Our free NBA Picks are out for Wednesday, November 10th, 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!
Toronto Raptors @ Boston Celtics – 7:30pm ET
Both the Boston Celtics and Toronto Raptors will be looking to get back in the winner’s column when they face off tonight. It will be a rematch of their opening week matchup that saw the Raptors come out on top 115-83.
Tim Newton
It is tough to get a gauge on both of these sides. The Celtics have been underperforming while the Raptors have been overperforming, but when will both, or either, side return to the norm? Toronto may have already started their free-fall, losing each of their last two games, however the Celtics don’t look like returning to the form that has seen them make the playoffs for the last of the last seven seasons, more specifically the last four with both Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown on the roster.
Speaking of Brown, he is currently sidelined with a hamstring injury, meaning the Celtics are even more undermanned and ill-prepared for this matchup. While it was on a last second three by Luka Doncic, the Celtics did lose their first game without Brown and now return home, a place they are yet to win from three tries.
Inversely, the Raptors are yet to lose from four tries on the road. Another positive for Toronto is the fact that they welcomed Pascal Siakam back into the lineup on Sunday, albeit in a loss to Brooklyn. The more he gets on the court with the likes of Fred VanVleet, OG Anunoby and Gary Trent Jr., the better this roster will be, especially if Scottie Barnes continues to play at a high level. Given the Raptors are slight underdogs, I’m happy to play it safe and take them with the points in this one.
Tim’s NBA Pick: Toronto Raptors +2.5 (-110)
Denis Kirilov
The Toronto Raptors will face the Boston Celtics in a direct battle in the Atlantic Division. Both teams are on the bottom of the table in this Division with 6 wins for Toronto and 4 wins for Boston. The Celtics had many tough matchups in the beginning of the season as they had to play against teams like the Bulls, the Heat, the Wizards, the Knicks, and the Mavs. They also faced off the Raptors in their second match for the season and the game turned out to be far worse than what their fans were hoping – a 32-point defeat. In addition to this, the Raptors kept the Celtics under 20 points in the 3rd and in the 4th quarters.
After trading Kawhi Leonard back in 2019, Toronto has been struggling to build on their success with him on the roster. Their main player, Kyle Lowry, left them this year for the Miami Heat and many people predicted this season will be a total blowoff for the Raptors. However, with the athleticism and precision from OG Anunoby and Fred VanVleet, they might have some chance this year. Moreover, they have selected Scottie Barnes with the 4th pick in the Draft and so far, he is the best rookie in the NBA. I think that Toronto and Boston’s previous matchup was indicative of what we can expect tomorrow. It will be a 3-point battle on the court and I will give my preferences to the team that’s more accurate so far – the Toronto Raptors.
Denis’ NBA Pick: Toronto Raptors (+114)
Ime Udoka provides an update on Jaylen Brown’s hamstring situation. pic.twitter.com/n1xAPhoHH9
— Celtics Nation (@CelticsNationCP) November 7, 2021
Michael Lantz
After a blowout win last Thursday over the Eastern Conference best Miami Heat, the Boston Celtics went into Dallas and put up a good fight as well. They ended up losing by three, but they had a big second half and were missing all-star Jaylen Brown. The Celtics may be 4-6, but it feels like they are getting stronger and ready to take a leap in the conference standings.
Meanwhile the Toronto Raptors spent their first 10 games without all-star Pascal Siakim; luckily they have a roster of young players itching to step up. Most notable OG Anunoby and Fred VanVleet, as well as first found draft pick Scottie Barnes. In Siakim’s first game back on Sunday against the Nets, the Raptors were stifled by a streaking Brooklyn team. With Siakim back and getting more comfortable by the day, this team should be an enticing one to watch. I like them to make it difficult on a Celtics team that will continue to be without Brown.
Michael’s NBA Pick: Toronto Raptors (+114)
Noah Dunlap
Boston has been a huge disappointment so far this season, as they sit at 4-6, and have been shooting absolutely horribly from the field, and that’s been with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown on the floor. Now, with Brown out with a hamstring injury, it’s hard to imagine how the C’s somehow improve with their leading scorer out of the lineup. It also doesn’t help that Boston is currently winless at home this season.
On a totally opposite note, the Toronto Raptors have played much better than their talent level would dictate, and that’s been without Pascal Siakam on the floor. They welcomed Siakam back on Sunday, and as he gets back into game shape, I would expect this Toronto team to continue to get better. Add in a random, somewhat bizarre stat, the fact that the Raptors are currently undefeated at 4-0 on the road, and I don’t think that changes in this one. Seeing as I think Toronto wins this one outright, skip on the line, and just take the team from north of the border on the moneyline.
Noah’s NBA Pick: Toronto Raptors (+114)
Milwaukee Bucks @ New York Knicks – 7:30pm ET
One night after beating down on an undermanned Philadelphia side, the Milwaukee Bucks continue their roadtrip with a visit to The Garden tonight, to take on the New York Knicks. Both sides beat the Sixers in their last game, with the Bucks having a larger margin of victory, but these sides also played each other last week with the Knicks securing the come-from-behind win in Milwaukee.
Tim Newton
Does a tough win over a shorthanded Philadelphia side mean that you are back in form? Both of these teams needed to ask themselves that question, and I think the answer for both is no. However, looking at this matchup, I believe the Knicks have the biggest upside. While Milwaukee will want their revenge for last week’s meltdown that resulted in a 15-point Knicks win, they are still short-handed and now on the second night of a back to back. Mike Budenholzer hasn’t hidden the fact that he likes to rest his main guys in back to back settings, with the playoffs the main goal, not a win in November.
But can New York capitalize on this – even if Milwaukee plays all of their available players, which would see Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez on the sidelines. Against the Sixers, the Knicks got a healthy dose of Julius Randle and RJ Barrett, but Evan Fournier only managed 11 points while Kemba Walker continues to look like a shell of his former self.
The Knicks have opened as two-point favorites for this clash, but if Milwaukee plays the same squad from last night, I don’t see how they lose. Jrue Holiday didn’t play in last week’s loss to New York and while his scoring hasn’t quite found its form, his return has been a massive boost for the side, and it should see them through this clash. Note – this is dependent on the Bucks not resting anyone.
Tim’s NBA Pick: Milwaukee Bucks (+110)
Denis Kirilov
The Milwaukee Bucks and the New York Knicks will face each other in Madison Square Garden on Wednesday night in the NBA. The Bucks are still trying to make their comeback after an awful start of the season. They defeated the Philadelphia 76ers who were without their superstar, Joel Embiid, due to COVID-19 Protocols. However, Brook Lopez and Khris Middleton remain sidelined for the team led by Mike Budenholzer. He will definitely need to find a way to make everything work even without some of his key players.
On the other hand, we have a high-flying New York Knicks team who is ready to achieve greatness. Although they surprisingly lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers the last time they were in Madison Square Garden, they made up for this with a convincing 103-96 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on the very next day. Julius Randle and RJ Barrett have a promising future, while Derrick Rose is eager to prove to the NBA that he still has it and is not done just yet. It will be a tight contest, but I will give my preferences to the Milwaukee Bucks as I think it’s high-time they bounced back and start catching up with the rest in the East.
Denis’ NBA Pick: Milwaukee Bucks (+110)
Michael Lantz
This one will have MSG rocking. Sure, the Milwaukee Bucks are a bit depleted with no Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez, but at the end of the day they’re still the defending world champs and still have Giannis Antetokounmpo playing MVP-level ball. If they can pull off a win, Knicks fans will have quite the Wednesday evening.
As for the Knicks themselves, they beat the Bucks a couple games back when Milwaukee also didn’t have Jrue Holiday in their roster. That one was in Wisconsin, so even with Holiday back they’ll at least have home-court advantage this time. The Knicks are getting another all-star season from Julius Randle, who continues to put up stellar stats and they’ve received some mixed results from veteran offseason signings. They hope everyone can start clicking soon so they can make another run at being a high seed in the Eastern Conference. Despite this one being played at “The Mecca”, I think the Bucks frustrate the Knicks and refuse to let them take two in a row from them. Milwaukee +110 looks too good to pass up.
Michael’s NBA Pick: Milwaukee Bucks (+110)
Noah Dunlap
MIlwaukee looked more like the defending champions last night arguably more than at any other point so far this season, as they took down a Philadelphia team, although it is worth pointing out that the Sixers were undermanned. Now, Milwaukee will take their depleted roster, as they’re still without Brook Lopez and Khris Middleton, on the road to Madison Square Garden to take on the Knicks, who have cooled off after a fast start to the season. The other thing to keep in mind with this matchup is the question of whether or not Jrue Holiday plays for Milwaukee. The Bucks have shown a willingness to rest players at different points this year, and on night two of a back-to-back, it seems like just the kind of game Mike Budenholzer would look to sit a guy like Holiday, who is still trying to get back to form after missing substantial time with an injury.
Can Julius Randle, RJ Barrett, and Derrick Rose right the ship enough to knock off an undermanned Bucks squad that’s on the second night of a back-to-back. If they plan on being taken as a legitimate contender in the Eastern Conference this year, the answer to that question has to be yes. In the end, I think New York does get a close win at home, but I’m not comfortable enough to take any number on the spread, so stick to a Knicks moneyline bet in this one.
Noah’s NBA Pick: New York Knicks (-130)
Dallas Mavericks @ Chicago Bulls – 8pm ET
This looks to be one of the more exciting games on the schedule as the fast-starting Chicago Bulls host the in-form Dallas Mavericks tonight. The Bulls’ revamped roster put the league on notice with a 6-1 start to the season, with their one loss coming by just one point, while the Mavericks have turned things around and won their last three. Can Chicago show that it wasn’t a flukey start or will Dallas continue their winning ways with a fourth straight win?
Tim Newton
This ultimately comes down to the fact that both Luka Doncic and the Mavericks’ support cast can’t be trusted. Doncic has spent more time complaining about calls than trying to make players and you never know which Dallas side is going to rock up on any given night. Chicago on the other hand have two wins that can score with ease, a very good point guard to set the floor for them and a big that, while underperforming so far this season, is a two-time All Star and can dominate offensively.
Dallas just has Luka Doncic, a disastrous Kristaps Porzingis and some pieces that hit shots every now and then, but not enough to make this Dallas side a dangerous outfit. Their last eight games have seen them going 6-2, but all six wins came against teams that are currently under 0.500, and their two losses came against teams with a winning record. Given Chicago is a well-balanced, high-performing team, I find it hard to see how Dallas can keep up. Admittedly, the Mavs can shoot themselves into any game, but I just don’t see it happening in this one.
Tim’s NBA Pick: Chicago Bulls (-156)
Denis Kirilov
This will be one of the hottest games on Wednesday night in the NBA featuring two of the teams with huge potential this year. The Dallas Mavericks rely much on their superstar, Luka Doncic, while the Bulls are more of a diversified team with DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, and Lonzo Ball on their roster. Chicago smashed the Nets by 23 points in their previous game and they definitely hope to transfer this performance to tomorrow’s matchup. They also use Alex Caruso as a great bench player, while Nikola Vucevic is always ready to fight for rebounds under the basket. The coach is giving more and more time to players Ayo Dosunmu and Derrick Jones Jr.
The Mavericks are looking pretty decent at the moment, but we still haven’t seen a game where Luka Doncic will erupt. Their wins so far have been quite narrow and I don’t see anything extraordinary and different from the team that we saw last year. Kristaps Porzingis returned from an injury and brought more energy, ideas, and opportunities within the team. Tim Hardaway Jr. tries to help Luka as much as possible with his shooting from beyond the arc. However, I am not inclined to think that they can compete like equals with the Bulls at the moment.
I think that this game will be decided in the 4th Quarter and the Chicago Bulls have one of the best closing 12 minutes of their matches during this campaign. They defeated the Nets by 25 points and the Celtics by 28 points in just the last quarter of their games. Having in mind that Luka Doncic’s endurance is not on the highest level for an NBA player, I believe that the victory tomorrow will go to Chicago.
Denis’ NBA Pick: Chicago Bulls (-156)
Chicago’s own @AyoDos_11.
15 points vs. Brooklyn.
6-of-10 shooting.
11 points in the 4th quarter.
+22 on the floor. pic.twitter.com/crpA1HAquI— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) November 9, 2021
Michael Lantz
After a rough first game of the season against the Atlanta Hawks, the Dallas Mavericks have worked their way to a 7-3 record. This is thanks to Luka Doncic, who’s having another exceptional year and also the help from role players Jalen Brunson and Tim Hardaway Jr. That being said, the Mavericks offense really hasn’t been that great as a whole. They rank near the bottom of the league in field goal percentage, three point percentage and points per game. That won’t get any easier on Wednesday night as they face a Chicago Bulls team that has a top five defensive rating.
In addition to a tough defense, the Chicago Bulls are also riding high as they come off a big win against the visiting Brooklyn Nets. They were able to string together a huge fourth quarter on both sides of the ball, as they outscored the Nets 42-17. I expect that same intensity at home against a Mavericks team that, despite having a top record, I don’t entirely trust. Give me the Bulls to cover.
Michael’s NBA Pick: Chicago Bulls -3.5 (-110)
Noah Dunlap
Having won four straight, it’s easy to think the Dallas Mavericks are playing great basketball, but that just isn’t the case. While they sit at 6-2 in their last eight, none of these wins have come against above-average teams, which makes me hesitant about their chances to knock off a new look Chicago Bulls team that has looked like one of the best in the NBA. Despite criticism that he’s received so far this year, Luka Doncic is still averaging 25/8/7, even though he has done so quietly. The problem is that he’s been the only player on the Dallas roster that consistently puts up even decent numbers. Kristaps Porzingis has looked terrible, and while Tim Hardaway Jr. has looked decent, he’s virtually solely an offensive threat.
Meanwhile, Chicago has Zach LaVine and DeMar Derozan playing solid basketball, with Lonzo Ball bringing consistency to the point guard position that they’ve been missing in years past. However, even with all that being said, eventually I think Dallas gets over the hurdle of beating an elite team at some point soon, and I could easily see that being tonight. Take a chance on Dallas to pull off the upset on the road to continue their winning streak, pushing it to five.
Noah’s NBA Pick: Dallas Mavericks (+138)
Charlotte Hornets @ Memphis Grizzlies – 8pm ET
This is a highly anticipated matchup between two of the league’s best, young point guards, LaMelo Ball and Ja Morant. Both have gotten off to exceptional starts to the season and given their teams, the Charlotte Hornets and Memphis Grizzlies, respectively, a chance at winning every game they play. The Hornets will be looking to end their five-game road trip with their first win of the trip, while Memphis are hoping that an overtime win over the Timberwolves gives them solid momentum for this clash.
Tim Newton
While the Hornets are one of the most exciting, young teams in the league, with the youth comes inconsistency and that has been on display during this road trip. They have been able to compete with the likes of the Warriors, Kings, Clippers and Lakers, but ultimately had patches of play where they couldn’t score, and saw the game slip out of their hands.
Memphis on the other hand, seem to have already taken that jump from a young team to knuckling down for a strong push into the playoffs. Ja Morant shot out of the gates on fire to start the season, and while he has slightly cooled off, he has solid support from a raft of role players, including Jaren Jackson Jr and Desmond Bane. This young core has already defeated Denver twice, the Clippers and handed the Warriors their only loss, indicating that they have arrived on the big stage.
Add in the fact that Memphis is 4-1 at home while the Hornets are just 3-5 on the road this season and it is easy to see why the Grizzlies are 4.5-point favorites. While I don’t feel comfortable taking them to win and cover, since both sides went to overtime in their last game, I believe they should win this one.
Tim’s NBA Pick: Memphis Grizzlies (-200)
Denis Kirilov
The Charlotte Hornets travel to Memphis in an attempt to finally get a win with which they will stop their losing streak which started 8 days ago against the Cleveland Cavaliers and prolonged for 4 more matches. Since the beginning of the season, the Hornets have been playing a more open basketball focused mainly on the offense as Miles Bridges was in top form the first couple of games. They conceded 140 points against Sacramento in a match where a total of 7 Kings’ players recorded 10 or more points. In 11 out of 12 games they have let in more than 100 points which is everything else, but a good thing.
The Grizzlies hold a record of 6-4 as they are looking to increase this win ratio. They managed to defeat the Minnesota Timberwolves after overtime in their last match, although Karl-Anthony Towns, Anthony Edwards, and D’Angelo Russell combined for the mind-blowing 82 points. This further underlines the great depth in their roster that consists not only of their superstar, Ja Morant. Morant himself has had quite an amazing start to this campaign as he is one of the few players who quite frequently passes the 30-point mark. I think that this match will be a battle between the offense of both teams and I hope we will get to see plenty of points in this one, just enough to go over.
Denis’ NBA Pick: Over 229 (-110)
Michael Lantz
When it comes to the Charlotte Hornets and Memphis Grizzlies, the way you advertise it is simple: LaMelo Vs. Morant. Despite being in different conferences, this matchup should be a great one to watch for years to come, as two of the league’s young stars face off in what should be a high scoring affair.
Charlotte has been a thrill on offense. They’re second in the league in points per game, first in field goal attempts, and third in three-point percentage. This is thanks not only to Ball, but because of guys like Miles Bridges, who is having an all-star year, as well as veterans like Gordon Hayward, and Terry Rozier, who both love to shoot the ball.
As for Memphis, they’re a bit more middle of the pack in offensive categories, but there;s plenty of upside shooting the ball beyond Morant. Guys like Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr. continue to come out of their shells on the offensive end. The real kicker in this one comes down to defense—something both these teams are terrible at. Charlotte ranks dead last in defensive rating and Memphis is only two slots above them at 28th. That should be enough to tell you that this one has “over” written all over it.
Michael’s NBA Pick: Over 229 (-110)
Noah Dunlap
Don’t expect much defense in this one. With two teams who view defense as optional, who also have two of the best, young point guards in the league, you can expect one of the more exciting games of the NBA season so far in this one. Charlotte started the year well, before falling on rough times, but they’ve shown flashes of being a dark horse playoff contender in the Eastern Conference behind LaMelo Ball, Miles Bridges, and Gordon Hayward.
For Memphis, Ja Morant has been playing on a different level, and has also been getting help from Jaren Jackson Jr., Desmond Bane, and Steven Adams. The problem with this Grizzlies team is that they’ve shown the ability to knock off some of the league’s best teams (Denver twice, Golden State, and the LA Clippers), but when they lose, they do so in big ways. I do like the position by position matchup for Memphis in this one, so I think they do come out on top, but I’m somewhat hesitant with them laying 4.5 points. Take Memphis to get the win, and just take what you can with the moneyline.
Noah’s NBA Pick: Memphis Grizzlies (-200)
Miami Heat @ Los Angeles Lakers – 10pm ET
While it was over a season ago, this 2020 NBA Finals rematch looks to be a thrilling contest between the Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat. The Lakers have struggled to find their footing with LeBron James on the sidelines while the Heat are coming off a chippy contest in Denver that saw Markeiff Morris, a member of that Laker Championship side, ejected from the game and subsequently fined. Will there be more fireworks in this one? Will it impact either sides’ performance? Our experts have dissected that below.
Tim Newton
I’m not sure that an overtime win over the Hornets is enough to convince anyone that the Lakers have figured out how to play without LeBron James. Especially against a team of the Heat’s ability and performance levels through the first 10 games of the season. While Miami have lost two of their last three games, both losses saw them fail offensively. That shouldn’t be an issue against an LA side that ranks 28th for points per game allowed and also ranks in the bottom half of the league for three point percentage allowed.
The Lakers were one of the best defensive sides in the league for most of the last two seasons but haven’t quite found their mojo on the less glamorous side of the ball so far this year. They instead rely on the likes of Anthony Davis, Russell Westbrook and Carmelo Anthony to bail them out offensively. That can work against some teams, but given the gritty style of play that the defensive, experienced Miami Heat play with, it is hard to see LA being able to sneak past them. This is another game where I don’t like the small spread on offer but will happily take the Heat to win.
Tim’s NBA Pick: Miami Heat (-158)
Denis Kirilov
The Miami Heat will face yet another difficult challenge in the face of the Los Angeles Lakers. Although they are not leading the NBA in terms of win percentage, they are definitely one of the best teams in the League at the moment. This is mainly due to the fact that they had to play against almost each single contender for the NBA Championship this year. The Heat dismantled the Bucks by 42 points and later on, they went on beating the Nets in Brooklyn by 13 points. They even outplayed the last remaining undefeated team in the NBA, the Utah Jazz, in a tight game that came all the way down to the wire.
The Los Angeles Lakers brought all the superstars to one place and it seems that it might not pay off in the end. They just don’t have the right balance between age, experience, athleticism, etc. Although most of them played against each other throughout their whole careers, it will take some more time so that the Lakers can start playing as a team. They lost twice to the OKC Thunder and they were pretty inconsistent in their other games as well losing to the Blazers and narrowly winning against the Spurs and the Hornets after overtime. LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Carmelo Anthony, and Russell Westbrook all have the experience that is needed to win an NBA Championship, but so far, they portray themselves more like a team who has a lot of aspects to work on.
This fixture will be a precise example between an all-stars team and a team full of players who are hungry for glory as due to one reason or another they haven’t had the chance to shine on top of the NBA already. I think that the Heat will be more focused on the win as they will need to defend their status as a prime contender for the Playoffs and respectively for the title. Hence, my pick here goes towards the Miami Heat.
Denis’ NBA Pick: Miami Heat (-158)
Carmelo Anthony is shooting 52% from three this season. 🔥
Give Melo his respect. pic.twitter.com/h4SLxhNtcv
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) November 9, 2021
Michael Lantz
In a rematch of the 2020 NBA Finals, the Miami Heat travel to the Staples Center to take on the L.A. Lakers. Only this time, one big thing is missing: LeBron James. The future hall-of-famer will miss an early chance to play his old Miami team, as he sits out with an abdominal injury. The Lakers will rely heavily on Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook to lead the team for as long as Bron is out, but there is pessimism as to whether they can handle it. Westbrook continues to have a hard time meshing and went 1-13 shooting with 8 points against the Blazers on Saturday. Meanwhile Davis, despite his incredible ability, has been often criticized for his lack of takeover ability. If the Lakers want any chance to be atop the Western Conference, they’ll need these two to be at their best and for their veteran role players to accommodate efficiently.
Meanwhile the Heat have had a hard time over the last couple of games. After starting the season looking like the East’s best team, the South Beach squad have lost two of the last three, while looking flat in both showdowns. Losses happen—they had an awful shooting game against the Celtics, but then just two games later they got bullied by a somewhat depleted Denver Nuggets team both in the final score and by Nikola Jokic who rammed into Markieff Morris sending him to the ground in an ugly altercation. Sometimes that kind of play can spark a team, and I expect a pretty complete Miami squad to go into L.A. and take care of a Lebron-less Lakers squad.
Michael’s NBA Pick: Miami Heat -3.5 (-110)
Noah Dunlap
The Miami Heat have looked like one of the league’s best teams through three weeks of the NBA season so far, and I don’t see a reason for that to change. With a relatively young core featuring Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo, going along with veterans like Jimmy Butler and Kyle Lowry, I expect this Heat team to be in the thick of things come late May.
With the LA Lakers though, they made moves this off-season that I questioned at the time, and I now question even more at this point, as they just don’t seem to be working. Adding Dwight Howard and Rajon Rondo did virtually nothing for the roster, and Russell Westbrook, who some thought was a decent addition, has done nothing more than collect a paycheck for doing a bit of cardio in a Laker uniform. The one addition that has shown potential is adding Carmelo Anthony, but that isn’t a move that in and of itself is good enough to push this Laker team to championship contention. I like a younger, more aggressive Miami Heat team to take care of business in this one on the road, getting a relatively easy win.
Noah’s NBA Pick: Miami Heat -3.5 (-110)
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*Odds and spreads correct at time of publication, courtesy of FanDuel.
