Our free NBA picks are out for Thursday, January 13th, 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!
Golden State Warriors @ Milwaukee Bucks – 7.30pm ET
The Golden State Warriors are in game two of their four game road trip, and on Thursday night they take on the Milwaukee Bucks. The Warriors have only won one of their last four games, as they lost to the Mavericks, Pelicans and Grizzlies. The Bucks are in a similar boat, winning just one of their last five games, as they lost to the Pistons, Raptors and Hornets (twice).
Denis Kirilov
Klay Thompson has made his return for the Golden State Warriors in a win over the Cleveland Cavaliers. He then played another 20 minutes in a tough 108-116 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies. The shooting guard is surely a one-of-a-kind player, but he will need some more time before he gets back to his top condition. Steph Curry posted a triple-double which suggests that he gets more opportunities on the court as he can go back to his playmaker role. The Warriors are going through a tough period as they lost 3 out of their last 4 games in the NBA. All of these matches were on the road against the likes of the Mavs, the Pelicans, and the Grizzlies.
The Milwaukee Bucks is another top team who has been struggling recently. They are hosting the Warriors, following a 1-4 run. The reigning champions have lost their last two matches in Fiserv Forum. Although Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, and Bobby Portis have been racking up some big numbers, the others in the roster have failed to deliver. Players like Jordan Nwora, Pat Connaughton, Rodney Hood, and Langston Galloway are some of the main reasons for their downfall. The overconfidence shown by their leaders has also taken its toll on them as Giannis and Khris occasionally finish off with more than 10 turnovers in total. I think that the Warriors are slightly better at the moment and they will take advantage of the current circumstances with the defending champions.
Denis’ NBA Pick: Golden State Warriors (+110)
Michael Lantz
In this potential NBA Finals matchup, the Golden State Warriors travel to the “Cream City” to take on the Milwaukee Bucks. On Wednesday night Golden State was made aware that they must watch their backs—their opponent, the Memphis Grizzlies showed no fear as they beat the Warriors 108-116. The Warriors missed Draymond Green big time, as the Grizzlies outscored them in the paint 40-58, the Warriors also turned the ball over 16 times, and were scored 18-29 in the fourth. Those statistics will bug the Warriors as they’ll look to adjust against the Bucks.
All-Star level player
All-Star level leader#DraymondGreen || #NBAAllStar pic.twitter.com/u2KYcNSitW— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) January 13, 2022
Milwaukee hasn’t had the easiest time lately: they lost consecutive games to a Charlotte Hornets team that, while brilliant on offense, is one of the NBA’s worst defensive teams. Sure, it didn’t help that they were without all-defensive player Jrue Holiday, but with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton still at full strength the team should’ve at least pulled off one of those wins against such a frangible defense. They’ll look to get back on the right track against one of the toughest teams they’ll have to play all regular season, as the Golden State Warriors are league leaders on both sides of the ball and have just welcomed Klay Thompson back to their lineup. Holiday still remains doubtful for this matchup and therefore I expect the Warriors excellent guard play involving Thompson, Steph Curry and Jordan Poole to take advantage of the Bucks big missing piece.
Michael’s NBA Pick: Golden State Warriors (+110)
Noah Dunlap
In one of the weirder instances of the season, both of these two teams come into this one struggling. The Golden State Warriors, despite being the best team in basketball in my opinion, have dropped three of their last four, including a game to the lowly Pelicans. They do have Klay Thompson back finally, and as he gets more minutes under his belt I expect his play to improve, much like I expect this entire Warriors team to get it turned around soon, starting with this one.
One of the big reasons for that is the fact that the Milwaukee Bucks are also in a slump, losing four of their last five, including one to the worst team in the league, the Detroit Pistons. To make matters worse, they’ll likely be without Jrue Holiday, which frees up the perimeter for Steph and Klay to do their thing. Even with Giannis and Khris Middleton playing good ball, I’m not sure that they can overcome the Warriors without Holiday and a struggling supporting cast. Give me Golden State to get back on track in this one.
Noah’s NBA Pick: Golden State Warriors (+110)
Minnesota Timberwolves @ Memphis Grizzlies – 8pm ET
The road trip comes to an end on Thursday night for the Minnesota Timberwolves when they take on the Memphis Grizzlies. The Timberwolves had their four game winning streak snapped last time out, thanks to the Pelicans, 125-128. The Grizzlies massive winning streak continues on, currently sitting at 10, and they got a big win over the Warriors, 116-108, last time out.
Denis Kirilov
The Minnesota Timberwolves suffered an unpleasant loss to the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday night, 125-128. Josh Hart and Brandon Ingram have been clutch in the most decisive moments, while D’Angelo Russell slightly disappointed with his performance in the second half. This snapped Minnesota’s 4-game winning streak, dragging them down to 9th place. The team holds a 20-21 record and if they can keep up that pace, they will find themselves fighting for a Playoffs spot. Their offensive line is their most valuable asset as the trio in offense has proven that it can carry the team on its own.
The Memphis Grizzlies are simply a treat to watch this season. In the biggest part of the campaign so far, the team found a way to be competitive enough even without their superstar, Ja Morant. This gave further opportunities for Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr. to shine bright for the Grizzlies. Bane has turned into one of the most important players for his team, since he is in the talks for the Most Improved Player this year. Ja Morant is now back with Memphis which surely has its advantages for them. The Grizzlies cruised along in the NBA throughout the past two weeks, securing a 10-game winning streak. I think that they will find it hard to prolong it for a bit longer. Both teams are able to put up big numbers as I expect to see at least two 30-point performances in the match.
Denis’ NBA Pick: Over 229 (-110)
Michael Lantz
Memphis continues to prove they’re no fluke. On Tuesday night they took down the Golden State Warriors at home to prove they’re not just an up-and-coming team, but a legitimate threat to win the Western Conference. In their 116-108 win over Golden State, Memphis bullied the Warriors down low, outscoring them 58-40 and blew the lid open in the fourth quarter with a 29-18 run. On Thursday, they’ll face a Minnesota Timberwolves team that’s looking to sneak into the playoffs; sitting as the ninth seed in the Western Conference.
Minnesota was thrilled to have their big three of Karl Anthony Towns, Anthony Edwards and D’Angelo Russell all back last week after some issues with injuries and COVID. The team went on a four-game winning streak in the new year, but were denied a fifth consecutive win last night when they fell 125-128 to a New Orleans Pelicans team that’s well under .500. The Timberwolves have had a few games this year where they let an inferior team walk over them after they look like they’re starting to take off as a team. They’ll have a major test Thursday as they face a team that’s made the jump from a great young team to a great team—period. Minnesota hopes to get to that status soon but in the meantime they might have to be taught a lesson by Ja Morant and Co. I’ll pick Memphis to keep their current win streak up to 11 games.
Michael’s NBA Pick: Memphis Grizzlies (-215)
Noah Dunlap
The Memphis Grizzlies still haven’t lost since I made my declaration that I wasn’t betting against them until they lose again, and I’m not backing down now. Behind Ja Morant and Desmond Bane, this team has proven to be arguably the biggest surprise of the season so far, as it doesn’t matter what they face, be it COVID, injuries, or any other obstacle, they just continue to overcome anything. Now they get a decent Minnesota Timberwolves team traveling south to Memphis to try to end their 10-game winning streak.
For Minnesota, everything comes down to whether they can keep Karl-Anthony Towns, Anthony Edwards, and D’Angelo Russell on the floor together. When their core plays together, they’ve shown to be a problem for virtually everyone in the NBA, as that trio is simply lethal, but the problem is that the team has struggled dealing with COVID and injuries all year long. With these three being available for tonight’s game, I like them to keep it close, but I’m still not backing away from taking the Grizz until they lose. Memphis wins a tight one at home.
Noah’s NBA Pick: Memphis Grizzlies (-215)
Los Angeles Clippers @ New Orleans Pelicans – 8pm ET
The Los Angeles Clippers kick off a two game road trip when they travel to New Orleans to take on the Pelicans on Thursday night. The Clippers are currently on a two game winning streak, with wins over the Hawks and Nuggets. The Pelicans have won two of their last three games, and this takes their season record to 15-26.
Denis Kirilov
The New Orleans Pelicans take on the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday night in their Smoothie King Center. The hosts have enjoyed a good performance in December that has been slowly transferred into the new year. Having won 6 out of their last 8 games played at home, this surely signals a red flag for any team that comes for a brief visit. The 13th-placed team in the West has managed to outclass the likes of the Milwaukee Bucks, the Cleveland Cavaliers, and the Golden State Warriors. In their last game, they defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves and their fantastic trio – KAT, Anthony Edwards, and D’Angelo Russell. They are still in the bottom half of the standings in the Western Conference with just 15 wins out of 41 matches, but they surely have the potential to fight for one of the last Playoffs spots.
The Los Angeles Clippers have had a tough season so far as they have been without Kawhi Leonard and Paul George for the most of it. Nicolas Batum has also been sidelined for a lot of games, while Ivica Zubac and Luke Kennard have entered the COVID-19 protocols. The short-handed team led by Terrance Mann and Reggie Jackson was quite often disappointed with their performance, but they found the winning path in their last two games defeating the Atlanta Hawks and the Denver Nuggets. I think they will continue their run with a victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Thursday night. The available players for the Clippers should be just enough to give them a decent chance of beating the Pelicans.
Denis’ NBA Pick: Los Angeles Clippers (+128)
Michael Lantz
Both of these teams snagged huge wins on Tuesday night. The New Orleans Pelicans upset a Minnesota Timberwolves team that had won four games in a row, winning 128-125 behind Brandon Ingram’s 33 points. The Pelicans have suffered a lot of injury and COVID setbacks this year; to the point where their best player, Zion Williamson, hasn’t even set a foot on the floor this season. Still, they have so much potential through the likes of Ingram, walking double-double Jonas Valanciunas, and the always dependable Devonte Graham. It’s a shame they haven’t been more competitive, but it isn’t too late for them to go on a run and try to sneak into the playoffs.
It’s simple.#NBAAllStar + #PaulGeorge =🤩 pic.twitter.com/Lc1xX0P6hH
— Clippers Content (@clipperscontent) January 12, 2022
The Clippers also kept their playoff hopes alive on Tuesday night, as they came back from being 13 down against the Nuggets, to win 87-85. The Clippers remained the eight seed for now and have continued to fight despite not having Kawhi Leonard and barely having Paul George this season. They’ve relied heavily on the likes of Reggie Jackson and Marcus Morris to lead them offensively, but have gotten surprise performances from the likes of Brandon Boston Jr. and, last night, Amir Coffey. They look to preserve that eighth seed spot until one or both of their stars return—but the Pelicans will be no easy task. New Orleans has looked a lot better in the past month, winning four straight at the end of December, and then pulling off occasional confidence boosting wins since. It seems like only a matter of time before they go on another run. I’ll have them getting consecutive wins here.
Michael’s NBA Pick: New Orleans Pelicans (-152)
Noah Dunlap
The New Orleans Pelicans, despite having played slightly better basketball lately, simply aren’t a very good team. They don’t have enough of a perimeter game, and they’re still without Zion Williamson, who has faced multiple setbacks as he tries to return from an injury. No one quite knows what’s going on with that situation, and while for the time being Brandon Ingram and Jonas Valanciunas are carrying the load, I’m not sure how long that can continue if they want to keep playing at a high level.
The Los Angeles Clippers, on the other hand, are a good team that just hasn’t played all that well this year. Part of that is due to injuries, and more recently COVID, but even without all of that, they just haven’t looked like quite the same team many people were expecting to see. On a positive note however, they come in on a two-game winning streak, even with Paul George and Luke Kennard sidelined. They’re still without Kawhi Leonard, as he continues to recover from a torn ACL suffered in last year’s postseason, which certainly doesn’t help matters. In the end, I actually like what I’ve seen from Terrance Mann and Reggie Jackson as they try to keep the team afloat through this rough stretch. For that reason, give me the Clips to go on the road and get a tight win over this ever-so-slowly improving Pelicans squad.
Noah’s NBA Pick: Los Angeles Clippers (+128)
Oklahoma City Thunder @ Brooklyn Nets – 8.30pm ET
The Oklahoma City Thunder wrap up their short two game road trip on Thursday night when they take on the Brooklyn Nets. The Thunder are currently on a five game losing streak, and this has dropped their season record down to 13-27. The Nets are playing on back-to-back nights and last time out they won against the Bulls, 138-112.
Denis Kirilov
The Oklahoma City Thunder are coming into this fixture on a 5-game losing streak. The team has performed terribly in offense as they rarely surpassed the 100-point mark in 2022. They even suffered a 30-point loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves a couple of days ago, 105-135. This inconsistency actually gives us a lot of insight for the Thunder as their hopes of making the Playoffs slowly slip away from them. Being 14th in the West with just 13 wins out of 40 matches is surely not something their fans would like to see. They are just a couple of wins away from the 10th place that gives them the opportunity to fight for the Playoffs, but the battle will be fierce as they will need to get past the Pelicans, the Kings, the Spurs, and the Blazers for now.
The Brooklyn Nets have piled up some unpleasant losses recently. Even though they have been underperforming in 2022, they are still 2nd in the East with 26 wins and 14 losses. The team from Brooklyn will be looking to finish into the top 4 which will secure them a home court advantage and an easier opponent in the First Round and potentially in the Conference Semifinals. With Kyrie Irving back in the roster (although just for away games), I think it’s time to see them in a new light that is different from the one that was displayed at the beginning of the year. However, I am not quite sure that they will be able to demolish their opponents in such an early stage of the season. Hence, I will go with a more unorthodox pick choosing that the Thunder will take the first half against the Nets.
Denis’ NBA Pick: First Half Result – Oklahoma City Thunder (+152)
Michael Lantz
The Brooklyn Nets got a statement win last night against the Chicago Bulls, as they put on a 138-112 beating in “ The Windy City.” With their “Big Three” of Kevin Durant, James Harden, and Kyrie Irving all active and playing, the Nets put the league on notice and showed why they were the preseason favorite. Even though Irving only tallied nine points, just having him on the court makes opposing teams change their strategy which allowed the likes of Patty Mills and rookie Day’Ron Sharpe to both explode for 20-point games. Now the Nets make their return to Brooklyn (without Irving available) to take on Durant and Harden’s old squad the Oklahoma City Thunder.
While the Thunder are only 13-27 and in the midst of a five-game losing streak, they still have a lot to be excited about in the future. Young talent like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Lu Dort, and Josh Giddey are constantly budding and with so many picks in future drafts, they’ll only continue to improve and be a threat in the next couple of years. They’ve shown their ability to compete with top teams this year including wins over the Grizzlies, Raptors, and more. They definitely could spoil this Irving-less Nets team’s return to home, especially after they played such a late game in Chicago the night before. The Nets might rest Durant and Harden for this one, but as of now they aren’t so I’ll pick them to cover.
Michael’s NBA Pick: Brooklyn Nets -10.5 (-110)
Noah Dunlap
Following a rough stretch of just over a week, the Brooklyn Nets came out last night and completely dismantled the Chicago Bulls in a matchup of the top-2 seeds in the Eastern Conference. The game remained close for three quarters before a huge run from the Nets sealed the game early in the fourth. This was due in large part to the fact that Kevin Durant and James Harden both had monstrous nights, which is what this Brooklyn team is going to have to do to actually convince people that they have the potential to win the conference. Now Brooklyn leaves the Windy City to return home to take on the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Thunder enter this one as one of the worst teams in the league, and to make matters worse they’ve lost five in a row. The talent quite frankly isn’t there, as many of their current assets are based around future draft picks, and what talent they do have is extremely young and inexperienced. They give good effort most of the time, but just don’t have the depth to compete with most teams in the league at this point, which is why I think Brooklyn, coming in with lots of momentum following last night’s win, runs away with this one in a hurry. Give me the Nets at home, with yet another big night from KD and Harden.
Noah’s NBA Pick: Brooklyn Nets -10.5 (-110)
Portland Trail Blazers @ Denver Nuggets – 10pm ET
The Portland Trail Blazers kick off their road trip on Thursday night and their first stop is in Denver where they take on the Nuggets. The Trail Blazers are currently on a two game winning streak, after they got the W over the Kings and Nets. The Nuggets have won two of their last three games, and this takes their season record to 20-19.
Denis Kirilov
The Portland Trail Blazers have had a really strange season so far. They have been without CJ McCollum for the bigger part of the campaign, while Damian Lillard has also felt uncomfortable throughout the last months. Without both of their leaders, the Blazers had to find a way out of the situation and Anfernee Simons and Normal Powell have been on the right spot for them. The 22-year-old guard dropped a career-high 43 points in a win over the Atlanta Hawks, and he topped that with 31 points against the Sacramento Kings along with a double-double in the game with the Brooklyn Nets. Normal Powell, has been playing on a high level as well, but he entered the COVID-19 protocol on Sunday. The team is coming off two victories over the Kings and the Nets as they improved to 10th place in the West with a 16-24 record.
The Denver Nuggets have been struggling offensively recently. They have had 5 out of their last 10 games with less than 100 points as on three of these occasions the team didn’t manage to go beyond the 90-point mark. The Nuggets, however, have played some good defense to compensate for their lack of ideas in attack. They lost their last match to the short-handed Los Angeles Clippers, 85-87, as Nikola Jokic racked up his 9th straight double-double. The issues come from the rest of the team as players like Facundo Campazzo and Austin Rivers are quite efficient from the 3-point line. Keeping in mind both the Blazers and the Nuggets struggles, I think that we will see a tight game with Denver coming on top in the end.
Denis’ NBA Pick: Denver Nuggets -9.5 (-110)
Michael Lantz
Things haven’t gone the Portland Trail Blazers way this season: after bringing in new head coach Chauncey Billups and some solid offseason additions (Larry Nance Jr.), they’ve had some unfortunate injuries. CJ McCollum discovered he had a collapsed lung a few weeks back, and has been out since. As if that wasn’t bad enough, Damian Lillard will now be sidelined 6-8 weeks after deciding to have surgery on a nagging abdominal injury. This team will now rely on promising up-and-comer Anfernee Simons and Norman Powell (who currently is in COVID protocol) to lead the way until those two return.
Back at @BallArenaDenver tomorrow.
Who’s joining us there?
🎟️ https://t.co/GinRMQmLWd pic.twitter.com/2AEdCZiC2w
— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) January 12, 2022
Meanwhile, the Nuggets are looking to move on from a Tuesday loss to the Los Angeles Clippers after they fell 85-87 after holding a 13-point halftime lead. Still, the Nuggets sit in sixth place in the Western Conference, and have been thrilled to see some other players aside from Nikola Jokic step up lately. Aaron Gordon, Austin Rivers and Monte Morris have all stepped up lately, to help out a team that’s faced numerous injuries this year. Unfortunately, the Nuggets will be without one of their most consistent performers this year, Will Barton, who will miss this game in COVID protocol. Still, even though the Blazers have shown some promise with Simons leading the offence, I don’t trust them. I think the Nuggets bounce back after a tough loss to the Clippers and take out the Blazers at home.
Michael’s NBA Pick: Denver Nuggets (-450)
Noah Dunlap
This Portland Trail Blazers team have found themselves in trouble all year, starting with the fact that they started the year horribly. Then CJ McCollum punctured a lung and has now missed close to two months. Now it’s being reported that Damian Lillard is set to have surgery on an injury and his return is to be determined. With a team that was struggling in the first place, being without their two best players is sure to make things even more problematic.
Now they take on a Denver Nuggets team that has also been a disappointment for much of the year, as they made a run to last year’s Western Conference semifinals, but haven’t been able to come anywhere close to replicating that success so far this season. The good news is that last year’s league MVP, Nikola Jokic, is continuing to play at an absolutely silly level, which is virtually the only reason this team has managed to hang around as well as they have this season. As for this matchup, I like Jokic to dominate against a Portland team that I just have to question where they find solid scoring at a consistent level. I like the Nuggets to get a relatively easy win here.
Noah’s NBA Pick: Denver Nuggets (-450)
If you are looking for more news, information and predictions, head over to our NBA hub page for all your basketball needs!
*Odds and spreads correct at time of publication, courtesy of FanDuel.
