Our free NBA picks are out for Wednesday, March 30th, 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 @ Cleveland Cavaliers – 7pm ET
The Dallas Mavericks kick off a four game road trip on Wednesday when they travel to Cleveland and take on the Cavaliers. The Mavericks are playing on back-to-back nights and last time out they were too good for the Lakers, winning 128-110. The Cavaliers are back on track, after dropping three games in a row, they won their game last time out, 107-101, against the Magic.
Jeffery Thomas
The Cleveland Cavaliers will host the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday after getting a much needed win on Monday night against the Orlando Magic. The win snapped a 3-game losing streak and kept them within a game of the Raptors and Bulls who are holding the 5th and 6th seeds in the Eastern Conference. Darius Garland had 25 points and 12 assists in the win and will need to continue to replicate performances like that to lead his team to wins down the stretch. A win on Wednesday will not be easy to come by, even with the Mavs being on the back-to-back. It was a 128-110 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday in Dallas in what was never a contest.
The Mavs were up 18 by the end of the first quarter and 26 at half. Luka Doncic had a 34-point triple-double and drilled four three-pointers to knock the Lakers out of the play-in tournament completely, all while getting his team to within 1.5 games of the 3 seed. The Cavs getting a win over Orlando shouldn’t trick anyone into thinking this team has turned a corner. That win wasn’t even all that convincing, and while both teams will be highly motivated it’s hard to see the Cavs protecting home court with success here. The Mavs are on a roll, winning four of five and they’ll just keep the wins coming in this spot.
Jeffery’s NBA Pick: Dallas Mavericks (-190)
Michael Lantz
After a lopsided win over the Los Angeles Lakers, the Dallas Mavericks will continue to keep the fourth seed in the West. With the Warriors struggling without Steph Curry, the Mavs may even have a shot at third. While Luka Doncic has had another all-NBA season, the Mavericks have really played some team ball. In their win against the Lakers they had seven players score double digits. They’ll look to continue their winning ways Wednesday in Cleveland.
The threes stay falling for #KLoveSixthMan 🔥
His team-best 164 triples this season are tied with Kyle Korver (’17-18) for the 5th-most in franchise history.#LetEmKnow pic.twitter.com/2XO4M2JUjt
— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) March 29, 2022
The Cavaliers snapped their recent skid on Monday night as they were able to outlast the Orlando Magic 107-100. Darius Garland strung together a double-double as he continues to play like an all-NBA talent. The Cavaliers currently sit in seventh in the Eastern Conference, but as they sit only one game out of sixth and 1.5 games out of fifth, so they’ll look to avoid the play-in games at all costs. Still, with the way the Mavericks have been playing on both sides of the ball, it’s hard for me to pick against them these days. I’ll pick them to pull out a close one on the road.
Michael’s NBA Pick: Dallas Mavericks (-190)
Noah Dunlap
As we get towards the end of the regular season, the Cleveland Cavaliers sit in seventh place in the East, and are trying to climb to sixth to get out of the play-in tournament. However, due to struggles lately, they’ve hurt themselves greatly in that regard, though a win over Orlando in their last outing allowed them to keep pace, and keep them only a game out of that sixth spot. The problem is that things won’t be quite as easy in this one, as they take on the Dallas Mavericks, who have found their rhythm lately, and are playing extremely well.
Luka Doncic and the Mavs are rolling right along recently, as they’ve climbed past the Utah Jazz for fourth in the West, and now find themselves only a game out of third. With roughly six to play, that’s certainly manageable, but it is going to involve beating every team they’re supposed to along the way. They did a good job with this last night, destroying a LeBron-less Lakers team, but they need to do the same tonight against Cleveland. Despite being in Cleveland, and coming on the back end of a back-to-back, I’m taking Luka to have another massive night, and the Mavs to pick up a close win on the road.
Noah’s NBA Pick: Dallas Mavericks -4.5 (-110)
Miami Heat @ Boston Celtics – 7.30pm ET
The Miami Heat kick off a three game road trip on Wednesday when they travel to Boston and take on the Celtics. The Heat finally managed to snap their losing streak, which stood at four, with a win last time out over the Kings, 123-100. The Celtics, on the other hand, had their six game winning streak snapped last time out, courtesy of the Raptors, 112-115, in overtime.
Jeffery Thomas
The Miami Heat and Boston Celtics will meet up as two of the top teams on Wednesday, one day after Philadelphia and Milwaukee did, the other top two teams in the East. The Heat finally got back in the win column last time out, albeit against a very bad Sacramento Kings team. The four-game losing streak was the worst of Miami’s season and now they’ll embark on a big three-game road trip that could determine seeding for the playoffs. The Boston Celtics took a rare loss on Monday but with a huge asterisk attached.
Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Al Horford, and Robert Williams were all out (4 starters) and Williams will be out for an undetermined amount of time with a torn meniscus. They still were able to give the Raptors a game on the road and push it to overtime, eventually falling 112-115. All of the Celtics’ guys besides Williams are expected back and Celtic fans will be very happy to see it. The loss of Williams will definitely be felt and mainly on the defensive side of the ball as he was becoming one of the premier rim protectors in the NBA. That could be a problem against Jimmy Butler drives or Bam Adebayo down low and it gives me just enough pause to take the spread with Miami on the road.
Jeffery’s NBA Pick: Miami Heat +4.5 (-108)
Michael Lantz
In the must-watch battle between Eastern Conference juggernauts, the number one seed Miami Heat head to Boston to face a Celtics team that sits just one game behind them in the standings. The Heat looked lost last week, losing to Golden State Warrior and Philadelphia 76ers teams that were without their top talent. They then were blown out by a Brooklyn Nets team they might have to face in the first round. Luckily, the Heat got back on track Monday beating the Kings by 23. Now they’ll look to strengthen their position atop the East with a big win against a Boston team breathing down their neck.
This is real too👀👀@smart_MS3 for DPOY🔥🔥 https://t.co/y8cSpbUFR2
— HOOPS EMPIRE (@HoopsEmpire_) March 29, 2022
The Celtics have been basketball’s best team for over a month, going from a play-in team to, briefly, the conference’s one seed. They lost on Monday to the Raptors, but they sat both Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, and were still able to take a fully loaded Raptors team to overtime. A bigger loss than that game comes in the front court, as the Celtics lost big man Robert Williams for at least several weeks with a meniscus tear. Will this throw off their flow? If Monday’s tight loss without Brown and Tatum is any indicator, they’ll be just fine. I’ll pick them over a Heat team that, despite grabbing a 23-point win the other night, still has struggled a bit too much lately.
Michael’s NBA Pick: Boston Celtics (-198)
Noah Dunlap
If Miami shows up for this one, this could be one of the better regular season matchups we see, as the Heat are back in the one spot out East, while the Boston Celtics continue their hot streak, despite losing their last one, as they’re 20-4 since the start of February. They’ve managed to climb back into the conversation for the top spot in the East, and a win over Miami in this one would tighten that conversation up even more, with two weeks left in the year.
The Heat have spent much of the last two months as the one-seed in the East, but after struggling lately, they lost that spot briefly, but a win on Monday over Sacramento managed to give them the top-spot once again. The question for Miami all year long has been keeping everyone on the floor, as they’ve struggled at having their core on the floor together, but with Bam Adebayo, Jimmy Butler, and Tyler Herro all healthy, at least for now, I like this Heat squad to make a run, as long as that lasts. This one’s in Boston, but I’m taking Miami in a close one, but just to be safe, stick to Miami on the spread.
Noah’s NBA Pick: Miami Heat +4.5 (-108)
Minnesota Timberwolves @ Toronto Raptors – 7.30pm ET
The Minnesota Timberwolves are on the road on Wednesday in the NBA when they travel to Scotiabank Arena to face off against the Toronto Raptors. The Timberwolves have lost three of their last four games, with their only win during this time coming against the Mavericks, 116-95. The Raptors will be looking to extend their winning streak even further, as it currently stands at three in a row, with wins over the Cavaliers, Pacers and Celtics.
Jeffery Thomas
It appears the hot streak of the Minnesota Timberwolves came to a screeching halt, and at the wrong time of the year. The Wolves were in a battle with the Nuggets for the 6 seed in the West but this run of losing three of four has them now 2 games back and staring a play-in game right in the face. Their opponent is one spot ahead of the play-in tourney in their conference and will look to keep it that way. The Toronto Raptors got a big win in overtime over the shorthanded Celtics on Monday, 115-112.
Pascal Siakam had a stellar game, going off for a season-high 40 points and 13 rebounds. The Raptors have shown in certain spurts this year that they can be one of the most dangerous teams in the league. It’s possible they are in another one right now and are catching a Minnesota team that is trying to reignite the spark they found a few weeks ago in their run. It’s unlikely that spark is found on the road in Toronto.
Jeffery’s NBA Pick: Toronto Raptors (-134)
Michael Lantz
The Minnesota Timberwolves are becoming one of the most exciting teams in the NBA. While they might not be championship ready yet, their leap to the seventh seed in the Western Conference has been quite impressive. With a couple of regular season games left the sixth seed is still in play, as they sit two games behind the Nuggets for the sixth seed. They’re still hungry to finish with the best record possible, so don’t expect them to let up anytime soon.
Just keep swimming, just keep swimming 🆙 pic.twitter.com/Q2XiGwbUr1
— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) March 29, 2022
The Raptors sit in a similar position in the Eastern Conference standings. They’re currently in sixth, and while they’re only .5 games out of the fifth seed, they’re also only one game in front of the Cavaliers for seventh. They’d like to finish outside the play-in games, so every win going forward is essential. While the Raptors struggled to get a win against a Celtics team with no star power, I think they’ll make the proper adjustments at home against a young and vibrant but inexperienced Timberwolves team.
Michael’s NBA Pick: Toronto Raptors -2.5 (-106)
Noah Dunlap
This is a matchup between two teams that have been difficult to figure out all year long. The Minnesota Timberwolves have one of the best trios in the league, but despite Karl-Anthony Towns, Anthony Edwards, and D’Angelo Russell leading the way, they still find themselves in the seventh spot in the West, and are almost certainly going to have to go through the play-in tournament to make the first round of the postseason.
Now they take on the Toronto Raptors, who have had the very definition of a back and forth season. This Raptors squad started the year looking like one of the best teams in the East, before an extended stretch where they struggled mightily pushed them to being borderline out of the playoff picture. However, a strong response over the last month or so has pushed them back squarely into the mix, as they’re at sixth in the East right now, and are trying to avoid a play-in appearance. With Fred VanVleet and Pascal Siakam healthy and leading the way, I’m taking Toronto at home in this one, though I think it is a tight one.
Noah’s NBA Pick: Toronto Raptors -2.5 (-106)
Memphis Grizzlies @ San Antonio Spurs – 8.30pm ET
A Southwest Division rivalry for your Wednesday night viewing in the NBA when we see the Memphis Grizzlies take on the San Antonio Spurs. Both teams come into this game on decent winning streaks. The Grizzlies have won their last five games in a row, while the Spurs are on a four game winning streak.
Jeffery Thomas
How can you not love the Memphis Grizzlies? They’re young, they’re cool, they’re fun, and they’re very good! Their 123-95 win over the Warriors on Monday was win number 5 in a row and helped solidify their position as the 2 seed in the Western Conference. A total of 8 spots down the standings sit the San Antonio Spurs who hold the tiebreaker over the Lakers and are occupying the final play-in tournament spot. San Antonio had a perfect four-game trip collecting wins over the Rockets, Pelicans, Trail Blazers and Warriors, and now are in a position to try and keep LeBron and the Lakers out of the draw.
This win right here will not be easy though, as the Grizzlies are one of the scariest teams in the league right now. Both teams enter on impressive win streaks but the Grizzlies have been doing this all year long. The Spurs are playing a bit above their skill at the moment and none of the teams they beat are really worldbeaters. Memphis is a class above all of those teams and will assert their dominance much like they usually do on inferior opponents and will get a nice road victory.
Jeffery’s NBA Pick: Memphis Grizzlies -6 (-114)
Michael Lantz
The San Antonio Spurs have turned on the gas late in the season as they are now in line to play in the play-in games in the Western Conference playoffs. The Spurs are led by a young core including Dejounte Murray, Keldon Johnson, and more. They’ll look to keep those postseason dreams alive on Wednesday as they go up against an impressive Memphis Grizzlies squad.
You ever wanted to go on court with @dillonbrooks24? 🦹♀️
Check out DB in our latest #GrizzMicdUp 🎙 @Verizon | #GrzNxtGen pic.twitter.com/aKd3Vt5XmJ
— x – Memphis Grizzlies (@memgrizz) March 29, 2022
No Ja Morant, no problem, as the Grizzlies continue to thrive despite missing their star guard. They’ve gone 9-1 in their last ten and are looking like a solid bet for the Western Conference two seed. With Morant out, the team has seen Desmond Bane and Dillon Brooks step up to fill the scoring void and they’ve also gotten a lot of help from breakthrough talent De’Anthony Melton. The Grizzlies have gone 18-2 without Morant, so funny enough, it’s getting hard to pick against them, even without him. I think they’ll still grab the win, but I at least like this exciting Spurs team to cover at home.
Michael’s NBA Pick: San Antonio Spurs +6 (-106)
Noah Dunlap
This Southwest Division matchup gives us two teams who have different things that they’re playing for right now, as the Memphis Grizzlies are virtually locked into the two seed in the West right now, as they five games up on third with six to play, while the San Antonio Spurs are trying to sneak their way into the ten seed to get a play-in appearance, as they’re just slightly behind the Lakers for tenth right now. I don’t think it matters in the end, as I think San Antonio would lose in the play-in tournament, but getting there would be an accomplishment nonetheless.
On the other side, the Grizz are doing something that is phenomenal in and of itself, as they’re now 18-2 on the year without Ja Morant in the lineup. I can safely say I’ve never seen a team play as well as they have when missing their superstar, but somehow Memphis has made it work, largely through improved ball movement. However, despite that, I’m going to take San Antonio here, as they just have more to play for in this one than the Grizz do. I think it’s close, but the home Spurs pick up the win.
Noah’s NBA Pick: San Antonio Spurs (+220)
Phoenix Suns @ Golden State Warriors – 10pm ET
On Wednesday night we will see two teams from the Pacific Division face off against each other when the Phoenix Suns hit the road and take on the Golden State Warriors. Despite the Suns already locking down top position, they haven’t taken their foot off the gas, and they are currently on a eight game winning streak. It’s a different story for the Warriors at the moment, who have lost six of their last seven games.
Jeffery Thomas
The Phoenix Suns vs. Golden State Warriors matchup has lost a lot of luster from previous matchups earlier this year. It’s due to the long list of injuries that the Warriors have piled up and most notably of course is Stephen Curry. The Suns just got their star point guard back from injury and he hasn’t missed a beat, going over 10 assists in each game. Him getting back with 10+ games left in the regular season was the best case scenario so that he can ramp back up into game shape for another run at the NBA Finals.
The Suns are the best team in the league and have been playing like it all season. There’s been no dips or losing streaks in there, just consistent great play. The Warriors on the other hand are stuck in a rut that has them playing some of the worst basketball in the NBA right now and if they don’t figure it out quick, they’ll find themselves even further down the standings. Even though the Warriors aren’t playing like it, the Suns will still see them as top competition and treat this game as a must-win statement game, so expect a blowout from the much better team.
Jeffery’s NBA Pick: Phoenix Suns -6 (-110)
Michael Lantz
A couple of weeks ago this would’ve been a battle between the conference’s two top teams. But, since Steph Curry went down with an injury a few weeks back, the Warriors have looked pretty awful. Still after grabbing a surprise win against the Eastern Conference one-seed Miami Heat a few games back, anything is possible for Steve Kerr’s squad.
Still can’t believe Jordan Poole broke out this move ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/0N9tKnHzGz
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) March 29, 2022
Meanwhile, injuries in no way derailed the Phoenix Suns dominance. Even when Chris Paul was out injured with a hand injury, the team continued to dominate thanks to the young tandem of Devin Booker and Deandre Ayton. Now, Paul is back, as the Suns look hungry to avenge last season’s Finals loss. Even without Curry, the Suns know they still will have to face a tough Warriors crowd at Chase Center. They’ll go into this one like it’s a playoff matchup and therefore I expect them to absolutely overpower this hobbled Warriors squad.
Michael’s NBA Pick: Phoenix Suns -6 (-110)
Noah Dunlap
The question for this big time matchup is whether Phoenix decides to let up at all, as they’ve already secured the top spot out West for this year’s postseason. If they do, Golden State might be able to sneak away with a win, but seeing as the Suns have shown no signs of wanting to get, and given the Warriors disastrous play as of late, I’m not sure I’d be willing to bet on that. Phoenix has been the best team in basketball all season long, and I’d say they have to be the favorites to win the title as of right now.
Golden State spent much of the year as the second best team in the league, but struggles in the last quarter of the season, partially due to injuries, has caused them to slip a bit. Steph is out currently, and as they’ve been without Draymond and Klay Thompson at times throughout this stretch as well, it’s hard to decipher which Warriors team is showing up night to night. That uncertainty is why I’m taking Phoenix on the road here, as even with them locking up the one-seed, I still think they just have more consistency for the time being. Give me the Suns traveling north to the Bay and getting the win.
Noah’s NBA Pick: Phoenix Suns -6 (-110)
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*Odds and spreads correct at time of publication, courtesy of FanDuel.
