Our free NBA Picks are out for Tuesday, November 2nd, 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!
Milwaukee Bucks @ Detroit Pistons – 7pm EDT
The Milwaukee Bucks are on the road when they take on the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday night. The Bucks are looking for a win tonight to snap their three game losing streak, which has their record at 3-4, and in their previous game they lost, 95-107, to the Jazz. The Pistons are also in desperate need of a win, with their season record standing at 1-5, and last time out they lost to the Nets, 91-117.
Denis Kirilov
The Milwaukee Bucks are off to a bumpy ride in the beginning of the season. Their performance highly fluctuates on a daily basis and this is not what their fans have been imagining after winning the NBA Championship last season. The absences of Brook Lopez and Jrue Holiday have been crucial for the outcome of some of the games as there was nobody to guard players like Donovan Mitchell and Tyler Herro.
Detroit is having a rough period as they are building a new team from scratch. They lost 5 of their 6 games until now and the signs aren’t looking bright. The Bulls, the Hawks, and the Nets didn’t give them any chance to compete and it seems many more games like these ones will follow. So far Giannis is carrying the Bucks, but with so many health issues within the roster, they will need to focus on more team plays. I think that Pat Connaughton, Grayson Allen, and Bobby Portis are more than enough for Milwaukee to take the win with ease. Hence, I will trust the Bucks to cover their spread given by the bookmakers.
Denis’ NBA Pick: Milwaukee Bucks -5 (-110)
Michael Lantz
Normally this one would be a no-brainer. Last season’s world champions against the team that picked first overall in the 2021 draft. But the Milwaukee Bucks have been hit with some injuries as of late. They’ve been without Jrue Holiday and Brook Lopez and may be without Khris Middleton on Tuesday because of COVID protocol. Luckily for the Bucks, they get to play a poor Detroit Pistons team while those three all potentially sit out.
“Nobody’s gonna feel sorry for us. We’re the defending Champions.” pic.twitter.com/dm4ZAmYAlo
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) November 1, 2021
Detroit will definitely see this as their best chance to beat the Bucks in the foreseeable future. Additionally, they’ll have Cade Cunningham back for only the second time this year. The number one pick in this year’s draft had a rough debut against the Orlando Magic, going 1-8 with only 2 points in 19 minutes. But it was his first game back from injury, so this is not a trend we should expect to see continue. Still, despite being a bit hobbled, Milwaukee won’t want to lose to a lowly Pistons team at home. I still expect them to pull off the win comfortably.
Michael’s NBA Pick: Milwaukee Bucks -5 (-110)
Noah Dunlap
Both of these teams have been a bit disappointing to start the season, one more so than the other. It seemed that everyone had a feeling that Detroit was going to struggle, seeing as the roster just doesn’t have enough talent to compete at a high level, but I’m not sure many expected quite how bad they’ve been.
On the other side, few to none expected the struggles we’ve seen from the defending champs. One factor to consider when discussing Milwaukee’s struggles is to mention the injury issues they’ve been facing so far. With Giannis and Khris Middleton being the only healthy key players they’ve had, I question how hard they’ve been playing through this tough stretch. They’re certainly going to make the playoffs and get hot when the rest of the roster gets healthy, but for now it seems they’ve been biding their time. Even with the depleted roster, Milwaukee wins this one with ease, as Detroit has no answer for Giannis.
Noah’s NBA Pick: Milwaukee Bucks -5 (-110)
Miami Heat @ Dallas Mavericks – 7:30pm EDT
The Miami Heat look to continue their great start to the season when they take on the Dallas Mavericks. The Heat have a season record of 5-1, and in their previous game they won against the Grizzlies, 129-103. The Mavericks are off to a reasonable start, with their record at 4-2, and last time out they won against the Kings, 105-99.
Denis Kirilov
The Miami Heat is the big name in the beginning of the 2021/22 NBA season. They dismantled some of the best teams in the League and there is no sign of stopping. The team from Florida defeated the Grizzlies by 26 points and the Bucks by 42 points. They put the Nets in their back pocket after a 106-93 win and crushed a well performing Charlotte’s squad by 15 points. Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, and Tyler Herro are simply the real deal at the moment and it’s hard to think how they can lose a game right now.
The Mavs is a team who can put an end to this momentum, but they are having mixed periods in the beginning of the season so far. They have 2 huge losses (75-106 to Denver and 87-113 to Atlanta) and the other 4 wins were against weaker opponents who found a way to fight until the end. This is definitely a red flag for Luka Doncic and his teammates as the team needs to urgently do something in order to get easier wins and to get their best players some rest throughout the regular season. When it comes to this game, I think that the Heat are a bit more consistent and should take home the victory.
Denis’ NBA Pick: Miami Heat (-116)
Michael Lantz
This should be a fun one as Luka Doncic and the Mavericks take on arguably the league’s best team in the Miami Heat. The Heat are 5-1, with their loss being a bit of a fluke against the Indiana Pacers, as Kyle Lowry was out. Otherwise they’ve looked dominant against their fiercest opponents.
Meanwhile the Dallas Mavericks have been a bit unpredictable. After an opening loss to the Atlanta Hawks, they went on a three-game win streak only to be dominated by the Denver Nuggets. But they bounced back against a speedy Sacramento Kings team and hope to carry that momentum into a win against the Heat. Dallas has struggled to find a true second option behind Doncic, but in facing such a big opponent, I can see Luka going absolutely berserk in this one, even though his career scoring average against Miami is under 19 per game. Still, I’ll take a tough Heat team to continue to roll on.
Michael’s NBA Pick: Miami Heat (-116)
Noah Dunlap
This is an exciting early season matchup, and if you base this one on last season, Dallas wins handily. However, with Miami coming out of the gate hot to start the year, looking more like the team that advanced to the NBA Finals from two years ago, this game becomes a little harder to predict.
For Dallas, they’ve been underwhelming so far this season, as even Luka Doncic has been somewhat less effective than many thought he’d be. However, despite that, he’s still putting up absolutely silly numbers. The problem in this one is that I’m not sure Dallas has the depth to deal with what Miami is going to throw at them. Luka can guard either Jimmy Butler or Tyler Herro, but not both, and with Bam Adebayo or Markieff Morris down low, I’m not sure who the Mavericks have that can score on that defensive duo in the paint. Because of that, give me Miami to sneak away with a close one on the road, and with the line set at Miami -1, which seems a touch low, go ahead and be comfortable enough to take that.
Noah’s NBA Pick: Miami Heat -1 (-110)
Sacramento Kings @ Utah Jazz – 9pm EDT
The Sacramento Kings take on the red hot Utah Jazz, who are playing at home on Tuesday night. The Kings have a season record of 3-3, and in their previous game they lost to the Mavericks, 99-105. The Jazz have a great season record of 5-1, and in their previous game they got a nice win against the Bucks, 107-95.
Denis Kirilov
Harrison Barnes is probably having his best start to a season in his career so far. He relies much on his consistency, with which he has helped his team to secure wins over the Blazers, the Suns, and the Pelicans. Richaun Holmes is putting up big numbers in terms of rebounds, while De’Aaron Fox is getting more creative which improves his assists stats. The team is playing really well and each one of them can contribute with a little something so that the team as a whole can elevate their level.
The Utah Jazz is one of the best teams in the NBA at the moment and they are looking to further build up on their fabulous performance. Defeating the Nuggets and the Bucks gave them even more confidence and motivation to hustle for further dominance. The team is relentless from the 3-point line, as it has the whole team that can make long-distance shots.
In addition to this, Donovan Mitchell is even more successful in his approaches to the basket, which makes them close to untouchable at the moment. Although I highly believe that Utah’s reign at the top of the table will continue, I would go with a pick concerning the number of points. Having in mind both teams’ great condition, I think that we can be in for a treat tomorrow and watch a fantastic game between the Kings and the Jazz; and that’s why I will choose over 219 points for the match.
Denis’ NBA Pick: Over 219 (-110)
Michael Lantz
The Utah Jazz have started the season 5-1 in a pursuit to reclaim the number one seed for the second year in a row. Their lone loss this year came against the Chicago Bulls, in a game they were missing Mike Conley. Utah looks to continue to be top dogs in the Western Conference against a Sacramento Kings team that’s looking for some respect.
Congratulations to @rudygobert27 on being named the Western Conference player of the week 🏆#TakeNotehttps://t.co/VHfbmj6BFg pic.twitter.com/l19j4A9qyK
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) November 1, 2021
The Kings lost a close game to the Dallas Mavericks on Halloween, but prior to that had a couple solid wins against the Phoenix Suns and the New Orleans Pelicans. They’ve had great games from De’Aaron Fox and Buddy Hield, but one of their most consistent performers thus far has been Richaun Holmes, who is averaging over 16 points and 10.5 rebounds per game. Still, this Jazz team is so deep when healthy, they already won comfortably against the Kings in Sacramento in October and they might just be too tough for the Kings in Salt Lake City as well.
Michael’s NBA Pick: Utah Jazz -9 (-110)
Noah Dunlap
Utah continues to show why they’re the best regular-season team in the league, and why they have been over multiple years. With pieces like Rudy Gobert, Donovan Mitchell, and an aging Mike Conley still leading the way. Also with Joe Ingles and Jordan Clarkson giving them solid, productive minutes on the side, it’s easy to see why it’s foolish to bet against Utah, especially in the regular season.
Sacramento continues to show flashes of what’s to be expected in the future, but starting the year 3-3, with a roster as young as they are, I can’t fathom a way that De’Aaron Fox, Tyrese Haliburton, Buddy Hield, and Harrison Barnes can put up enough points to hang with this Jazz team. The Kings up-tempo offense keeps this one close for awhile, but as we enter the fourth quarter, look for Utah to slow the game down, finding high-percentage shots, and using a solid defensive effort to pull away, so be confident in taking Utah and the spread in this one.
Noah’s NBA Pick: Utah Jazz -9 (-110)
New Orleans Pelicans @ Phoenix Suns – 10pm EDT
The New Orleans Pelicans desperately need a win to jump start their season when they take on the Phoenix Suns. The Pelicans have a season record of 1-6, and in their last game they lost to the Knicks, 117-123. The Suns have a season record of 2-3, and last time out they won, 101-92, against the Cavaliers.
Denis Kirilov
The New Orleans Pelicans are definitely struggling without their superstar, Zion Williamson. They lost 6 of their 7 opening games for the season and the situation is going from bad to worse. The team’s leading scorer, Brandon Ingram, picked up a hip injury after the match against the Sacramento Kings. Jonas Valanciunas might be a monster in the paint, but without decent shooters, the team will have huge issues in the upcoming games.
The Suns are finding it difficult to get the victories they need as they already have 3 losses to their name. However, Chris Paul, Devin Booker, and Deandre Ayton shouldn’t have a problem against this Pelicans’ squad. With the help of Mikal Bridges, Cameron Johnson, and JaVale McGee, this match should be a walk in the park for the Suns as I am expecting a double-digit difference at the end of the last quarter. Hence, I find it easy to trust Phoenix to cover their spread in this fixture.
Denis’ NBA Pick: Phoenix Suns -12 (-110)
Michael Lantz
To almost no surprise, the New Orleans Pelicans are pretty terrible without Zion Williamson. Now, they might be without Brandon Ingram for the second straight game in a matchup against the defending Western Conference champs. A silver lining for the Pelicans: they have got a great season out of Jonas Valanciunas, who probably won’t be an all-star due to how bad his team is, but numbers wise should be considered (19.4 points per game and 14.6 rebounds per game).
The Phoenix Suns have looked a little hungover from last season’s NBA Finals loss to the Milwaukee Bucks. They’re only 2-3 with a lot of season left, but so far just haven’t been able to put it together yet. They just beat a bad Cleveland Cavaliers team on Saturday, but prior to that they got beaten by the Sacramento Kings and just days before that were blown out by the Portland Trail Blazers. Luckily they’ll get a break by playing a hobbled Pelicans team—leading them back to a .500 record and hopefully brighter days ahead.
Michael’s NBA Pick: Phoenix Suns -12 (-110)
Noah Dunlap
Suns with ease. I don’t see New Orleans, who has started the year 1-6, finding enough points in this one. With Jonas Valanciunas and potentially looking at sliding Brandon Ingram down low, they can arguably hang out in the paint, but that does nothing for the trio that Phoenix brings on the perimeter with CP3, Devin Booker, and Cameron Johnson. It’s also worth noting that DeAndre Ayton is a force himself down in the paint, so there’s no guarantee that the Pels can find success down low, either.
Even with Phoenix starting the season slow, sitting at 2-3, it’s important to know that this is virtually the same roster that made a run to the NBA Finals last year. The talent is there, it’s just a matter of when they decide to hit the gas and go. While they haven’t done it yet, and I’m honestly not sure they actually have to in this one, I think the talent disparity rears its head, and the Suns cruise to a relatively easy win at home.
Noah’s NBA Pick: Phoenix Suns (-770)
Houston Rockets @ Los Angeles Lakers – 10:30pm EDT
The Houston Rockets are another team that is desperate for a win, and they will be taking on the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night. The Rockets have a season record of 1-5, and in their previous game they lost to the Lakers, 85-95. The Lakers will be looking to make it two from two when they take on the Rockets for the second time in as many games, and they have a season record of 4-3.
Denis Kirilov
Game 2 between the Rockets and the Lakers will take place tonight at Staples Centre once again. In their first head-to-head match for this season, the Lakers managed to overcome the resistance from the Rockets, winning 95-85. The Lakers have lost more than they would have expected so far and they are now trying to make up for their mistakes in the games against the Warriors, the Suns, and the Thunder. LeBron James will be looking for his 5th ring this year, but all these new hungry teams will put in a great competition for the title.
The Rockets are not the same team as they have used to be in the previous years and they will need some time before they can get back to their glorious days. Eric Gordon, Christian Wood, and Kevin Porter are the core players of the team and the game will be played around them. Keeping in mind that the Lakers is an old team and that they need to take it easy in some matches, I think that games like this one will be more for players like Russell Westbrook, Anthony Davis, and some of their younger teammates. Hence, I am not expecting a fantastic show in Staples Center, as I believe the match will be more strategic and conservative than dynamic and focused on the offense. That’s why I am picking the option for under 218 points.
Denis’ NBA Pick: Under 218 (-110)
Michael Lantz
For the second game in a row, the Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Lakers face off—once again at Staples Center. On Sunday night, the Lakers won by double digits as Russell Westbrook tormented his former team with a near triple-double (20/9/8). I know it’s still early and it’s only against the Rockets, but Westbrook seems to be meshing a bit better with the Lakers stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Plus the Lakers have been getting great help from Carmelo Anthony who has positioned himself into the early season sixth man race.
The King can still run with the best of them 👑 pic.twitter.com/MkjyUvHauw
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) November 1, 2021
Houston’s season is going about as expected, they’re 1-5 and aside from Christian Wood, haven’t really had much to talk about. Still, this team with other young talent including 2021 second overall pick Jalen Green and young guard Kevin Porter Jr., and they are worth checking out for future purposes. But, if the Lakers go at them 100%, or even if one of their stars sits out, it should be another easy Lakers. win.
Michael’s NBA Pick: Los Angele Lakers -10.5 (-110)
Noah Dunlap
In their last outing, the Lakers took care of this same Houston Rockets team by double-digits. I don’t see that result magically changing in a mere couple of days. While Los Angeles has looked shaky at times this season, I don’t see them struggling all that much against the Rockets. Guys like Christian Wood, Kevin Porter, Jr., and Jalen Green has shown glimpses of what the future could look like in Houston, and while it’s certainly bright, they’re not ready to hang in and compete with the older, much more experienced squad that the Lakers are going to be throwing at them.
The one saving grace for the Rockets in this one would be if Lakers head coach Frank Vogel decided to sit multiple of his starters in the name of rest, but that’s not an assumption I would be willing to make when it comes to your money. Look for the Lakers to win with ease, although the 10.5 number does seem a bit high to me. Take the Lakers to win comfortably, but not 10.5 comfortably.
Noah’s NBA Pick: Houston Rockets +10.5 (-110)
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*Odds and spreads correct at time of publication, courtesy of FanDuel.
