Our free NBA picks are out for Tuesday, February 15th, 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!
Dallas Mavericks @ Miami Heat – 7.30pm ET
The Dallas Mavericks kick off a five game road trip on Tuesday night with a game against the Miami Heat. The Mavericks had their four game winning streak snapped last time out, as they lost, 97-99, to the Clippers. The Heat are on a five game winning streak, and this takes their season record to 37-20, which is good enough for first in the Eastern Conference.
Jeffery Thomas
In the two games since the Mavericks traded away Kristaps Porzingis, Luka is averaging 48 points a game. He will hope to keep that incredible pace going in Miami on Tuesday against a great Heat defense. On the season he’s averaging nearly a triple double (27 points, 9 assists, 9 rebounds) leading the Mavs in all three categories. Largely due to his contributions, Dallas has rattled off wins in four of the past five games, but that run will be severely tested in this one. Dallas is just 13-13 on the road this season while Miami is one of the league’s best home teams with a record of 19-6. The Heat currently occupy the 1 seed in the East with a 37-20 record and have won five straight games.
Even better news for Miami is that they got star guard Tyler Herro back in the last game from a knee injury that sidelined him for 2 games. He is second on the team averaging 20 points a game and had 15 in his return on Saturday, which was a 115-111 win over the Brooklyn Nets. This will be a pretty good matchup of two playoff teams who have been playing some great basketball lately. I like how Luka has embraced his new role of historic levels of usage and just turned that into elite numbers but to take down a team like Miami you will need contributions from multiple pieces. They have some good players alongside Luka who can produce at times but I don’t think they will have enough to beat this Miami team. They already are one of the best defensive teams in the league and home teams, and now with Herro back they have that extra offensive punch. I like the Heat in this game to cover this short spread.
Jeffery’s NBA Pick: Miami Heat -2.5 (-110)
Michael Lantz
After a four-game win streak, the Dallas Mavericks fell just short of the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday, losing 97-99. Luka Doncic scored 45 points in that game, nearly half his team’s points, but a big question going forward will be whether they made the right decision in trading Kristaps Porzingis, who while often injured, was starting to excel as Doncic’s number two. The team received Spencer Dinwiddie and Davis Bertans from Washington in exchange for Porzingis, so time will tell if those two can mesh at this vital point in the year. The Mavericks will have a big test on Tuesday as they face the Miami Heat.
Luka Magic on full display 🪄 @luka7doncic is your Western Conference Player of the Week! pic.twitter.com/do2O0ebn7J
— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) February 14, 2022
Miami are sitting atop the Eastern Conference winners of five straight games. After fighting through injury adversity over the first two-plus months of the season, the Heat were just getting closer to full health, but once again they’ll be without a couple of key players against the Mavericks. The team will be without Tyler Herro and Marcus Morris tonight, but will still have Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, and Kyle Lowry to lead the team in this home matchup. The Heat are basketball’s best three point shooters, but they’ll be going up against a Mavericks team that’s third in opposing three-point percentage and second in fewest opposing points per game. Still, even without Herro, I’ll go with the Heat to still be able to compete and slip by a Mavericks team that’s been depending heavily on defense lately.
Michael’s NBA Pick: Miami Heat (-136)
Noah Dunlap
After a somewhat bizarre decision at the trade deadline, with Dallas trading away Kristaps Porzingis, they’ve done nothing but watch Luka Doncic play absolutely absurd basketball, as he’s averaging almost 50 points per game in their last two. While there’s no way he keeps that absurd pace up, they are going to need him to continue to play really well if they plan on making any type of real run at all, as I’m not convinced that what they received for Porzingis made them any better this year.
Now they get what may be the best team in the Eastern Conference in the Miami Heat, and I think there’s a good chance Dallas may have their hands full in this one. The Heat have played extremely well over the last month or so, apart from one brief lull, and they look to improve on what is already a five game winning streak. The one piece of bad news for Miami is that they will be without Tyler Herro in this one, but even without Herro, I like them to be able to take care of business at home. With guys like Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler leading the way, give me the Heat in a tight one.
Noah’s NBA Pick: Miami Heat -2.5 (-110)
Boston Celtics @ Philadelphia 76ers – 7.30pm ET
Two Atlantic Division rivals go toe-to-toe when the Boston Celtics hit the road and play the Philadelphia 76ers. The Celtics winning streak continues on, as they now have won eight games in a row, which takes their season record to 33-25. The 76ers have won their last two in a row, and in their last six games it has been Emiid who has led the team in both points and rebounds.
Jeffery Thomas
With James Harden confirmed to be out until at least the All-Star break the Sixers will have to stay focused on winning ball games in the meantime. That’s exactly what they’ve done in the past two games since doing the trade with Brooklyn, taking down the Oklahoma City Thunder and Cleveland Cavaliers in consecutive games. The last win against the Cavs was a bit of a statement win, taking down the 3 seed in the East 103-93 on the back of Joel Embiid’s fourth career triple double. He joined Wilt Chamberlain as the only other Sixer to ever record a 40 point triple double. The Celtics are coming in hot as well, winners of nine straight after beating the Hawks 105-95 in their last game. Jayson Tatum led the way with a 38 point 10 rebound performance with running mate Jaylen Brown adding 17 points and 9 rebounds of his own.
New acquisition Derrick White also provided a boost with 14 points off the bench, as their entire offense looked in sync. They’ll look to get one game closer to the 5th seeded Sixers in this game on Tuesday. Two of the first three matchups of these two teams have gone to Philadelphia, but that was back when Boston was still trying to figure things out. Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum couldn’t seem to figure out how to get things going as a duo, but as of late those issues have seemed to go to the side for the betterment of the team and it’s showing in the results. Even on the road, it’s hard to bet against this Celtics team who is going for a tenth straight win, and I think they will get it in a classic back and forth matchup that will come down to the last few possessions.
Jeffery’s NBA Pick: Boston Celtics (-116)
Michael Lantz
This classic rivalry might be Tuesday’s premier game as basketball’s hottest team the Boston Celtics, visit the Philadelphia 76ers as this matchup between the current six and five seeds in the Eastern Conference should provide plenty of entertainment. The Celtics have been showing off their true potential as of late, with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown playing excellent basketball, and players like Marcus Smart and new addition Derrick White also offering some strong support. This team has been impressive over the last five games, but they’ll face quite possibly their biggest test yet in Philadelphia.
The 76ers have won three of four games and have a certain James Harden almost ready to join their roster. Unfortunately Harden won’t be back from a hamstring injury until after the All-Star Game, so the Sixers will continue to depend heavily on Joel Embiid, who is having an MVP-worthy season. Along with Embiid, the team has some great scoring talent in Tobias Harris and Tyrese Maxey and some aggressive defense from Matisse Thybulle. With Harden still not available, Embiid and the Sixers will look to those supporting players to get the job done against an impressive Celtics team. This one should be close, but with the Sixers still not in full form, I’ll keep going with the streaking C’s.
Michael’s NBA Pick: Boston Celtics -1 (-110)
Noah Dunlap
The new look Philadelphia 76ers will have to wait a while longer to test out their new piece, James Harden, as it’s been announced that he’s set to be out until after the All-Star break with a minor hamstring issue. As they gave away a decent portion of their supporting cast in the Harden deal at the deadline, this is problematic if you’re a Philly fan, as they’re now virtually solely reliant on Joel Embiid once again to carry the team. He does have help from Tobias Harris and Tyrese Maxey, but those aren’t two guys that I would trust with virtually leading my team.
Add in the fact that they’re taking on what is one of the hottest teams in basketball in the Boston Celtics, and I think this is a real problem for the Sixers. The Celtics have won eight straight, and look like a totally different team from what we saw early in the season. With Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum leading the way, especially on the offensive end (now that their shots are falling) and watching how that has positively impacted the effort on the defensive side of the ball. I think this is a Boston team that has the real opportunity to make noise in the postseason if they can keep this kind of play up. I’m going to take Boston in a tight one here, as I think they simply edge out Joel Embiid and the Sixers in a game that comes down to the wire.
Noah’s NBA Pick: Boston Celtics -1 (-110)
Indiana Pacers @ Milwaukee Bucks – 8pm ET
The Indiana Pacers are on the road for just one game when they travel to Milwaukee and take on the Bucks. The Pacers are in free fall at the moment, dropping their last six games in a row, which takes their season record to 19-39. The Bucks are playing on back-to-back nights, and last time out they lost to the Trail Blazers, 107-122.
Jeffery Thomas
The Pacers may have lost six straight games coming into this one, but with their eyes on the future they have a lot to look forward to. The trade deadline had a lot of big names moved but one of the most under the radar moves was Indiana being able to acquire point guard Tyrese Haliburton from Sacramento to be a building block for the future. He’s showing everybody why he may be the franchise guy, by following up a 23 point Pacer debut with a 22 point 16 assist performance against Minnesota on Sunday. He had 10 assists in the first half alone and was one shy of his career high. The Bucks sat out former MVP Giannis in the first leg of the back to back and lost the game to Portland at home 107-122. The ankle soreness is believed to be a short term issue and he may even be able to suit up for this one on Tuesday.
Serge Ibaka made his Bucks debut, filling in for Giannis, and scored their first 6 points before going scoreless the rest of the way. Jrue Holiday led the way with 23 points, but couldn’t stop Portland’s Anfernee Simons on the other end, as he went off for 31 points and 7 three pointers. The Bucks sit at the 4th seed in the East, two games back of the leading Miami Heat. The Bucks have at times looked like they don’t care about the regular season and that’s normal sometimes after winning a championship, but this is a game where even 60% of their effort could get the job done. The Pacers may have a bright future, but right now they just have too many moving parts with guys being shipped out and brought in to have a cohesive unit that will be able to compete with this Bucks team. Giannis or not I’ll take the Bucks.
Jeffery’s NBA Pick: Milwaukee Bucks -11.5 (-110)
Michael Lantz
The Milwaukee Bucks return to the court just 24 hours after a 107-122 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers. Now, before you judge too quickly, it’s important to know that the Bucks were missing MVP candidate Giannis Antetokounmpo, who decided to rest this one. That makes the loss sting a little less for the Bucks who will now shift their focus to a very new looking Indiana Pacers team. Despite making some changes to their roster last week, the Pacers are still struggling to find a win. They’ve lost six games in a row, and while Tyrese Haliburton is continuing to look like an incredible addition (he had 22 points and 16 assists on Sunday), the Pacers have almost kissed any shot at a play-in game goodbye.
“That’s really kind of unacceptable for us…we need to be a lot better.”
Coach Bud’s ASL Press Conference: pic.twitter.com/RVRVw89qP1
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) February 15, 2022
Still they’ll look for a backcourt of Haliburton and rookie Chris Duarte to evolve as this young team will hope to be a true threat a few years down the line. As for their Tuesday matchup against Milwaukee, it all depends on whether or not Giannis Antetokounmpo can play. The Bucks have shown they can struggle against anyone when Giannis is out, so if that’s the case, the Pacers definitely have a chance. But, imagining it was just a one night rest, the Bucks should have no problem with this Pacers team if they play at full strength. Still because of uncertainties with the Bucks team and the Pacers ability to score, I’ll still pick them to cover their +11.5 spread.
Michael’s NBA Pick: Indiana Pacers +11.5 (-110)
Noah Dunlap
Despite somehow pulling off arguably the most surprising trade in the entirety of the league at the trade deadline, this hasn’t helped the Indiana Pacers at all in terms of results. They managed to acquire Tyrese Haliburton from Sacramento in exchange for Domantas Sabonis, and while Haliburton has been incredible for Indiana so far, they’re yet to win a game, as they’ve dropped six straight. Their defense continues to be absolutely abysmal, which is a large part of why they simply can’t win games, and I don’t think that’s changing in this one.
They take on the defending champions, and with Milwaukee still having virtually the same roster, led by Giannis, I think this is a Bucks team that has the potential to score nearly at will on this Pacers defense. The question is how much help does Giannis get along the way, as right now Milwaukee has struggled a bit more than expected this season, and it’s due in large part to the fact that the supporting cast, featuring Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton, hasn’t played as well as expected so far. If they can pick up their play, this is a Bucks team that I could see repeating if things fell the right way, but right now it doesn’t seem as if that’s going to happen. However, I do think they get back on track after a loss last night to Portland, as I simply don’t trust the Indiana defense at all. Give me Milwaukee in a closer game than many may expect.
Noah’s NBA Pick: Milwaukee Bucks (-720)
Memphis Grizzlies @ New Orleans Pelicans – 8pm ET
The Memphis Grizzlies wrap up their three game road trip on Tuesday night in the NBA when they face off against the New Orleans Pelicans. The Grizzlies are on a five game winning streak, and have won eight of their last nine games, with their only loss in this period coming against the 76ers, 119-122, in overtime. The Pelicans are on the second night of their back-to-back, and last time out they dominated the Raptors, 120-90.
Jeffery Thomas
The wins just keep rolling along for the Memphis Grizzlies, who really need to start being looked at as legitimate title contenders. Ja Morant is playing at an MVP level, and they have a group of guys who don’t take any opponent lightly and don’t back down to any opponent. They have wins over the Jazz, Suns, Warriors, Cavs, Bulls, etc this year and all those teams are looked at as some of the league’s best. At 40-18 they are the 3rd seed in the West but still within striking distance of the 2nd seeded Warriors, so they will need to keep the winning streak going against New Orleans on Tuesday. New Orleans had a great win themselves on Monday, taking down a formidable Raptors team by 30 points, 120-90 on Monday.
CJ McCollum is getting used to his new threads, and led his new team with 23 points as they outscored the Raptors 48-24 from behind the three point line. They’ll need to string together more performances like that down the stretch, as they are still currently out of playoff contention. This is a very short spread for a team as hot as Memphis is and I get why Vegas is giving New Orleans some respect at home, but I don’t totally agree with it. When the Grizzlies win, they usually win big, with their last 8 wins all coming by at least 7 points and six of those being by double digits. With them also having the rest advantage for this game, I don’t see a way they don’t cover this short spread. I’m taking Memphis to stay hot.
Jeffery’s NBA Pick: Memphis Grizzlies -4 (-114)
Michael Lantz
After adding CJ McCollum last week from the Portland Trail Blazers, the New Orleans Pelicans looked a little uneven with their new scorer on the team. They lost consecutive games to the Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs. Luckily, the third game with McCollum was the charm, as they blew out one of the NBA’s hottest teams in the Toronto Raptors, 120-90. It was a great night on both sides of the floor, as the Pelicans are starting to look comfortable and primed for a play-in spot. They’ll have a big test on Tuesday as they face one of the NBA’s best teams in the Memphis Grizzlies.
The Grizzlies are rolling—again. This team that’s already had two double-digit win streaks this season is looking to get on a third. They’ve won five straight games, including a 125-118 shootout on Saturday against an offense-heavy Charlotte Hornets squad. The Grizzlies will have a tough task for number six as they face a new and improved New Orleans Pelicans squad. This one should be fun as the Grizzlies’ Ja Morant and Desmond Bane will try to outscore the Pelicans’ CJ McCollum and Brandon Ingram. Meanwhile it could also get nasty down low as the Pelicans’ Jonas Valanciunas will need to put in work against the Grizzlies’ Steven Adams and Jaren Jackson Jr. While the NOLA crowd should be exhilarated, the Grizzlies won’t be fazed, they have the NBA’s best road record at 20-9. I think they have too much strength in both the backcourt and frontcourt for a Pelicans team that’s still learning to mesh.
Michael’s NBA Pick: Memphis Grizzlies -4 (-114)
Noah Dunlap
This Memphis Grizzlies team is determined to gain respect, one way or another. Being from an extremely small market, it’s rare to look at them as legitimate title contenders, but led by Ja Morant, with a supporting cast featuring Jaren Jackson Jr., Desmond Bane, and Dillon Brooks, that’s exactly what they are. They’re currently 17-4 in the new year, and have the kind of offense that is going to be difficult to handle, regardless of who they play in the postseason. The two weaknesses I do see in this team are their defense, and 3-point shooting, which could eventually become a problem, but hasn’t as of this point.
Now they take on a New Orleans Pelicans team that has quietly upped their game as of late, and has been currently trying to sneak their way into a playoff spot, and with the new addition of CJ McCollum, to go along with the big man duo of Jonas Valancuinas and Brandon Ingram. I actually think they have a really good chance of getting there. They’re coming off of a massive win over Toronto last night that surprised some people, but it showed just how good this team can be if they can string more games like that together. The question is whether they can hang with the Grizz offense, and I think the answer is no. Give me Memphis in a tight one here, as I think Memphis manages to sneak out of NOLA with another win, pushing their already five-game winning streak to six.
Noah’s NBA Pick: Memphis Grizzlies -4 (-114)
Los Angeles Clippers @ Phoenix Suns – 10pm ET
The final game on Tuesday night in the NBA will see the Los Angeles Clippers travel to Footprint Center to take on the Phoenix Suns. The Clippers have had a tough little period, after playing the second best team last night in the Warriors (and winning!), they will now face off against the Suns. The Suns are successfully building another winning streak, and this one currently stands at five games in a row, which brings their overall season record to 46-10.
Jeffery Thomas
The Suns 4-game home stand will continue on Tuesday against the Clippers after a couple days off. They beat the Magic 132-105 on Saturday led by Devin Booker’s 26 points and DeAndre Ayton’s 17 and 10 rebounds. Chris Paul added his 30th double-double of the season with 10 points and 15 assists as the Suns notched their fifth consecutive win. It was a full team effort, as they had 9 different players score in double figures. Their league best record now sits at 46-10 and they’ve won 16 of the last 17. The Clippers will be on a back to back after a huge win over the Golden State Warriors at home on Monday.
In the 119-104 victory Terrance Mann paced the team with 25 points and all of their starters scored in double figures. Now sitting at 29-30 the injury-ravished Clippers are still slinging on to a playoff spot, at the 8 seed. Can the Clippers complete the gauntlet and take down the top 2 teams in the West in consecutive nights? I wouldn’t count on it. These two have split the first two meetings and I expect the Suns to take the lead in the season series with a big win on their home court. They have been sitting at home ready, waiting, and resting while the Clippers had a late game and had to travel to play less than 24 hours later. All the advantages point us to the Suns in this spot.
Jeffery’s NBA Pick: Phoenix Suns -12.5 (-112)
Michael Lantz
Despite suffering another devastating injury blow, when new acquisition Norman Powell went down with a foot fracture, the Clippers maintained the resilience they’ve played with all season. They plummeted the Golden State Warriors 119-104 last night, thanks to 25 points from Terrance Mann and a near 19-point triple-double from Reggie Jackson. The Clippers once again proved they can never be counted out as they held onto the Western Conference eight seed last night. Unfortunately for them, less than 24 hours after the Golden State Warriors, the Clippers will now have to face the Phoenix Suns.
“How can you not want to play here? It’s, I think, the best fans in the league.”
— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) February 13, 2022
The Suns are once again proving they may be basketball’s most complete team. They’re in the midst of a five-game win streak, as they absolutely demolished the Milwaukee Bucks, the team they lost to in last season’s NBA Finals. Along with the huge Bucks win, the team has also beaten two of the Eastern Conference’s other top teams in the Philadelphia 76ers and Chicago Bulls. The Suns’ ability to play great defense and have the league’s second-highest scoring offense makes them the favorite going into almost every game. Their guard combo of Devin Booker and Chris Paul may be basketball’s best, while other players like Deandre Ayton, Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson all continue to improve at young ages. While the Clippers continued to show they can hang with the best, it’s going to be hard for me to pick against a rested Suns team. Still I’m not totally convinced on a 12.5 spread for either team, so I think the safest bet is to actually go for the under at 222. As mentioned, the Suns D knows how to pull the clamps and the last two times these two have played the game has been well under that total.
Michael’s NBA Pick: Under 222 (-110)
Noah Dunlap
The resilience of the Los Angeles Clippers continues to be put on full display night in and night out. This is a Clippers team that is already without their best player in Kawhi Leonard, who’s been out for the whole year, as he’s trying to recover from a torn ACL in last year’s postseason, and they’ve also been without Paul George, their second best player, for much of this season as well. Now, to make matters worse, they found out they’re going to be without newly acquired (less than two weeks ago) Norman Powell for an indefinite amount of time, as it’s being reported that he has a broken bone in his left foot. Yet, despite the obstacle course of injuries, they’re a team that continues to prod on, as they knocked off the Golden State Warriors last night, and they’re still in a playoff spot, which is incredible given what they’ve faced.
Now they take on the Phoenix Suns, and I’m not sure they’re going to end up with the same fate. Taking on the two best teams on back to back nights is already difficult enough, but having to do so without arguably your three best players seems next to impossible. Getting one win out of the two has to be considered a victory if you’re a Clips fan, but I wouldn’t be optimistic about traveling down to Phoenix and getting another one. Give me Phoenix in relatively easy fashion here, as I just think Los Angeles is going to be too exhausted to really compete.
Noah’s NBA Pick: Phoenix Suns -12.5 (-112)
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*Odds and spreads correct at time of publication, courtesy of FanDuel.
