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NBA Odds & Best Bets Today: Schedule, Picks for Thursday

Ahaan Rungta

Last Updated: January 26, 2023 2:38 PM EST • 2 min 55 sec read.

Best bets today from around the NBA.

There are just six games slated in the NBA for Thursday, Jan. 26. Read on for our NBA best bets and predictions.

We have a shortened six-game slate of action with worrisome blowout potential but several spots for value. Thursday’s NBA menu features the New York Knicks visiting the Boston Celtics on TNT, a banged up Dallas Mavericks squad facing a banged up Phoenix Suns squad to follow on TNT, and another Kawhi Leonard vs. San Antonio Spurs matchup to close out the nightcap.

Here are our NBA best bets for Thursday (odds via FanDuel Sportsbook and DraftKings Sportsbook; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale).

Check out our NBA best bets.

Thursday’s NBA schedule and odds

(odds via DraftKings)

  • New York Knicks (+285) vs. Boston Celtics (-345)
  • Detroit Pistons (+235) vs. Brooklyn Nets (-280)
  • Chicago Bulls (-230) vs. Charlotte Hornets (+195)
  • Cleveland Cavaliers (-330) vs. Houston Rockets (+275)
  • Dallas Mavericks (+100) vs. Phoenix Suns (-120)
  • San Antonio Spurs (+575) vs. Los Angeles Clippers (-800)

Thursday’s NBA best bets

  • Spread: Spurs +12.5 (-110 via FanDuel) ⭐⭐⭐
  • Total: Cavaliers-Rockets Under 221.5 (-110 via FanDuel) ⭐⭐
  • Player prop: Jayson Tatum three-plus 3-pointers & Celtics ML (-130 via DraftKings) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

NBA top picks

Spread: Spurs +12.5 (-110) ⭐⭐⭐

Over 65% of the ATS action is on the Clippers on Thursday, yet the line has moved half a point in favor of Gregg Popovich's Spurs. That’s because this huge number is disrespectful. This season, the Spurs are 6-3 ATS when underdogs by 10-plus points and 8-4 ATS without Devin Vassell over the last month. Meanwhile, the Clippers are just 7-8 ATS when favored by more than 5 points and the Paul George & Kawhi Leonard duo are just 3-3 covering this spread when facing the Spurs. After shooting just 23.5% from three yesterday, expect some positive regression and back San Antonio on Thursday night.

Total: Cavaliers-Rockets Under 221.5 (-110) ⭐⭐

Over 60% of the public bets on this total have come in on the Over, yet the line has moved down. That could be an indication that the questionable tag of Donovan Mitchell is a serious threat to turn into an out designation. With Cleveland (last in the NBA in pace) possibly missing their best player and Houston (last in the NBA in offensive efficiency), it is smart to back a defensive battle.

The Cavaliers are already struggling recently and coming off a road loss in New York. This season, their games are 11-8-0 to the Under following a loss and 5-1-0 staying below 221.5 on the second game of a road trip.

Player prop: Jayson Tatum three-plus 3-pointers & Celtics ML (-130) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Celtics are on a two-game skid without their reigning Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart, but they have only lost three games in a row once all season, are 7-2 straight up on the first game of a homestand, and 14-4 straight up when favored by at least 8 points. As 8.5-point home favorites on Thursday, they should ride their superstars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown to a win to get back on track.

Looking for more on this matchup? Check out our top Knicks-Celtics picks.

A correlated two-leg same-game parlay on DraftKings should do the trick since Tatum has hit at least three 3-pointers in 23 of the Celtics’ 33 wins this season (69.7%). Over the Knicks’ last 15 games, they have allowed the fifth-most 3-point makes per game to small forwards and in their last three games having to play without starting center Mitchell Robinson, they have allowed at least one starter to reach that milestone in each game:

  • Hawks: John Collins 3-4, De’Andre Hunter 3-7
  • Raptors: Fred VanVleet 4-8, Gary Trent Jr. 6-10, Pascal Siakam 3-6
  • Cavaliers: Donovan Mitchell 6-14

Tatum has nailed three or more 3-pointers in six of his 7 games when Brown is in and Smart is out, with 9.4 attempts per game in those contests. On the three-year anniversary of the passing of his idol Kobe Bryant, expect Tatum to put on a show at home.

NBA best bets made 1/26/2022 at 12:30 p.m. ET.

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Written By:
Ahaan Rungta
Ahaan is an analytics researcher who works in fantasy football and sports betting, focusing on MLB, NBA, and NFL. He's previously contributed fantasy baseball and football content for Fantrax and currently is a betting analyst for PlayerProfiler, where he has also been a director of analytics. When Ahaan is not capping sports props, he's often playing sports such as floor hockey and basketball and binge-watching The Voice.