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

Zachary Hanshew

Last Updated: January 28, 2023 10:56 AM EST • 3 min 48 sec read.

Best bets today from around the NBA.
Best bets today from around the NBA.

Home teams are set to provide value on Saturday’s 11-game slate. Check out our NBA best bets for Saturday based on the top NBA odds.

The Orlando Magic have been fantastic at home this season, and the team is in a great position to win as a small home underdog against the visiting Chicago Bulls.

Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics face off in Saturday's marquee matchup, and both squads will be the healthiest they’ve been in quite some time. Should bettors expect a high-scoring contest?

The Toronto Raptors play on the second night of a back-to-back set and may be without a key player, which gives the Portland Trail Blazers a great chance to cover a modest spread at home.

Finally, we’ll look to the Houston Rockets’ second-year center, who has excelled as the team’s primary playmaker over the last two weeks. He’ll look to stay hot against the Detroit Pistons.

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

Check out our NBA best bets and our Best NBA Betting Sites.

Saturday’s NBA schedule and odds

(odds via DraftKings)

  • Denver Nuggets (+3) vs. Philadelphia 76ers
  • New York Knicks (+2) vs. Brooklyn Nets
  • Houston Rockets (+5) vs. Detroit Pistons
  • Los Angeles Clippers (+1) vs. Atlanta Hawks
  • Chicago Bulls (-3) vs. Orlando Magic
  • Sacramento Kings (-2.5) vs. Minnesota Timberwolves
  • Washington Wizards (+4.5) vs. New Orleans Pelicans
  • Phoenix Suns (-6) vs. San Antonio Spurs
  • Los Angeles Lakers (+7.5) vs. Boston Celtics
  • Dallas Mavericks (+7.5) vs. Utah Jazz
  • Toronto Raptors (+4.5) vs. Portland Trail Blazers

Saturday’s NBA best bets

  • Upset: Magic (+125 via DraftKings) vs. Bulls ⭐⭐⭐⭐
  • Total: Lakers-Celtics Over 237 (-110 via PointsBet) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
  • Spread: Trail Blazers -4.5 (-110 via Caesars) vs. Raptors ⭐⭐⭐
  • Prop: Alperen Sengun Over 37.5 points + rebounds + assists (-109 via Caesars) ⭐⭐⭐

Check out our NBA Finals odds and NBA MVP odds.

NBA top picks

Upset: Magic ML vs. Bulls (+125 via DraftKings) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

We love a home dog, and Orlando is a great bet Saturday. The Magic are 11-9 straight-up as the home dogs and 14-6 against the spread in that spot. The team has covered in three straight, in seven of eight, and it's won two of its last three. The spread is so small on this one that we’re looking to spread trends as well as wins and losses to help guide our pick.

The Bulls are 0-6 ATS and SU as road favorites this season. Chicago has lost two straight heading into Orlando, and the team lost to Orlando 108-107 at home earlier in the season.

Neither team has played particularly well thus far, so we’re backing the young and hungry squad that has been noticeably better on their home floor.

Rather than taking -110 odds on the spread, we’re taking it a step further and grabbing the Magic ML for plus-money odds, which is the best value play.

Total: Lakers-Celtics Over 235.5 (-110 via PointsBet) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Lakers recently welcomed Anthony Davis back into the fold after an extended absence, and Rui Hachimura made his Lakers debut after his trade from Washington. The Celtics will be missing Marcus Smart, but the team is otherwise healthy.

Boston is 15-8-1 at home, and Los Angeles is 14-10 on the road. These teams hit the Over in their only prior meeting this season, scoring a combined 240 points in a matchup that also had a 237-point total.

Renewed firepower for the Lakers and the absence of defensive anchor Smart is a perfect recipe for a high-scoring game and an Over result. This one opened at 236.5 and rose as high as 237.5 before falling back down as low as the current total at PointsBet.

This one can be bet all the way up to 238.5, so there’s plenty of value here.

Spread: Trail Blazers -4.5 vs. Raptors (-110 via Caesars) ⭐⭐⭐

The Raptors covered in three straight before losing big to Golden State on Friday, and O.G. Anunoby suffered a wrist injury and left that game early. The Raptors are 1-4 SU without Anunoby, with a minus-23 point differential in those contests and two double-digit losses.

Toronto is 5-3 with no rest and 9-5 as the road underdog. Despite those favorable trends, though, we’re rolling with Portland.

The Blazers are 10-6 as home favorites and 14-9 overall as the home team. Portland has covered in two straight but lost and failed to cover against the Raptors at Toronto in the only prior matchup this season.

Without Anunoby in the lineup and playing their second straight road game against a quality opponent, we’re betting on the Raptors losing by at least five in this one, but it can be bet up to -5.5 if the line moves ahead of tip-off.

Prop: Alperen Sengun Over 37.5 points + rebounds + assists (-109 via Caesars) ⭐⭐⭐

Over his last eight games with Kevin Porter Jr. sidelined, Sengun has averaged 20.1 points, 10.3 rebounds, and seven assists. If those averages hold, he’ll come in at 37.4 combined points, rebounds, and assists, but we’re banking on him performing a little above average against Detroit. Sengun has produced at least 38 points + rebounds + assists in four of his last eight, including two on the road.

The Pistons allow the 12th most rebounds per game at 52.4, and they allow 25.9 assists per game, which is sixth in the NBA. As if that wasn’t favorable enough, Detroit allows the second-most points (120.3) and the most points per game at home (120.7).

Porter is likely going to be sidelined for this one, meaning Sengun should operate as the team’s de facto point guard and smash this prop.

DraftKings’ offering at 37.5 for -110 odds is a much better bet than FanDuel’s 38.5 at -122, but Caesars offers 37.5 at -109, which is just slightly better. PointsBet and BetMGM don’t offer Sengun’s PRA prop.

NBA best bets made 01/28/2023 at 7:55 a.m. ET.

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Written By:
Zachary Hanshew
Zak is a lucky husband and blessed father of four. He’s been writing about sports since 2018 with prior stops at FantasyPros, RotoWire, and FantasyLabs. In addition to Sportsbook Review, you can find his work at NBC Sports Edge, Yahoo, and OwnersBox. When he’s not writing, Zak can be found playing the guitar, hanging out with his family, coaching his son’s basketball team, or laughing way too hard at old Simpsons episodes.