be the second game of a back to back for the Washington Wizards and it comes against one of the best teams in the NBA. In last night’s game the Wizards lost to the Sacramento Kings. The loss dropped their record to 15-14. The Phoenix Suns are one of the best teams in the league with a record of 22-5.
Denis Kirilov
The Washington Wizards and the Phoenix Suns will wrap up Thursday night in the NBA. The Wizards have struggled recently as they won only 1 out of their last 7 games. The winning game was actually against the weakest opponent possible, the Detroit Pistons. On top of that, they didn’t manage to close out the match in regulation, but had to do it in overtime. The team looked really decent in the beginning of this campaign with Kyle Kuzma, Bradley Beal, and Montrezl Harrell being hungry for success. They are still 8th in the East with 15 wins and 14 losses, but the situation could have been very different, if they had managed to win some more games during the past couple of weeks.
The Phoenix Suns have been fantastic so far. Nobody expects them to pull off a 73-9 performance in the regular season, but I’d say that this 22-5 record looks pretty massive. They beat their own franchise record of 17 straight wins and made a huge statement going undefeated for more than a month. Devin Booker will not take part in the game against the Wizards, but the rest is available for Monty Williams. The Suns, however, suffered an unpleasant loss to the LA Clippers, 111:95 a couple of days ago, but managed to make a comeback against the Blazers and got the victory after overtime. In my opinion, the Suns are the huge favorites to win this game and I will go with their spread. As long as they have Deandre Ayton, Chris Paul, and Cameron Payne, the team feels infinitely strong.
Denis’ NBA Pick: Phoenix Suns -8.5 (-110)
Michael Lantz
After the Washington Wizards started off the season with a new group of quality role players, they looked like a team ready to take the next step. Within the first month it was showing, they had one of the top records in the Eastern Conference and were getting quality production from their depth, including former Sixth Man of the Year Montrezl Harrell. Now in the second week of December, they’re only one game over .500, after a 14-point loss to the Sacramento Kings last night. Now they’ll head to Phoenix to take on a Suns team that’s among the best squad in basketball.
To Washington’s advantage, the Suns will be without Devin Booker, who is still recovering from injury. But, even without Booker, the Suns are still stacked with talent. From the likes of Chris Paul, to Deandre Ayton, to role players like Cam Payne and Cam Johnson, this Suns team has plenty of depth. But they’ve definitely looked a bit rusty without Booker. They were blown out by a Clippers team that didn’t have Paul George (in Phoenix’s defense they were also without Ayton in addition to Booker), and they squeezed by the Portland Trail Blazers in overtime. I think the Suns will pull this one off at home against a struggling Wizards team, as Washington has not only looked bad, but they’ve had a tough time on the road, and just played within the last 24 hours.
Michael’s NBA Pick: Phoenix Suns -8.5 (-110)
Noah Dunlap
What has happened to the Washington Wizards? Early in this year, they looked as if they could make a legitimate case for why they were the best team in the East, as Bradley Beal was leading the way, but was also getting help from new additions Kyle Kuzma and Montrezl Harrell. However, for roughly 2-3 weeks, the wheels have come off, as they’re now 1-6 in their last seven, and that’s dropped their record to an average 15-14. For a team that looked great early on, this has been an extremely ugly fall from grace.
Phoenix, on the other hand, doesn’t have that same problem. They’re 22-5 and currently have the best record in the league. They’re certainly one of the best two teams in the league, as some people would give them the nod, while others would look Golden State’s way. No matter whether you think they’re one or two, they’ve played phenomenal basketball so far this season, as Devin Booker, Chris Paul, and De’Andre Ayton continue to lead the way. Even with Booker being out of this one, I like the Suns to have enough firepower to take down Washington. Look for Cameron Johnson to step up in Booker’s absence, and the Suns just continue their winning ways, this time at home.
Noah’s NBA Pick: Phoenix Suns -8.5 (-110)
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*Odds and spreads correct at time of publication, courtesy of FanDuel.
