Free NBA Picks Today for Wednesday, March 9th, 2022

Free NBA Picks Today for Wednesday, March 9th, 2022
Wed 9th March 2022

Our free NBA picks are out for Wednesday, March 9th, 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!

Boston Celtics @ Charlotte Hornets – 7pm ET

The Boston Celtics have just one game on the road for Wednesday night when they take on the Charlotte Hornets. The Celtics have only dropped two games since late January, and they are currently on a three game winning streak. The Hornets are playing on back-to-back nights, and last time out they lost to the Nets, 121-132.

Jeffery Thomas

The Celtics get a quick game on the road in Charlotte before heading back to Boston for another two home games. The last game they had in Boston was on Sunday against Brooklyn, and it was a magical one. Their young superstar Jayson Tatum went off for 54 points to lead the C’s to a 126-120 victory over the Nets. It’s been an incredible ride for Boston lately, winning 5 of their last 6 and 21 of their last 27, and now are at fifth place in the East, just 0.5 games back of the Chicago Bulls. The Hornets ran into a desperate Nets team on Tuesday that knew a loss in the game would put them behind Charlotte in the standings. 

That motivation led to a career day for Kyrie Irving, who had 50 points on 9 three balls in the 132-121 victory. Terry Rozier and Miles Bridges both had 30 points for the Hornets in the loss, which was their 34th on the season. Now on the back-to-back against another tough opponent, Charlotte will really have to dig deep to pull the upset. Boston was able to get Jaylen Brown back in their win over Memphis and he gave them 21 points on a normal workload. Now he’s had even more time to rest that ankle and get it closer to 100%, so I’m expecting a blow-up game from him in an A+ matchup for him. When he goes off, it’s usually good news for Boston and this game will be no different. Charlotte has a bright future but their team isn’t ready to really compete with the playoff level teams in this league. 

Jeffery’s NBA Pick: Boston Celtics (-320)

Michael Lantz

The Boston Celtics are one of, if not the, hottest team(s) in basketball. Jayson Tatum has worked his way into the All-NBA discussion as he’s been dynamite on both sides of the ball, including on Sunday against the Nets where he dropped 54 points. On Wednesday his Celtics will play an offensive-heavy Charlotte Hornets squad that’s looking to stay alive in the Eastern Conference playoffs.


The Hornets had been on a hot streak going into Tuesday’s game against the Nets. The young squad had won their last two, with their offense that included LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges leading the way. Unfortunately, they were no match for the Nets who were able to have Kyrie Irving play—and boy did he make the most of the opportunity. Irving scored 50 points and led the Nets to a double-digit victory over Charlotte. Now the Hornets have the pleasure of playing an incredibly talented Celtics team. Even with this one being in Charlotte, I fully expect this Celtics team to keep things going in their favor. I’ll pick them to cover. 

Michael’s NBA Pick: Boston Celtics -7.5 (-110)

Noah Dunlap

The Boston Celtics have been virtually unbeatable since the beginning of February, and right now I think they have to be looked at as a sleeper to sneak out of the Eastern Conference, especially if they continue to play the way they’ve been for the past month. They struggled early on in the year, but they’ve finally fixed the defensive struggles they were having, and the shooting has improved greatly. 

Now they take on a Charlotte Hornets team that has a really good offense, but a nonexistent defense. With LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges leading the way, they can score against virtually anyone, but they still only find themselves barely hanging on in terms of the Eastern Conference playoff picture, because they consistently get out scored and simply forget to play defense. They would have the ability to be one of the best teams in the league, but their defensive struggles have proven to be an impossible obstacle to get past. That hurts them in this one as well, as I think Boston manages to win a high scoring affair, even with this one being on the road for them in Charlotte. 

Noah’s NBA Pick: Boston Celtics -7.5 (-110)

Phoenix Suns @ Miami Heat – 7.30pm ET

The Phoenix Suns wrap up their three game road trip on Wednesday in the NBA when they face off against the Miami Heat. The Suns are one of the many teams that are playing on back-to-back nights, and in their game on Tuesday they beat the Magic, 102-99. The Heat are currently on a three game winning streak, which includes wins over the Nets, 76ers and Rockets.

Jeffery Thomas

The Miami Heat were already one of the deepest teams in the NBA and then got Victor Oladipo back from injury on Monday to add to their depth. He scored 11 points in 14 minutes in his return, and Miami beat the Rockets 123-106. The star of the game was once again Tyler Herro, as the elite 6th man went off for 31 points and shot 6-9 from 3-point range. They are 44-22 and their lead in the Eastern Conference now sits at 3 games over the 76ers. 

This is a matchup of the top teams in each conference, but with the Suns injury situation, it’s not the marquee matchup it could. Not only is Phoenix dealing with key injuries, they are going to be dealing with a back-to-back situation against a rested Miami team who will be at home. I think the Heat will extend their hot streak and take down this scrappy Suns squad.

Jeffery’s NBA Pick: Miami Heat -8 (-110)

Michael Lantz

This just might be the hottest game of the year. Not only because of the team names, but because these are the one seeds in each conference. Unfortunately, it won’t quite be the NBA Finals preview many are hoping for. The Suns will be without Chris Paul, whereas Devin Booker’s status is still to be determined. While things have been far from immaculate, the Suns have still found a way to grab some wins—including a close call over the Orlando Magic last night. They’ll now head to South Beach to take on the East’s best team—without Paul and maybe Booker as well.


The Miami Heat reign atop the Eastern Conference, as they hold a 44-22 record and are in the midst of a three-game win streak. While having All-Stars Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo is always nice, the team has been thrilled with Tyler Herro’s performance off the bench. Herro is showing signs of his 2020 self as he’s been a productive scorer in the sixth man role. If this game had both team’s at full strength, it’d be a tough one to choose. But, with the Suns potentially being without both of their stars, the Heat at home is the easy pick for me.

Michael’s NBA Pick: Miami Heat -8 (-110)

Noah Dunlap

This could quite possibly be a NBA Finals preview, as we get the one-seeds from each respective conference going head-to-head down in South Beach. The only problem with this particular matchup is that one of the teams is nearly fully healthy, while the other is currently a shell of itself, as they have a depleted backcourt. The Phoenix Suns have been the best team in basketball all year when they’re healthy, but right now, without Chris Paul or Devin Booker in the lineup, they’ve been struggling a bit. As far as it goes, I don’t think they’re too worried about the regular season matchups as much right now, as they’ve nearly gotten the one seed locked up, so their main focus is just trying to get healthy once again in time for the postseason. 

The Miami Heat on the other hand, are probably a bit more worried about these regular season matchups, as they’ve had a few shaky stretches at times this season, and I think they’re still in the position of trying to show people that they should be the favorite in the Eastern Conference. In this one, with them being virtually completely healthy, and it taking place in Miami, I think they have to be the prohibitive favorite against a beaten up Phoenix team. Give me Miami with a double digit win in this one. 

Noah’s NBA Pick: Miami Heat -8 (-110)

Atlanta Hawks @ Milwaukee Bucks – 8pm ET

The Atlanta Hawks finish up their three game road trip with a tough game against the Milwaukee Bucks. The Hawks are looking for more consistency in their results, as currently their season record stands at 31-33. The Bucks are playing two nights in a row, and in yesterday’s game they played the Thunder, where they won, 142-115.

Jeffery Thomas

The Hawks will end a quick three-game road trip with this game against the Milwaukee Bucks. Last time out, Atlanta was beaten by Detroit 110-113 in overtime and snapped a modest two-game win streak they were riding. It was a horrible shooting night for Trae Young, going 5-20 from the field, but he did end the game with a double-double. He was outperformed by rookie sensation Cade Cunningham, who had one of the best games of his young career, finishing with 28 points and 10 assists. 

Milwaukee will be on their third game in four nights so fatigue will definitely be a factor and against a team that likes to run-and-gun like Atlanta, we should see a lot of points. The Bucks can play at that pace too though, and have plenty of shooters and firepower to keep up, but will fatigue set in late in the game is the main question at hand. Atlanta on the road, is always a fade and haven’t shown enough this year to be trusted against the league’s best teams, even when they may have a rest advantage. Give me Milwaukee to take care of this Eastern Conference foe.

Jeffery’s NBA Pick: Milwaukee Bucks -5 (-110)

Michael Lantz

Despite having a handful of talent, the Atlanta Hawks are just barely hanging onto a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. They had won three of their last four going into Monday, with their lone loss being against basketball’s hottest team, the Boston Celtics. But for a team looking to make the playoffs, the Hawks had an unacceptable loss on Monday as they fell flat to the Detroit Pistons, losing 110-113 in overtime. They’ll look to bounce back on Wednesday, but things won’t be easy, as they take on the Milwaukee Bucks.


Milwaukee cruised past the Oklahoma City Thunder last night, winning 142-115. Seven of their players scored in double digits, including Giannis Antetokounmpo, who led the way with 39 points. This was the Bucks fifth straight win, as they’re getting hot at the right time—just before the playoffs, where they’ll attempt to defend their NBA title. While the Hawks could use the Bucks playing the second game of a back-to-back to their advantage, they just haven’t proved their ability to win big games. I’ll take a hot Bucks team to win this one.

Michael’s NBA Pick: Milwaukee Bucks -5 (-110)

Noah Dunlap

Atlanta has, simply put, been a massive disappointment so far this year. They made an improbable run to the Eastern Conference Finals last year, and many expected them to ride that momentum into another really good year, but so far that hasn’t been the case. They’re almost single-handedly reliant on Trae Young, as they’re getting virtually nothing else from the rest of the roster, but the problem is that while Young can score with the best of them, he simply doesn’t have the size to do a lot of things that the other bona fide stars in the league can do. Because of this, they’re currently sitting as the 10-seed in the East, and are simply fighting to stay alive for a play-in spot. 

Now they take on a Milwaukee Bucks team that is beginning to look like the team that won the title last year. Giannis is playing like the guy we expect to see night in and night out, and they’re finally getting more production from Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday as well. After struggling a bit earlier this year, this is a Bucks team that no one wants to run across, even though this is going to be their third game in four nights (they’ve won the first two of this stretch). As for this one, even with fatigue potentially playing a factor, I like Milwaukee to get the win at home, though I think it comes closer than it otherwise normally would. 

Noah’s NBA Pick: Milwaukee Bucks -5 (-110)

New York Knicks @ Dallas Mavericks – 8.30pm ET

The extended road trip continues on for the New York Knicks, who will be in Dallas on Wednesday night taking on the Mavericks. The Knicks will be looking to build on their current two game winning streak, which includes wins over the Clippers and Kings. The Mavericks have won their last five games, and this takes their season record to 40-25.

Jeffery Thomas

All of a sudden the Knicks, who couldn’t win any games, have won two straight, both in blowout fashion. They beat the Clippers Sunday night and then turned around Monday and had a comeback win over the Kings. Julius Randle had a career-high 46 points and RJ Barrett added 29 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists. Those two have really been playing some great basketball lately and have Knicks fans wondering where this was all season. They are 12th in the East and 4.5 games out of the play-in tournament so it may just be too little too late for this late season surge. Speaking of surges, the Dallas Mavericks are 11-3 since the start of February and took care of business at home against Utah in their last game. 

It was a significant win to close the game between them and the Jazz, as they are currently jostling for the 4 and 5 seeds in the West. Luka made it clear he wants the 4 seed and the home advantage that comes with it, and he backed it up with a 35 point and season-high 16 rebound performance in the win. The Knicks run of winning ends here in Dallas. The Clippers are nothing to write home about and the Kings are in rebuild mode just like the Knicks, so those weren’t impressive wins by any means. Dallas on the other hand, are taking out legitimate playoff teams, from each conference, and home or away it doesn’t matter. They are focused on a goal of a top 4 seed and games like these are the ones they have to get to bolster their spot in the standings. On the back of Luka, Dallas will cover this mid-range spread in front of their home faithful. 

Jeffery’s NBA Pick: Dallas Mavericks -8 (-110)

Michael Lantz

It’s the Reggie Bullock game in Dallas. Okay, that’s a joke…sort of. Last season the Knicks were basketball’s best defense and while they’ve improved a lot lately, they’re nowhere near as strong as in 2021. A big part of that is because they dumped some key players from last season’s team in order to go more offensive. One of those guys was Reggie Bullock, who the Mavericks picked up this offseason and have now made part of their top five defense in the league. 


Of course for Dallas, a big help has been Luka Doncic, who’s having another All-Star year, and recently has been putting up MVP-caliber numbers. The Mavericks are silently becoming one of the league’s best teams, and a huge win against the Utah Jazz on Monday only further proved that. With a day of rest, the Mavericks should have no problem against a visiting Knicks team that once again has been awful. While New York is always capable of an upset, I just don’t see them making big plays on the road against the Mavs tough D.

Michael’s NBA Pick: Dallas Mavericks -8 (-110)

Noah Dunlap

Well, they’re not in free fall anymore, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t an abject failure. The New York Knicks have been miserable for virtually the entire year, apart from the very beginning, and I wouldn’t expect that to change anytime soon. They have won two straight, but with Julius Randle and RJ Barrett being virtually the only two guys with real talent on the roster, I don’t like their chances of being able to extend it much past that, especially as they have to travel to Dallas to take on the Mavericks in this one. 

Dallas quietly continues to roll relatively solidly through the Western Conference, as they’re sitting as the five seed right now, but are only a half game out of fourth, with the chance to climb another spot or two, depending on what the teams ahead of them do to close out the year. The only question I have with this Dallas team is whether or not Luka Doncic can continue to lead a team that is virtually a one-man show. Right now he’s managed to carry the load, and has gotten a touch of help from a supporting cast, but come the postseason, when things tighten up a bit more, can he still play at this absurd level to lead the Mavs to a deep run? I’m hesitant to think that ends up happening, but for now, in a regular season matchup against a Knicks team that has struggled all year, I like Dallas to go ahead and take care of business at home. 

Noah’s NBA Pick: Dallas Mavericks -8 (-110)

Portland Trail Blazers @ Utah Jazz – 10pm ET

The Portland Trail Blazers are on the road for Wednesday night when they travel to Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City to take on the Utah Jazz. The Trail Blazers will be desperate to turn around the current five game losing streak they are on, which takes their overall season record to 25-39. The Jazz have a season record of 40-24, but last time out they did lose to the Mavericks, 103-111.

Jeffery Thomas

Utah will try and bounce back at home after their 103-111 loss to Dallas on Monday that moved the Mavericks even closer to them in the playoff race. They fell behind 20 points in the third quarter of that game, but cut it to as low as seven, but ultimately didn’t have enough juice to complete the comeback. Even with the loss, they are 10-3 ever since that abysmal January they had when they went 4-12. The Blazers will be happy to see another team other than Minnesota, who had beat them by double digits twice in three days. 

The 43-point loss on Monday was their 5th straight and if they have any aspirations of making the play-in tournament they will need to turn things around sooner than later. Entering Tuesday’s action, Portland sits 1.5 games out of the play-in. Utah is the exact team that the Trail Blazers don’t match up well with and being on the road it could smell disaster. The Jazz will be the team with the advantages all over the floor at every position, on top of being motivated and angry. Everything points to a blowout win for the Utah Jazz in this spot. 

Jeffery’s NBA Pick: Utah Jazz -17.5 (-110)

Michael Lantz

After a tough loss against the Dallas Mavericks on Monday, the Utah Jazz will look to bounce back on Wednesday against the Portland Trail Blazers. This is an important game for the Jazz, as they now only sit .5 games ahead of the Mavericks for fourth in the West, and only 1.5 games ahead of the Denver Nuggets. If they want to maintain that four-seed, they’ll need Donovan Mitchell to not play like he did against the Mavericks where he went 5-19 for 17 points. He’ll look to fix that against a pretty debilitated Blazers squad.


Portland has dealt with plenty of player injuries and losses in the last couple of months. This has led them to four consecutive blowout losses, including a 81-124 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday. It doesn’t help that the young star Anfernee Simons is day-to-day now as well. He missed the T-Wolves game, and is still questionable for the Jazz game on Wednesday. Even if he does play I don’t expect Simons to be 100%, and if he isn’t 100%, I expect the Blazers chances to go from bad to none. So, that being said, I’ll take the Jazz to cover in this one.

Michael’s NBA Pick: Utah Jazz -17.5 (-110)

Noah Dunlap

The Portland Trail Blazers are simply trying to get to the end of the season, as it’s been one that has been full of obstacles and injuries, and has led them to find themselves as the eleven-seed out West, and as we get closer to the end of the year, they’re still two games back of ten, which would get them a spot in the play-in tournament. I don’t see that happening, as they’re still struggling, and they’ve currently lost five straight. That doesn’t bode well for them, as they now travel to Salt Lake City to take on one of the most balanced teams in the NBA. 

The Utah Jazz come in still looking to rise in the Western Conference standings, as they come in currently as the four-seed, but have the potential to get to two, as Golden State is in free fall, while the Memphis Grizzlies have also struggled just a bit as of late. Apart from one lengthy stretch where they were without Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell, the Jazz have rolled all year long, and now that both of those are healthy and back to giving good minutes on a consistent basis, I think the Jazz are set to make a run as we end the regular season. I like them to climb in the standings, and that starts with a win in this one over an inferior team. Take Utah at home, with relative ease.

Noah’s NBA Pick: Utah Jazz (-2500)

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*Odds and spreads correct at time of publication, courtesy of FanDuel.

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