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With nine games in the Association tonight, there's no shortage of action for us to wager on. Nearly half of the games are projected blowouts with double-digit spreads, but that leaves another 4-5 games that are ripe for bets.
One game I am not taking a side on just yet is the OKC-DEN game as both Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic are questionable for that one. And if either one of them were to miss (and the other one plays) we'd likely see that line shift 3-4 points in either direction. I am going to enjoy that one as a fan and skip the wagers, but we still have some other games where I have an angle on how we can make some money!
In this article, I'll be providing my favorite picks against the spread, game totals, parlays, and teasers for the NBA slate that tips off at 7:00 p.m. EST on Wednesday, January 31.
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NBA Betting Picks: Totals
Chicago Bulls (-4.5) at Charlotte Hornets (215.5 total)
This is a game that I am heavily targeting in DFS as LaMelo Ball and Gordon Hayward will be out for Charlotte and Terry Rozier is now in Miami. The Bulls are playing without Zach LaVine, which has opened up opportunities for Coby White, Alex Caruso, and Ayo Dosunmu to be a bigger part of their offense.
As far as betting goes, I have some interest in some individual props here (like Cody Martin's assists) but this article is about game bets so what exactly is my angle here?
I like Chicago to score some points tonight. When we look at their last ten games, Chicago is averaging 117 points per game and the Hornets are allowing 123 points per game - which is the third-worst mark in the league. Chicago should win, but I am not touching this spread. I'd rather back them to go over their implied team total, which is a very doable 111 points for us to win this bet.
The Pick: Chicago Team Total OVER 110.5 points (-110 DK)
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NBA Betting Picks: ML & Spreads
Sacramento Kings (+1.5) @ Miami Heat (231.5 total)
The Kings head to Miami having won four straight and have been playing some improved defense lately. They rank 10th in the NBA in defensive rating over their last ten games and have held three of their last four opponents under 115 points.
Miami has been trending in the wrong direction, having lost seven straight games with a -10 net rating that ranks 29th in the league. The addition of Terry Rozier hasn't moved the needle much as this offense still struggles to score.
The Kings are simply a better overall team right now and in much better form. They should be favored in this game, even if they are on the road due to their fantastic road record of 14-8-1 ATS as the visiting team.
your 2024 𝑹𝒊𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑺𝒕𝒂𝒓 💫
🗣️𝐊𝐄𝐄𝐄𝐄𝐄𝐄𝐆𝐀𝐍𝐍𝐍𝐍 𝐌𝐔𝐑𝐑𝐑𝐑𝐑𝐀𝐀𝐀𝐘𝐘
Presented by @arco pic.twitter.com/9R8Rkb577D
— Sacramento Kings (@SacramentoKings) January 30, 2024
I'm not taking any points, let's just take the underdogs on the ML instead. The Kings go into Miami tonight and extend their losing streak to 8 games behind more strong play from Keegan Murray, De'Aaron Fox, and Domantas Sabonis.
The Pick: Kings ML (-102 DK)
New Orleans Pelicans (-2) @ Houston Rockets (231.5 total)
The Rockets are fresh off a beat-down of the L.A. Lakers as they put up 135 points on LeBron and company on Monday night. Meanwhile, the Pelicans are losers of three straight having gone through the gauntlet of OKC, MIL, and BOS and coming up winless.
#Rockets Center Alperen Şengün on Jalen Green:
“He’s been great. When he’s focused, nobody can stop him… He was just playing basketball. He wasn’t thinking. He was just playing, not thinking and was good. Everyone can see.” https://t.co/tUneSf7uVV pic.twitter.com/2YMuNZ3LzS
— Bradeaux (@BradeauxNBA) January 31, 2024
I can't seem to figure out the Pelicans, they can look like a dark horse contender at times in the West. And on other nights, they look disorganized and mediocre. Houston happens to own the season series 2-0 with close wins in each of the first two meetings.
I am going with the home team here as Houston has been excellent ATS at home this season (16-8-1). We are getting some value on the hotter team here, too, as the Rockets are slight underdogs.
The Pick: Rockets ML (+110 DK)
NO MONEYLINE PARLAY
4.5 POINT TEASER: SAC +6, HOU +6.5, ORL -0.5
Thanks for reading and good luck with your wagers tonight!
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