NBA Picks 2/1/22
False Hope. That’s what we had after the Grizzlies made magic happen and forced overtime against the 76ers. The Grizzlies were favored by 3.5 against an Embiid-less Philadelphia squad. It was supposed to be easy money. Turned out to be the most painful loss of the night. Portland imploded against the Thunder. That’s going to happen when you wager on a bad basketball team. You simply tip your cap and move on. The Grizzlies loss, however, stung a bit. Thankfully, the Celtics took care of business and kept us from having a disastrous night. As a gambler, you have to have the memory of a goldfish so we’re on to tonight’s slate and the NBA Picks 2/1/22.
Miami Heat at Toronto Raptors (-2.5) 7:40 p.m EST
The Raptors beat the Heat in three overtimes a few days ago and that was with Jimmy Butler active for Miami. As of the writing of this article, we have no indication of Butler’s playing status for tonight. We’re going to assume the Heat take a conservative approach with Butler and sit him out. Advantage Raptors.
Pick: Toronto Raptors -2.5 (-110 via DraftKings)
Brooklyn Nets and Phoenix Suns (-5) 10:00 p.m EST
The Nets have lost four straight. The Suns, on the other hand, are red-hot and look like the league’s best team at this point in the season. Even without Ayton, we’re going to ride the hot hand and take the Suns.
Pick: Phoenix Suns -5 (-110 via DraftKings)
Washington Wizards at Milwaukee Bucks (-11) 7:40 p.m EST
We hate laying double-digit points but the Wizards appear to have quit on their coach and each other. They are at the top of the list for teams that desperately need a shakeup alongside the Sacramento Kings. The Bucks haven’t looked like themselves lately but this has the potential of being a get-right game for them. We’ll be fading the Wizards until the team shows some life.
