Our free NBA Picks are out for Tuesday, November 23rd, 2021! Make sure you check our NBA Picks before the action kicks off.
Look below to find our free NBA Picks for the five best games on today’s schedule!
Miami Heat @ Detroit Pistons – 7pm ET
The Miami Heat will look to bounce back from a shock loss to the Wizards on Saturday, where they led by as many as 16 points in the third quarter. They will do so against a reeling Detroit Pistons side that has had more fights than wins over the last six days.
Denis Kirilov
The Miami Heat are off to a fantastic start this season as they are 4th in the Eastern Conference with 11 wins and 6 losses. They had one bad week when they lost 4 out of their 5 games which really had a huge negative impact on their overall win-rate. However, the team has been quite dominant throughout the campaign so far and they will look to assert this dominance over the Pistons on Tuesday. Everyone on the Heat is once again healthy and this should definitely make their last a lot easier.
The Pistons, on the other hand, has had a rough opening to this season as they are second-to-last in the East with just 4 wins out of 16 matches. To make everything worse, they have only defeated teams with a negative win ratio like the Orlando Magic, the Houston Rockets, the Indiana Pacers, and the Toronto Raptors. Jerami Grant is simply not enough for the Pistons as he needs some more help from his teammates. There is no room for comparison between both teams as the Heat can be considered a title contender, while the Pistons will most likely finish in the bottom of the table. Although Detroit has performed quite well against the Lakers and the Warriors in their most recent matches, I think they won’t have an answer to Butler’s approaches to the rim and to both Herro and Robinson’s 3-pointers. I will go with the Heat covering their spread.
Denis’ NBA Pick: Miami Heat (-480)
Cade Cunningham tonight:
13 PTS
12 REB
10 ASTHe is the third rookie in Pistons history with a triple-double in a game. pic.twitter.com/IUJjrmmQER
— StatMuse (@statmuse) November 22, 2021
Michael Lantz
At times this year, the Miami Heat have looked like the Eastern Conference’s best team. The 11-6 Heat got off to a 7-3 start, before losing Jimmy Butler for a few games due to injury. Luckily, this team stepped up without their de facto leader and went 2-1 in the games he was fully absent. As soon as Butler returned, the Heat looked like they were ready to pick up where they had left before his injury. They won three games in-a-row, before dropping their second of consecutive games against the Washington Wizards, 103-100. The Wizards have had a great year, so only losing by three doesn’t look all that bad on the surface. What does look bad is that the Heat blew a 16-point lead. After the game, Butler called the team out for their soft play; so on Tuesday night they’ll look to bounce back against the Detroit Pistons.
Detroit are feeling a bit riled up themselves: they got into a massive altercation on Sunday night against the Lakers, as Pistons forward Isiah Stewart got into it with L.A.’s LeBron James. Stewart’s actions will cause him to miss the Pistons’ next two games, but hopefully that altercation fires up this young Detroit squad. After starting off the season injured and then a bit off kilter, first overall pick Cade Cunninham has been coming along as of late, and even had a triple-double in his game against the Lakers. I expect Cunngham to continue to shine, but I can’t see this Heat team continue their losing ways after blowing their last game; especially against a pretty bad Pistons team. I’ll pick Miami.
Michael’s NBA Pick: Miami Heat (-480)
Noah Dunlap
Despite playing reasonably well and staying competitive in most of their last few games, Detroit just doesn’t have what it takes to compete with a healthy Miami team in this one. The talent on the Pistons roster is among the worst in the league, and the results so far this season have proven that, as they enter this one with a 4-12 record. The other down side for this Detroit team is that top pick Cade Cunningham, while getting better, hasn’t given them the spark they were hoping for from the draft’s number one overall pick.
Going up against a Miami Heat team that has played like one of the best teams in the league doesn’t seem like a good matchup for the Pistons here. Outside of a rough five game stretch, the Heat would be the one seed in the East, and with Jimmy Butler, Tyler Herro, and Bam Adebayo all back in the lineup, I expect Miami to take care of business handily on the road in this one.
Noah’s NBA Pick: Miami Heat -9.5 (-110)
Los Angeles Lakers @ New York Knicks – 7:30pm ET
This will be the Los Angeles Lakers’ 19th game of the season and their 11th without LeBron James. With their superstar watching from the sidelines due to being suspended, LA will look to add a second straight win when they face the New York Knicks. While the Lakers have had their ups and downs, New York has been the picture of inconsistency so far this season, with that being on display with their six point home loss to the Magic just last Wednesday.
Denis Kirilov
The Los Angeles Lakers are still far away from the rhythm they are looking for, but looking at it from a different perspective, this might be a good thing, meaning that they will reach their peak later in the season. LeBron James hasn’t played more than three consecutive games for his team as he was out with an ankle injury in late October and out for a couple more matches with an abdominal strain in early November. Russell Westbrook, Anthony Davis, and Carmelo Anthony are all superstars from high caliber, but it seems it will be tough to combine their skills altogether.
The New York Knicks had an impressive run in the beginning of the season, but later on, they started collapsing. Losses against the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Orlando Magic shouldn’t happen frequently, but so far, that’s the case with the team from the “Big Apple”. The inability to close out easy at first sight games was the main factor that caused numerous games in their past seasons which resulted in either them not reaching the Playoffs or just getting tossed out of the final competition in the early rounds. Since the Lakers are considered to be a big team, I think that the Knicks will be able to show most of their potential in Madison Square Garden on Tuesday. I will take them as the final winner of the game.
Denis’ NBA Pick: New York Knicks (-156)
Michael Lantz
The Lakers are coming off a very gritty (and heavily publicized), comeback win against the Detroit Pistons. In the third quarter, the Lakers’ LeBron James and the Pistons’ Isaiah Stewart got into an ugly altercation that ultimately ended in both their ejections. Now, James will be suspended for one game: Tuesday’s matchup against the Knicks.
Meanwhile, the Knicks have stayed alive at 9-8, but they’ve definitely run into some frustrations since starting the season 5-1. The team has unfortunately moved away from the defensive identity that made them such a force last season. This season they’re still in the top five in opposing field goal percentage, but are in the lower half of opposing points per game and three-point percentage; last year they led the league in all three. It’s important for Tom Thibodeau’s team to try and get back to their old style of play. The Lakers may have gotten a bit of a spark after the scuffle with the Pistons, but the Knicks won’t get many chances to play a Lebron-less Lakers team at home. New York has let me down a lot this year, but I’ll give them another chance.
Michael’s NBA Pick: New York Knicks (-156)
Noah Dunlap
The Los Angeles Lakers continue to prove that throwing together a roster of rag-tag former All-Stars past their prime isn’t a recipe for success in today’s NBA. Dwight Howard, Russell Westbrook, and Ramon Rondo are proving to add nothing to the team, and with LeBron missing much of the year so far, LA is struggling and I don’t see that stopping anytime soon. Add in the fact that LeBron will miss this one due to a suspension (by the way, NBA, be better. Should’ve been more than one game) and I think they find themselves in trouble in this one.
New York, after a great start, have run into plenty of issues of their own, as they refuse to play defense, and the offense has slowed down as well, dropping their record to a mediocre 9-8. However, even with the abysmal play as of late, I like the Knicks at home in this one. I look for them to come out and try to play physical, taking advantage of a LeBron-less Lakers squad that is almost certainly going to have to end up going small. I think it’s a tight, low-scoring contest, with New York squeaking out a win late.
Noah’s NBA Pick: New York Knicks (-156)
Denver Nuggets @ Portland Trail Blazers – 10pm ET
We head out West for a matchup between two 9-8 teams as the Portland Trail Blazers host the Denver Nuggets. These sides met in Denver just over a week ago and the Nuggets won by 29 points, but Portland is 8-1 at home this season, not losing inside the Mode Center since their opening game.
Denis Kirilov
The Denver Nuggets and the Portland Trail Blazers is a match that has been a treat to watch recently. Both teams faced each other in Ball Arena a week ago and the hosts took a convincing 29-point win. Nikola Jokic was one rebound and one assist away from making a triple-double, but his 28 points were more than enough for his team to easily close out the game. Damian Lillard was missing for the Trail Blazers and it seems that without him the team is quite mediocre, although they have players like CJ McCollum and Jusuf Nurkic.
Both teams are neck and neck in the overall standings as the Trail Blazers are off to an impressive 3-0 run recently, defeating teams like the Raptors, the Bulls, and the 76ers. Denver, on the other hand, displayed some poor performance last week, losing all 4 games, most of which by a significant margin. Furthermore, Nikola Jokic is questionable for the upcoming fixture with a wrist issue, while Zeke Nnaji and Michael Porter are still recovering from their injuries. Moreover, Vlatko Cancar and Jamal Murray are yet to make their first appearance for the Nuggets, but this will happen in the most optimistic case around Christmas. For me, this is a perfect time for the Blazers to get their revenge against a weakened Nuggets’ team and I will go with Portland’s spread here.
Denis’ NBA Pick: Portland Trail Blazers -5.5 (-110)
.@Dame_Lillard has been named the @NBA Western Conference Player of the Week.
Congrats, Dame! https://t.co/JTXBjj9XrB pic.twitter.com/M4Y4HbMcyJ
— Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) November 22, 2021
Michael Lantz
After a bumpy start, the Portland Trail Blazers are finally shaping up to be the contender many predicted in the preseason. They’ve won three straight games and Damian Lillard was just announced as the “Western Conference Player of the Week.” Now, this Portland team will look to get even with a Denver Nuggets team that beat them by nearly 30 on November 14th.
Denver has had some bad luck with injuries this season, as Jamal Murray continues to recover from a torn ACL and now Michael Porter Jr. may miss the rest of the season with a perpetual back problem that he’s suffered from since high school. Now, the Nuggets are relying more than ever for defending MVP Nikola Jokic to come up big, as well as a supporting cast that’s very solid on both sides of the ball, but doesn’t really possess a pure number two. The Nuggets saving grace comes with their defense, as they are second in the league in least points given up per game. They’ll depend on that aspect to frustrate the Blazers, much like their meeting a little over a week ago. Still, I expect the Blazers to take advantage of their always trusty home-court advantage and even up the season series against Denver.
Michael’s NBA Pick: Portland Trail Blazers -5.5 (-110)
Noah Dunlap
After a month of disappointing play, the Portland Trail Blazers seem as if they may have finally turned a corner. They’ve seen a Damian Lillard that actually looks like he wants to play basketball, and with him playing better, the rest of the team is coming around as well. The one questionable side of this for Portland is that they now play the same Denver team that just beat them by almost 30 barely a week ago.
For Denver, it’s been a disappointing two weeks or so, as they’ve dropped four straight, and now it looks as if they’ll be without Nikola Jokic, who is questionable with a wrist injury. They’re already without Jamal Murray, who is recovering from a torn ACL, and now Michael Porter, Jr. may be out for the year, as well. If Portland wants to prove that they’re going to become a legitimate contender in the Western Conference, they have to be able to come out and beat a Nuggets squad that is as injured and beat up as they are. I like Dame to step up in what seems much like a must-win, getting his Trail Blazers a tight win at home against a really good defensive team. The spread sits at Portland -5.5, and while I like them to win, I don’t know about margin of victory, so take what you can with the Blazers moneyline and be happy.
Noah’s NBA Pick: Portland Trail Blazers (-225)
Dallas Mavericks @ Los Angeles Clippers – 10:30pm ET
For the second time in three days, the Los Angeles Clippers will host the Dallas Mavericks. LA won Sunday’s matchup by six points, with Paul George and Kristaps Porzingis going toe-for-toe on the scoring front. However, the Mavs may be bolstered by the return of Luka Doncic, who is listed questionable for this clash after missing the last three, all of which were Dallas losses.
Denis Kirilov
Game 2 for the season between the Dallas Mavericks and the Los Angeles Clippers will once again take place in Staples Center on Tuesday night. They faced each other on Sunday with Clippers getting the final victory after a 97:91 win. Luka Doncic missed a couple of games for the Mavs and he will be sidelined for this one as well. However, even without him, Dallas fought well until the end and were also close to tying the match in the last minutes.
After their 7-game winning streak, the Clippers are playing quite differently as either Paul George or Reggie Jackson underperform from which the whole team suffers. Recently, they lost to the Pelicans, the Grizzlies, and the Bulls. Tyronn Lue will have to make some amendments, if he wants his players to keep their form throughout the season. The team from LA will mainly depend on its two core players, PG and Reggie, and if some of them have a tough night, then it might become difficult for them to pass the 100-point mark. Moreover, the main driving force for the Mavs won’t be available for Jason Kidd which will further make the match even more different. That’s why I would go with the option for “under points” in this game.
Denis’ NBA Pick: Under 212.5 (-110)
Michael Lantz
After there was some hope that Luka Doncic would return for Tuesday night’s game, it now appears that the all-star has re-aggravated his knee injury. Doncic will miss the Mavericks’ second straight game against the L.A. Clippers, after they lost 91-97 on Sunday night. That loss would be the Mavericks fourth straight—all without Doncic. While Kristaps Porzingis is starting to put up all-star numbers, the team needs Luka there to be the number one option.
Meanwhile, the Clippers sit at 10-7 on the year and despite being less-than-outstanding in any statistical category, they’ve been led by Paul George and a quality supporting cast in the absence of Kawhi Leonard. Players like Reggie Jackson, Ivica Zubac, and Nic Batum have kept this Clippers team afloat, with their ability to step up and fill up the stat sheet. After how close the Doncic-less Mavericks played the Clips on Sunday, it’s tempting to pick them to make the proper adjustments going into Tuesday. That being said, I just don’t know if I can bet against the Clippers at home.
Michael’s NBA Pick: Los Angeles Clippers (-190)
Noah Dunlap
These two teams met only two days ago, with LA getting a 6-point win over the Luka-less Dallas Mavericks. Kristaps Porzingis played well for Dallas, but even with that solid play, it became clear that Doncic is the leader of this team and they struggle if he isn’t in the lineup. Which is where the problem lies. Luka has already been ruled out for this one, as well, making me question whether the Mavs can come out and get a win. I don’t like Porzingis to play as well as he did on Sunday, and without that, plus more from the rest of the supporting cast, Dallas just doesn’t have much of a shot in this one.
The LA Clippers have struggled a bit throughout the year, but still sit at 10-7, which isn’t terrible considering the fact that Kawhi Leonard hasn’t returned from the injury suffered last year. Instead, they’ve had to rely heavily upon Paul George and Reggie Jackson, but have also seen quality minutes from the rest of George’s supporting cast. As long as the rest of the roster continues to play reasonably well, I think the Clips will be fine, but if they slip, I question whether PG-13 and Jackson can handle the entire load themselves. The good news for LA is that, in this one, I think they’ll be fine, and they’ll take care of business against a depleted Dallas team.
Noah’s NBA Pick: Los Angeles Clippers (-190)
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*Odds and spreads correct at time of publication, courtesy of FanDuel.
