Our free NBA picks are out for Thursday, February 3rd, 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!
Chicago Bulls @ Toronto Raptors – 7.30pm ET
The Chicago Bulls kick off a short two game road trip on Thursday night when they travel to Toronto and go toe-to-toe with the Raptors. The Bulls have won four of their last five games, which includes wins over the Thunder, Raptors, Trail Blazers and Magic. The Raptors are currently on a three game winning streak, and this takes their season record to 26-23.
Denis Kirilov
The Toronto Raptors will try to build on their decent performance throughout their last matches in the NBA. The Canadian team managed to outplay the Miami Heat twice, despite being the underdog, and took a victory over a direct rival for the Playoffs in the face of the Atlanta Hawks. Gary Trent Jr. is the player in fantastic form for the Raptors as he entered a 5-game streak with at least 30 points scored. Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet are consistent from the field which further helps the 2019 NBA Champions in their mission to break into the Playoffs.
The Chicago Bulls are among the teams who have been performing better than the Raptors this season. Led by Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan, the Bulls are considered a huge favourite to finish in the top 4 in the East as they top the Conference with 32 wins and 18 losses. On top of that, Lonzo Ball has been incredible in certain matches for his team, but he is recovering from a knee injury at the moment. Alex Caruso is also a fantastic player who can play on a high level on both ends of the court, but he is absent with a wrist injury. However, they still have Nicola Vucevic and Coby White who should be able to help the Bulls just enough to get the victory over the Raptors on Thursday.
Denis’ NBA Pick: Chicago Bulls (+126)
Michael Lantz
After a shocking loss to the Orlando Magic on 1/23, the Chicago Bulls were able to payback Orlando on Tuesday night, as they captured a 126-115 win. In their upset loss they were without Zach LaVine, but not this time, as he scored 26 points to lead the Bulls to victory. Now, they’ll have a little bit harder of a task at hand, as they face a Toronto Raptors team that’s finally getting healthy and looking to rise in the Eastern Conference standings.
Back on the road. Stay warm, Chicago!@AAAChicago | @ZachLaVine pic.twitter.com/IhZGTkG7UT
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) February 2, 2022
The Toronto Raptors have won three games in a row, including two big wins against the Miami Heat. Now at 26-23, they’re looking to continue their run in a potential playoff matchup against the Chicago Bulls. Lately, the Raptors have been riding the performance of Gary Trent Jr. who has scored 30+ points in five straight games. He’s really blooming next to Fred VanVleet as this duo is becoming one of the most underrated duos in basketball. This one should be a good one between two teams who have been putting up quite a lot of points lately. I’m pretty high on the Raptors right now, as they’ve finally gotten healthy and are showing how strong of a starting five they have. I’ll pick them to beat out the Bulls in a close one.
Michael’s NBA Pick: Toronto Raptors (-148)
Noah Dunlap
This is a matchup between two of the best teams in the Eastern Conference, as the Chicago Bulls enter this one as the one seed in the East, while the Toronto Raptors come in as the eight seed, although that’s lower than I think they’ll end up by season’s end. The Bulls have finally started playing better ball again, as they’ve gotten Zach LaVine back from a brief absence, though they have lost Lonzo Ball for an extended time.
Toronto, similarly, started the year extremely hot, but then went in the tank for a lengthy stretch, which caused them to plummet in the standings. However, they’ve since started getting healthier, and now that they’re almost back to full strength, they look more like the team we saw early in the year, including two wins over the Miami Heat in the last five days. With Fred VanVlert and Pascal Siakam leading the way, getting decent minutes from multiple role players as well, look for this Raptors squad to climb in the standings as we head down the stretch. They’re a team that has the potential to be dangerous come playoff time, and I think they show that here, as I have them getting a win at home over the team that is currently the best in the conference.
Noah’s NBA Pick: Toronto Raptors (-148)
Phoenix Suns @ Atlanta Hawks – 7.30pm ET
The Phoenix Suns kick off a four game road trip tonight, and their first stop is Atlanta to take on the Hawks. The winning streak continues on for the Suns, and it currently stands at 11 in a row, which takes their season record to 41-9. The Hawks had their seven game winning streak snapped last time out, courtesy of the Raptors.
Denis Kirilov
The Phoenix Suns are undoubtedly the best team in the NBA at the moment. They have entered their second 10+ game winning streak, thus improving to 41 wins and 9 losses. The Suns’ strongest weapon is their depth that is enormous compared to most of their direct rivals. Their best players have fantastic substitutions who have already come in handy throughout the season. With the addition of Bismack Biyombo, they made sure that the team wouldn’t suffer a lot in the absence of their dominant centre, Deandre Ayton.
The Atlanta Hawks, on the other hand, have found their rhythm in the last days of January. The team from the East managed to pile up 7 victories in a row that helped them enter the top 10 once again. With the unconvincing 24-26 record, they are currently 10th right ahead of the New York Knicks and the Washington Wizards who are waiting for a mistake from the Hawks. I think this will be a good enough motivation for the team to put on a good show on Thursday and I am not saying that they will be able to defeat the strong Suns, but they should contribute with at least 110 points for what I hope to be a high-scoring match. So, my pick here would be for “over points”.
Denis’ NBA Pick: Over 223.5 (-110)
Michael Lantz
The Phoenix Suns are off to their second double-digit win streak on the season, currently at 11 games. They continue to look like a team on a mission, after losing in the NBA Finals last season to the Milwaukee Bucks. On Thursday they’ll face an Atlanta Hawks team that has plenty of offensive potential, but just hasn’t been able to put the pieces together this season. Atlanta is hanging onto a playoff spot right now as they sit in 10th place in the Eastern Conference. Trae Young has continued to play brilliantly, and was rewarded with a starting spot in the All-Star Game.
Coming into Monday’s loss against the Toronto Raptors, the Hawks had won seven straight, as they’re finally looking like the team that made the Eastern Conference Finals last season. They’ll have a big test on Thursday against the NBA’s best team. The Hawks are never a team to shy away from some competition, I expect them to put up a good amount of points, even against a defense as strong as the Suns. That being said, the Suns are just so strong right now on both sides of the ball, that I just don’t see them losing this one.
Michael’s NBA Pick: Phoenix Suns -5 (-110)
Noah Dunlap
The Phoenix Suns are the best team in the NBA, as they lead the league in terms of record, and are now on yet another lengthy winning streak, as they’ve won 11 straight. They have one of the most balanced rosters in basketball, with arguably the best trio the league has to offer in DeAndre Ayton, Devin Booker, and Chris Paul. This is the first of four straight on the road for them, and sees them traveling all the way across the country to take on a decent Atlanta Hawks team.
Atlanta enters this one hanging onto a spot in the postseason’s play-in tournament for the Eastern Conference, as they’re 10th in the conference with a 24-26 record. The problem with them having won seven of their last eight is they have become too reliant on the play of their All-Star in Trae Young. Lack of depth, and questionable defense is what’s going to do them in in this matchup, which is why I’m taking Phoenix and the spread on the road, as I just don’t think Atlanta can stop the Suns’ balance.
Noah’s NBA Pick: Phoenix Suns -5 (-110)
Miami Heat @ San Antonio Spurs – 8.30pm ET
Both the Miami Heat and the San Antonio Spurs come into this game on losing streaks. The Heat have lost three in a row, to the Raptors (twice) and Celtics. The Spurs have lost their last two, after going down to two of the best teams in the league, the Suns and Warriors.
Denis Kirilov
The San Antonio Spurs should be really disappointed after suffering a 17-point comeback against the Golden State Warriors. After some incredible final minutes for the third quarter, the team’s performance took a serious hit entering the deciding part. Their efficiency plummeted, while their turnovers increased by a huge amount. The Spurs’ lack of experience was precisely displayed in this game as they lost to the Warriors who were without eight of their key players. However, the fans at AT&T Center should be happy with their performance as the team managed to put up some good fights in their last matches against the Warriors, the Suns, and the Grizzlies, despite losing every one of them.
Unlike the San Antonio Spurs, the Miami Heat are already past their rebuilding stage as they are now a team who is fighting for the NBA Championship. With players like Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro, and Duncan Robinson, their future seems so bright that they should inevitably win a title anytime soon. Their performance this season has been exceptional, keeping in mind that there have been only 12 games when they could have used all of their top players. Despite losing three matches in a row, I think that the Heat should be able to close out the upcoming fixture against the Spurs on the road.
Denis’ NBA Pick: Miami Heat (-176)
Michael Lantz
Less than a week ago, the Miami Heat were sitting atop the Eastern Conference. But, after three straight losses, the team has dropped to third in the conference and has hit a bit of a rough patch despite being almost entirely healthy. These have included two losses to the Toronto Raptors and a blowout loss to the Boston Celtics. The Eastern conference is so tight right now, that it’s getting to the point where every game matters. So, the Heat will try to get back on track Thursday against the San Antonio Spurs.
Miami is in town on Thursday.#PorVida pic.twitter.com/eRkelI4Cti
— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) February 2, 2022
The Spurs might be 19-33, but they look like they’re just about one season away from being able to compete. They recently beat the Chicago Bulls and then just barely lost consecutive games to two of the NBA’s best, the Golden State Warriors and Phoenix Suns. Their young core consisting of Keldon Johnson, Dejounte Murray, and Devin Vassell have all been a joy to watch this year, as they seem to improve by the week. Despite them having to match up against another top opponent in Miami, the Spurs know they’re at a point of weakness right now. They’ll look to compete with this Heat team in San Antonio. I think they’ll make it a game, as their confidence continues to grow stronger and stronger.
Michael’s NBA Pick: San Antonio Spurs +4 (-110)
Noah Dunlap
After thinking the Miami Heat were going to win their last three, they’ve decided to fool me and instead lose all three. That has now seen them drop out of the one spot in the East, and should have woken them up a bit and shown them that they do have to continue to play with energy and effort each night. This stretch would’ve been somewhat acceptable a few weeks back, as they were dealing with numerous injuries at the time, but this losing streak has occurred with them being nearly healthy, which should be somewhat concerning.
The good news is that they get a San Antonio team that has struggled all year long, apart from a brief stretch where they looked like a totally different team. Despite having some talent on the team, they’re simply too young and inexperienced to hang around with most of the good teams in the league, which is why their record currently sits at 19-33. While they are showing some signs of improvement, as they’re not getting blown out by the NBA’s best teams anymore, I still think it’s a tall task for them to come out and beat Miami in this one, even with the Heat struggling and this one being in San Antonio. Give me Miami in a tight one.
Noah’s NBA Pick: Miami Heat -4 (-110)
Sacramento Kings @ Golden State Warriors – 10pm ET
Four of the teams from the Pacific Divisions will play at 10pm on Thursday, and this game will see the Sacramento Kings and the Golden State Warriors face off. The Kings are playing on back-to-back nights, and last time out they won 112-101, against the Nets. The Warriors are building a nice winning streak of their own, and it currently stands at seven in a row.
Denis Kirilov
The Golden State Warriors are coming into this fixture on a 7-game winning streak, despite having a lot of sidelined players in their last couple of matches. This performance helped them keep a close distance between themselves and the Phoenix Suns as the Warriors trail back in second place with 39 wins and 13 losses. However, it will be really difficult for them to keep up that pace as they will be without Steph Curry, Andrew Wiggins, Nemanja Bjelica, Draymond Green, and Otto Porter Jr. for the upcoming match.
The Sacramento Kings have been struggling a lot recently, losing 7 games in a row, but they managed to cut this negative streak with a win over the Brooklyn Nets with Kyrie Irving and James Harden on the floor. The Kings will most likely miss the Playoffs this year as they are currently 13th with a 19-34 record. However, there have been a lot of positives for the team as players like Richaun Holmes, Buddy Hield, and De’Aaron Fox are getting used to playing with each other. If they keep up the good work, the Kings will surely be a contender for the top 8 spots in the West in the upcoming seasons. Seeing their huge potential, I am happy to trust them to cover the spread against the Warriors on Thursday.
Denis’ NBA Pick: Sacramento Kings +13.5 (-110)
Michael Lantz
The Sacramento Kings pulled off a surprise win against the Brooklyn Nets last night, as they were able to snap their seven-game losing streak. The Kings had seven players score in double digits, while outscoring the Nets 29-15 in the fourth quarter. They’ll hope to carry this momentum into their next matchup as they face the Golden State Warriors on Thursday night.
After a couple of games where Golden State struggled without Draymond Green, the Warriors are back to their old ways, winning seven straight games. They’re getting great production from the usual suspects including Steph Curry and Klay Thompson, but they’ve also gotten great offensive production from the likes of Jordan Poole, Damion Lee, and rookie Jonathan Kuminga, further proving how deep their roster is. While they’re facing a Kings team with plenty of potential, who are coming off a big win, I don’t expect them to be much of an issue for the Warriors. Still, a 13.5 spread is fairly hefty, and while this Warriors team is on a nice win streak, they’ve rarely blown teams out. I believe the Warriors will win, but I like Sacramento to cover.
Michael’s NBA Pick: Sacramento Kings +13.5 (-110)
Noah Dunlap
The Sacramento Kings picked up a big win last night over the Brooklyn Nets, although it is a Brooklyn team that is in free fall right now without Kevin Durant in the lineup. This Kings squad is a young, athletic group, but I’m not totally sold on just how much talent is on the roster, which is the biggest reason they come into this one 19-34 on the season. Now they have their hands full on the second night of a back-to-back, as they travel to the Bay to take on Golden State.
Golden State comes into this one as winners of their last seven, and that’s due in large part to Steph Curry getting out of his slump. They’ve been one of the best teams in basketball all year, but that was with Curry playing well. When he began to struggle, which coincided with Klay Thompson’s return, things went south for about two weeks or so, but with Curry playing better, and Klay slowly easing into the flow of things, this Warriors team is beginning to look like a dangerous squad once again. In this matchup, I think Golden State proves to be too much for a Sacramento team that just isn’t as good, and that’s also possibly a little fatigued having just played in Brooklyn last night. Give me the Warriors and the points at home.
Noah’s NBA Pick: Golden State Warriors -13.5 (-110)
Los Angeles Lakers @ Los Angeles Clippers – 10pm ET
It’s the battle of Los Angeles on Thursday night in the NBA, and another game where we see two Pacific Division rivals clash! The Lakers are playing on back-to-back nights after going toe-to-toe with the Trail Blazers on Wednesday, in a game that they won, 99-94. The Clippers come into this clash having won three of their last five, but they lost their last game, 116-122, to the Pacers.
Denis Kirilov
The Los Angeles Lakers have been struggling lately, losing three games in a row against opponents from the East like the Philadelphia 76ers, the Charlotte Hornets, and the Atlanta Hawks. In the absence of LeBron James, the team found a way to go past the Portland Trail Blazers in a conservative match on Wednesday night at home. Carmelo Anthony and Anthony Davis led the way for the Lakers as they went on to close the match, 99-94. The team from the “City of Angels” will have a tough task on Thursday as they will go up against the biggest rival, the Los Angeles Clippers.
The Clippers have been going through a tough period as they were forced to deal with their opponents without the help of Paul George and Kawhi Leonard. Nicolas Batum and Luke Kennard also missed a lot of games throughout the first half of the season. This resulted in holding a negative 26-27 record at the moment as they are just ahead of the Lakers in the standings in the Western Conference. The team is still far away from being into top form, but that’s quite reasonable as their most experienced players are sidelined. I would rather pick them over the Lakers as the Clippers proved to be a tough opponent over the last couple of matches, defeating the likes of the Washington Wizards, Philadelphia 76ers, and the Charlotte Hornets.
Denis’ NBA Pick: Los Angeles Clippers (-138)
Michael Lantz
The Battle for Los Angeles goes down on Thursday night as the “away” Los Angeles Lakers face the Los Angeles Clippers at the Crypto.com Arena. The Lakers are coming off a much needed win against the Portland Trail Blazers where they denied Portland many comeback attempts to win a big game without LeBron James. They’ll look to win consecutive contests on back-to-back nights as they have their sights set on a Clippers team that sits just in front of them in eighth place.
#ThisIsWhyWePlay pic.twitter.com/V2z3gr8U6D
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) February 3, 2022
Despite missing their top stars, the Clippers have stayed in the playoff race this season thanks to numerous players stepping up including Reggie Jackson, Nic Batum, and more. Still, they’ve had a hard time getting on a comfortable win streak lately. They’ll get a big win and then follow it up with a surprising loss. For example: they blew out a high scoring Charlotte Hornets team on Sunday, only to follow that with a loss to an underachieving Pacers team. Luckily, the Clippers don’t go on too many losing streaks either and they’ll hope that’s the case Thursday as they look to get back to their winning ways. This one is a real toss up, with both teams missing star talent, but I think a win last night was just what the Lakers needed to get their confidence up. I’ll pick them to win this one.
Michael’s NBA Pick: Los Angeles Lakers (+118)
Noah Dunlap
Despite a big win over Portland last night, is there a way to be confident about this Los Angeles Lakers team? They’ve underperformed all year, their moves made this offseason haven’t been working out by and large, and now LeBron is dealing with what seems like a relatively mild injury that shouldn’t cause him to be out for too long, but it does appear as if he’ll miss this one as well. For an aging team, with this being the second game of a back-to-back, and being without LeBron could prove to be problematic for the Lakers in this one.
The Los Angeles Clippers are similarly struggling this year, though their struggles seem to be contributed almost solely to injuries. They’ve been without Kawhi Leonard for the whole season, as he tries to return from a torn ACL, and they’ve also been with Paul George for nearly two months as well. Behind guys like Reggie Jackson and Nicolas Batum, they’ve managed to somewhat stay afloat in a wide open Western Conference, but it hasn’t been the season most we’re expecting this team to have. As for this matchup, I’m going to lean to the Clips by a nose, as I think the Lakers playing last night causes them to enter this one a bit tired and fatigued.
Noah’s NBA Pick: Los Angeles Clippers (-138)
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*Odds and spreads correct at time of publication, courtesy of FanDuel.
