NBA Best Bets Today: Expert Picks for Tuesday, Jan. 9

NBA Best Bets Today | Expert Picks for Tuesday

Game	Time (ET)	Pick
	10:30 p.m.	Raptors +175
	7 p.m.	Under 241.5
	7:30 p.m.	Knicks -11.5
	7 p.m.	Killian Hayes over 8.5 Rebounds + Assists
	10:30 p.m.	Lakers -4.5
	10:30 p.m.	Raptors +5
Specific betting recommendations come from the sportsbook offering preferred odds as of writing. Always shop for the best price using our NBA Odds page, which automatically surfaces the best lines for every game.

Tuesday, Jan. 9

10:30 p.m. ET

League Pass

Raptors +175

By Maltman

Over the past few days, I have written multiple times about Immanuel Quickely and his impact on the Raptors. We have bet his points, assists, and PRA over those games, and are up. Since Quickely got there, the Raptors have had the 10th best net rating in the NBA (+5.7). They are 3-1 against the spread, including two outright wins as an underdog (at Golden State and at Memphis). Quickley has been able to keep the same level of impact on the defensive end, and Barrett has soaked up shots on the offensive end to help keep them afloat.

Meanwhile, the Lakers team has played terribly since the in season tournament. They are 5-6 when favored at home by less than 6 points, including recent losses to Memphis and Miami. At the moment, these two teams are playing at around the same level, which means Toronto should be closer to +125. I'll take the extra line.

Betting .25u on Raptors to win at +175.

Pick: Raptors +175

Tuesday, Jan. 9

7 p.m. ET

League Pass

Under 241.5

By Bryan Fonseca

I don't like this beyond 240.5, but I like it enough to play because Cade Cunningham is out.

The Sacramento Kings are in a rebound spot after getting dog walked by the New Orleans Pelicans, and the Pistons will have to muster up offense without Cunningham, who is set to miss his first game of the season.

Cunningham has the 14th highest usage in the league (30.1) and the Pistons will lean on their others to carry the load. That includes Jaden Ivey (22.3 usage), Ausar Thompson (17.4), and Killian Hayes (16.3).

They struggle with efficiency with Cunningham, so I'm betting it'll worse without. Open to being wrong, of course, but this is my lean. Under down to 240.5.

Pick: Under 241.5

Tuesday, Jan. 9

7:30 p.m. ET

League Pass

Knicks -11.5

By Andrew O'Connor-Watts

This is a stars-align play with a Blazers team I'm looking to fade in this spot and a Knicks team I'm looking to back. Portland is in the middle of a lengthy road trip. It's played four road games against the Suns, Mavericks twice, and the Nets. And they'll play another two after road games after facing the Knicks on Tuesday. In its last nine games, Portland is 3-6 straight up and ATS, which means they're either winning and covering, or losing and not covering. There's no close-game middle ground with them. It's all or nothing, and I'll pick nothing.

The Knicks have played great since the Anunoby trade and I expect that to continue. It’s a big spread, which the Blazers have done well against this season (6-2 ATS with spreads of 10 or more), but the Knicks are one of the best ATS teams against the bottom of the barrel. The Knicks are 8-3 ATS against teams with a winning percentage below 40 percent this season and 38-27-1 under Tom Thibodeau, according to BetLabs. I bet the Knicks at -11.5 but I expect a blowout and see value down to -13.

Pick: Knicks -11.5

Tuesday, Jan. 9

7 p.m. ET

League Pass

Killian Hayes over 8.5 Rebounds + Assists

By Joe Dellera

The Pistons will be without Cade Cunningham for a bit due to his knee injury and one player I am targeting is Killian Hayes.

Hayes is always getting expanded run without Cade and this matchup against the Kings should be a fast Paced contest.

Last season, Hayes saw his stats increase to 11.5 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 6.8 assists per game. In this last game against the Nuggets when Cade went down after just 11 minutes, Hayes recorded a stat line of 2 points, 2 rebounds, and 6 assists. While that’s not much to write home about, Denver’s defense is better than the Kings’ and Denver plays at the second-slowest Pace in the league compared to 11th-fastest for Sacramento.

Hayes should be relatively safe, even in a blowout and I’ll take him to secure some counting stats in an expanded role.

Pick: Killian Hayes over 8.5 Rebounds + Assists

Tuesday, Jan. 9

10:30 p.m. ET

League Pass

Lakers -4.5

By Chris Baker

This defense will be a wake up call for the Raptors as they are coming off a blowout win against a terrible Warriors defense. If you watched that game you saw that the Warriors were literally too small to defend this athletic and lengthy Raptors squad. The Raptors hunted Stephen Curry and the other small Warrior guards all game and picked on them in the paint. That will not occur in this game as the Lakers have plenty of big wings to match up with Siakam, Barnes, and RJ Barrett.

The Lakers rank 6th best in the NBA in opponent rim rate allowed and 6th best in defensive rebound rate. They will be able to defend this Raptors squad and I also suspect they will be able to score here as Raptors Center Jakob Poetl will be out tonight. Poetl is quietly a good defender and the Raptors defense is -4.5 points better per 100 possessions with him on the floor.

This is a bad spot to lose basically your only true center as the Lakers offense ranks 2nd in rim rate on the year. Ultimately, I think this line should be closer to -6 so I will grab the -4.5.

Pick: Lakers -4.5

Tuesday, Jan. 9

10:30 p.m. ET

League Pass

Raptors +5

By Jim Turvey

The Raptors now have a four-game sample with their new roster, with OG Anunoby out, and Immanuel Quickley and R.J. Barrett in.

They have looked good in their new setup, having gone 3-1, with a home win over the Cavs and road victories over the still-healthy Grizzlies and Golden State Warriors sandwiched around their lone loss in Sacramento.

Their road trip continues in L.A. on Tuesday against a Laker team that is fresh off a big win, but very much still scuffling as a whole.

By adjusted net rating, these teams are basically even, and while Toronto is at the end of a long road trip, I still like the Raptors catching five points here. I think that the season-long net rating for them undersells their current team level a bit, as Quickley in particular has merged perfectly with the starting unit in Toronto (although it was R.J. who scored 37 points his last time out).

I wouldn't take this past Raptors +4.5, but that five is as key a number as you'll find in the NBA, with it being the most common ending differential.

Pick: Raptors +5