Free NBA Picks Today for Wednesday, January 20th, 2021

Free NBA Picks Today for Wednesday, January 20th, 2021
Wed 20th January 2021

Our NBA picks got 2/2 winners last night and we are confident we have 10 tonight.

A massive 10 games is headlined by the Celtics taking on the Sixers in Philadelphia, but will Boston be able to get the win on the road despite Jayson Tatum still being out?

We have the answer to that and plenty more below in our NBA picks.

Washington Wizards @ Charlotte Hornets – 7PM ET

*This game was postponed due to COVID-19 health and safety protocols, a new date has not been confirmed at this time*

Brooklyn Nets @ Cleveland Cavaliers – 7PM ET

Well, we finally get to see it. Kyrie Irving is a confirmed starter for this one and we will be able to see how the Brooklyn Nets’ big 3 plays together. And no better team to do it against than Irving’s original team, the Cleveland Cavaliers. 

Cleveland is coming off a three point victory over the Knicks on Friday night as they had two games against the Wizards, that were both supposed to be between then and now, postponed due to COVID-19.


Andre Drummond had one of the best games of the season in the win, dropping 33 points, 23 rebounds, two steals and two blocks, but now there is a question over his future with the franchise. 

As part of the trade that saw James Harden land in Brooklyn, the Cavaliers acquired Jarrett Allen, as well as Taurean Prince, from the Nets. Allen is a budding young center and will be a cornerstone of Cleveland’s future, meaning Drummond may be left out in the dark.

One of the other aspects of that trade, as previously mentioned, is Harden joining Irving and Kevin Durant in Brooklyn. The Beard has averaged 33 points, nine boards and 13 assists in his two games in a Nets uniform so far, and both were wins including over the Bucks on Monday. 

Harden made comments about playing more point guard in Brooklyn, but that is Irving’s position and it will be interesting to see how Steve Nash uses all three of his ball dominant superstars. 

While there may be some teething issues for Brooklyn, their big 3 is far superior to anyone on the Cavaliers roster and their talent alone should get the job done for them. 

NBA Pick – Brooklyn Nets (-450)
NBA Spread – Brooklyn Nets -9.5 (-110)
Game Totals Pick – Under 219.5 (-110)

Dallas Mavericks @ Indiana Pacers – 7PM ET

An interesting clash here between two sides that are undermanned at the moment. Dallas continues to miss over half of their rotation due to health and safety protocols while Indiana are missing two from their regular starting five. 

The Pacers return home from a four game West Coast road trip and have lost Victor Oladipo (trade) and Myles Turner (broken hand). While they wait for Turner and Caris LeVert, who they acquired in the Oladipo trade, to recover from injuries, they are pushing their depth to its limits.

That was shown on Sunday in a massive 33 point loss to the Clippers where the Pacers could only manage 96 points while allowing three LA players to score 20 points and another four in double figures.


While the Pacers have won two of their last three, Dallas comes in on a three game losing streak and has lost their last two by a combined 39 points. Tim Hardaway Jr made headlines for all the wrong reasons on Monday, scoring 0 points in almost 27 minutes of action shooting 0/12 from the field. Luka Doncic also had an off night with just 15 points on 4/11 shooting and Dallas just weren’t able to score enough. 

We are expecting both teams to come out a bit better offensively in this one but with Dallas missing more players and really struggling over their last two games, we are siding with the Pacers. Indiana is 3-1 after a loss and they should be able to rally again for this one.

NBA Pick – Indiana Pacers (-115)
NBA Spread – Indiana Pacers -1 (-110)
Game Totals Pick – Under 219 (-110)

Boston Celtics @ Philadelphia 76ers – 7PM ET

A massive battle between two Eastern Conference heavyweights and a rematch of last season’s opening round matchup that saw the Boston Celtics sweep the Philadelphia 76ers.

Things have changed a lot since then, most importantly that the Celtics are without their superstar Jayson Tatum, who is still recovering from testing positive for COVID-19. 

Boston’s last outing saw Kemba Walker play his first game of the season, but everything went downhill from the jump. The Celtics only managed 75 points, tied for the most under Brad Stevens, and missed a whopping 39 three pointers, which is a franchise record. Jaylen Brown managed 25 points but no one else could contribute and Tatum was sorely missed. 

They now play Philadelphia who are back to full strength and ready to get their season back on track. The Sixers once had the best record in the East but were derailed by a COVID-19 outbreak. Now with the band back together, Philly should be looking to get some revenge on Boston for last season’s forced early exit, especially with them missing their leader and first option scorer. 

Their last time out saw them fall to the Grizzlies by two but Joel Embiid didn’t play in that one and he will be looking to impose himself on the undermanned Boston frontcourt. This will be a classic matchup between these two Atlantic Division rivals, however Philadelphia is healthier and that will be enough to get them over the line. 

NBA Pick – Philadelphia 76ers (-225)
NBA Spread – Philadelphia 76ers -5.5 (-110)
Game Totals Pick – Under 220 (-110)

Detroit Pistons @ Atlanta Hawks – 7:30PM ET

Two struggling Eastern Conference teams go head to head in Atlanta and we have to side with the home team in this one. 

Detroit has been playing a lot better recently, going 2-3 in their last five after starting 1-7, but just doesn’t have the right pieces to work together and get some consistent positive performances on the board. Jerami Grant would be the runaway favorite for Most Improved Player if it wasn’t for Christian Wood, scoring 51 points across two games against Miami, one of which Detroit won.


What would encourage Detroit fans is that he had two teammates score over 20 points last time out, with Wayne Ellington scoring 24 points on 7/11 shooting from deep while Derrick Rose had another good game with 21 off the bench. 

They face a much different opponent here in Atlanta, who has all of the right pieces but can’t seem to score enough points to win games lately. Monday was one of their best whole team performances with De’Andre Hunter leading the way scoring 25 points while all five starters managed to score at least 15. Trae Young and Clint Capela both had 20-point double-doubles, but now it will be a test as to whether they can back it up. 

Delon Wright is a pesky on ball defender and should be able to hamper Young’s output, but if he is sharing the ball the way he has been lately then the Hawks should be able to overcome that. 

NBA Pick – Atlanta Hawks (230)
NBA Spread – Atlanta Hawks -5.5 (-110)
Game Totals Pick – Under 221 (-110)

Miami Heat @ Toronto Raptors – 7:30PM ET

Another team that has been decimated by a COVID-19 outbreak, Miami has struggled over the last 1.5 weeks and to make things worse, they face an in-form Toronto Raptors team whilst still missing players. 

Jimmy Butler, Avery Bradley and Myers Leonard will all miss this one again while Tyler Herro is questionable with a neck injury. They have dropped three of their last four and the win over Detroit on Monday was far from convincing. After losing to the Pistons by 20 points two nights earlier, Miami gave up a 24-36 head start after one quarter and had to claw their way back into it. 

They needed 50 points from Bam Adebayo and Goran Dragic to get over the line but Toronto is a much better opponent. The Raptors have won four of their last six and lost both games over that stretch by just one point. 

Their most recent win saw them beat the Mavericks by 23 points and had contributions from all across the board. Kyle Lowry had 23, nine boards and seven assists while Fred VanVleet and OG Anunoby had quieter scoring nights but combined for six steals. An important aspect for Toronto has been Chris Boucher and Normal Powell’s scoring off the bench, putting up 21 points with 10 boards and 17 points respectively. 

Toronto is playing some very good basketball at the moment and is one of the more in form teams across the league. Given they are playing a shorthanded Miami team, they should be able to get their fourth straight. 

NBA Pick – Toronto Raptors (-160)
NBA Spread – Toronto Raptors -3.5 (-110)
Game Totals Pick – Under 219.5 (-110)

Orlando Magic @ Minnesota Timberwolves – 8PM ET

Two sides who are struggling due to missing players as the Orlando Magic, losers of six straight, take on the Minnesota Timberwolves, losers of nine of their last 10. 

Orlando’s six game slide started after losing Markelle Fultz to injury and they have only managed to score 100 once over that span. On Monday they lost to the Knicks 84-91 in a game that was painful to watch. Nikola Vucevic continues to do his thing with 24 points and 14 rebounds while Aaron Gordon had his best all around game of the season with 18 points, 17 rebounds and nine assists and Terrance Ross contributed 19 off the bench.

Outside of those three, Orlando has no one that should be getting decent minutes on any team. Three of their starters combined for just 13 points and while they are still injured, that doesn’t look like changing.


Minnesota on the other hand showed some fight, despite missing their best player in Karl-Anthony Towns. D’Angelo Russell stepped up in his absence with 31 points, seven assists and four steals while Malik Beasley and Anthony Edwards had nice games as support. The Wolves are just 1-7 without Towns in the lineup and they have no one that will be able to slow down Vucevic. 

With that being said, the Magic don’t have anyone to slow down both Russell and Beasley and we are backing the Wolves to cause the upset at home here. 

NBA Pick – Minnesota Timberwolves (+150)
NBA Spread – Minnesota Timberwolves +4 (-110)
Game Totals Pick – Under 215.5 (-110)

Phoenix Suns @ Houston Rockets – 9:30PM ET

This is a tough game to pick between a pair of sides who lost last time out after going into those games with unusual preparations. Phoenix had an entire week off due to having multiple games postponed as a result of a COVID-19 outbreak in the team. Houston were playing their first game with new addition Victor Oladipo, but were without John Wall who is now dealing with knee pain and will miss again here. 

Oladipo balled out in his club debut with 32 points, nine assists and two steals and seemed to connect well with his new running mate, Christian Wood, who had 30 points and nine boards. Eric Gordon returned from injury to put up an efficient 21 points but the issue was at the other end of the floor. Houston let Chicago, who were on the second night of a back to back, to score 125 points.

That sort of defense won’t work against Phoenix who has multiple players that can score at will but will also put in a better effort than the Bulls at slowing the Rockets down. Phoenix suffered an upset loss to the Grizzlies on Monday, but we are putting that one down to rust and expecting them to come out ready to go in this one. Deandre Ayton led the team with 18 points and 16 boards but Devin Booker scored just 12 on 5/21 shooting. 

There are two game defining matchups in this one; Ayton v Wood and Booker v Oladipo, but we are focusing on the first of those two. If Ayton can stay out of foul trouble and relatively contain Wood, that will go a long way in contributing to Phoenix coming out on top. Alternatively, if Wood can impose himself and play like he has been to start the season, the Suns might not be able to keep up. 

Prior to their loss on Monday, which we are happy to look over given the week that they had, Phoenix were 3-0 coming off a loss and given their combination of experience, leadership and talent on both ends of the floor, we are picking them to get the job done here. 

NBA Pick – Phoenix Suns (-220)
NBA Spread – Houston Rockets +5.5 (-110)
Game Totals Pick – Over 219.5 (-110)

San Antonio Spurs @ Golden State Warriors – 10PM ET

The San Antonio Spurs head to the Bay Area on the back of an extremely impressive win in Portland on Monday night, looking to get their third straight win when facing a familiar foe in the Golden State Warriors. 

While the Blazers were short handed, San Antonio took care of business and did the only thing they could which was beat the team in front of them. The Spurs didn’t lose a quarter on the way to their 21 point win with four players scoring at least 20 points, the first time any team has done that this season. LaMarcus Aldridge had an efficient 22 points while Rudy Gay and Patty Mills both had 21 off the bench. 

What is even more impressive is DeMar DeRozan and Dejounte Murray having 11 assists each, and the Spurs will need that sort of ball movement against the Warriors. San Antonio allowed Damian Lillard to score 35 points and now face another shooting point guard threat in Steph Curry.


The Warriors managed to come all the way back from 19 points down to defeat the Lakers by two points, with Curry leading the way with his 26 points and seven assists. Kelly Oubre Jr. had his best game of the season with 23 points and two steals while Eric Paschall had 19 off the bench. 

Andrew Wiggins has been playing very well on both ends of the floor so far this season but is listed as questionable with knee soreness. The Warriors will need his scoring punch and also his defense on DeRozan in this one, so his status could be a big determining factor. 

Given the Warriors are on the first of a back to back set tonight, we are cautiously assuming that Wiggins will miss and that will be enough for the Spurs to get the win on the road. 

NBA Pick – San Antonio Spurs (-102)
NBA Spread – San Antonio Spurs +1.5 (-110)
Game Totals Pick – Under 226.5 (-110)

Memphis Grizzlies @ Portland Trail Blazers – 10PM ET

The Memphis Grizzlies are riding a five game winning streak into Portland and will be looking to make it six on the trot against an injury riddled Trail Blazers unit. 

Portland is missing both CJ McCollum and Jusuf Nurkic to serious injuries and Monday’s 21 point loss to the Spurs showed how much those two mean and how little depth they have.

Damian Lillard still managed to put up 35 points and six assists while Rodney Hood enjoyed the increased responsibility with 21 points on 64.3% shooting, but just one other player scored in double figures and they also allowed the Spurs to put up 125 points. 

Memphis has managed to keep opponents to under 104 points per game over their streak and will be looking to put the clamps Lillard and the Blazers tonight, especially with the extra feeling in this one after Portland defeated Memphis in the first ever playoffs play-in game last season. 

Ja Morant has now played two games back from a serious ankle injury and has been a big driving force in their last two wins, both over very good playoff bound opponents. Monday saw Morant put up 17 and 10 with six other Memphis players managing double figures to overcome the Suns. They will now look to do the same in Portland, getting even contributions across the board and getting the job done. 

While Portland still has Lillard to keep them going, he may not be enough on his own and the way Memphis is playing lately, they will cause the upset on the road tonight. 

NBA Pick – Memphis Grizzlies (+100)
NBA Spread – Memphis Grizzlies +1.5 (-110)
Game Totals Pick – Under 222 (-110)

Sacramento Kings @ Los Angeles Clippers – 10PM ET

A rematch of Friday night’s clash between Pacific Division rivals that saw the Clippers come out on top 138-100. The contest was actually close with LA leading by just eight points at half time but a 37-16 third quarter put the game away. 

That was played in Sacramento but now this one will take place in LA and we are expecting the Clippers to impose their will again. 

Kawhi Leonard and Paul George combined for 53 points while neither played 30 minutes, keeping De’Aaron Fox and Buddy Hield to just 23 points on 9/22 shooting. 

Sacramento came out and followed up that big loss with a five point loss to the Pelicans, despite Fox exploding for a career high 43 points while also getting 13 assists. Marvin Bagley had one of his best games of the season with 26 and 10 but the Kings gave up 128 points, their eighth straight allowing 120+. 

The Clippers continued their momentum from beating the Kings with a 33 point pounding of the Indiana Pacers. LA had three players score 20, including two off the bench, and another four players score in double figures while limiting Indiana to just 96 points. They once again used a big second half to put the game away, outscoring the Pacers 68-41 after the main break.


Sacramento has shown no signs of slowing anybody down and with the Clippers scoring at least 129 in three of their last four, the Clippers are showing no signs of slowing down either. Look for LA to win and win well to round out the night. 

NBA Pick – Los Angeles Clippers (-600)
NBA Spread – Los Angeles Clippers -10.5 (-110)
Game Totals Pick – Over 231.5 (-110)

If you need 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 Bet365

Tim is a keen follower of all American sports, in particular the NBA and NFL. He has followed both sports for over a decade and would happily sit down and watch every game, regardless of who is playing! No matter the sport, whether it be NFL and NBA or even MLB, NHL, UFC and all sports, Tim covers it from every angle, staying in the loop to bring you the most up-to-date information and the best picks and predictions on the market.