The NBA regular season resumes play with another excellent slate this Friday, with a total of 9 matchups on the docket scheduled for today. So, our staff of basketball experts dug into the latest odds and identified all the best betting value on the board for tonight's contests.
Our betting experts have looked over the odds and made 5 NBA picks for today's matchups. Continue below for our NBA best bets and predictions for Friday, January 3.
NBA Best Bets Today, Predictions, Picks, Odds: Friday, January 3
| Game | Time (ET) | Pick |
|---|---|---|
  | 7 p.m. | |
  | 8:30 p.m. | |
  | 8 p.m. | |
  | 10 p.m. | |
| 8:30 p.m. | |
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. | ||
Hornets vs. Pistons
This is really a spot where Jaden Ivey is out, so others will have to step up and take on a larger role for the Pistons.
This is also a tally Ausar Thompson hit more regularly last season, but due to the Pistons depth, he's not even cracking 20 minutes per game this year.
With Ivey gone, soon he might.
Thompson established himself as a quality rebounding guard as a rookie, and despite his 18 minutes per game, he's fourth on the team in usage, meaning we should see an uptick in volume for him as Detroit searches for answers.
Pick: Ausar Thompson Over 16.5 Points + Rebounds (-120)
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Cavaliers vs. Mavericks
By Joe Dellera
Kyrie Irving and the Mavericks take on the Cavaliers on Friday night, and this is an excellent spot to back Kyrie against his former team.
Kyrie has led the Mavericks in the absence of Luka Dončić recently and is averaging 25.1 points per game without him this season. While they’ve gotten some other contributions from the rest of the roster, Kyrie is still the clear number one threat on this offense.
Kyrie also particularly seems to get up for games against the team that drafted him. Over the past few seasons he has averaged 28.2 points per game against the Cavaliers and has exceeded this 26.5 points line in four of five games, including three straight where he scored more than 30.
Besides the history, the Cavaliers have been susceptible to opponent point guard scoring. They have given up big games to Austin Reaves, Jamal Murray, Collin Sexton, and Tyrese Maxey.
I expect Kyrie to show out tonight and exceed 26.5 points.
Pick: Kyrie Irving Over 26.5 Points (-109)
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Wizards vs. Pelicans
By Nick Parsons
The Wizards are coming off a low-scoring 125-107 win over Chicago, and I think that defensive momentum will carry over here.
This is the start of a home-and-home set between these two clubs. The Pelicans are just 5-29 after their most recent 119-108 loss at Miami.
New Orleans has seen the total go Over in five straight games. But note, looking back at the trends, the Pels have seen the total go Under in four of their last five after playing to five or more straight Overs in a row.
This is a game where each team will feel they actually have a legitimate shot at winning, and I believe this sense of competition will lead to a much more lower-scoring combined outcome than the over/under suggests.
Pick: Under 232.5 (-110)
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Grizzlies vs. Kings
Sometimes you should take bets at short odds simply because they have value.
That is the case with Zach Edey and his block prop on Friday night when the Grizzlies take on Domantas Sabonis and the Kings.
Sabonis has consistently been one of the best players on the glass in the NBA over the past several seasons. He currently ranks first in rebounds and fourth in offensive rebounds.
Due to his physical nature, there is no question that Sabonis, a below-the-basket interior player, will try to challenge Edey in the paint off of an offensive rebound or on a drop-off in the pick-and-roll.
Unfortunately (for Sabonis), Edey's size and length will win in that situation more often than not.
Edey has logged at least one block in 10 of his past 11 games (90.9%), crushing the implied probability of this bet (69.23%) in recent outings.
Further, the Kings take the fourth-most shots between 5-9 feet of any team in the NBA, which should bode well for Edey, who will be sagging off Sabonis and anchoring the paint.
A shorter guard could easily underestimate Edey's length and timing, which has happened all season long.
Pick: Zach Edey Over 0.5 Blocks (-225)
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Cavaliers vs. Mavericks
By Bill Marzano
The 29-4 Cavaliers continue cruising along with the best overall record in the NBA and now take on a 20-14 Mavericks squad without their best player and leading scorer.
The Cavaliers are about as healthy as they can be, this team is one of the top scoring teams in the NBA, and they have one of the deepest benches.
The Cavaliers are playing great basketball on the road, and they have won eight straight games by double digits.
The Mavericks have dropped three straight entering tonight, and quite frankly, I'm not sure how they plan on slowing down this offense that wields so many weapons and remains lethal from beyond the arc.
The Cavaliers are also dominating in the paint and on the boards during their winning streak, and coming off a big win over the Lakers in their latest outing. The Cavaliers are now 9-0 versus Western Conference foes winning by an average of 16.3 points per contest.
The Cavaliers have won four straight matchups against Dallas, and five of the last six overall. However, this is the first meeting of the season between these two teams. I'll lay the points with Cleveland.
Pick: Cavaliers -7 (-110)
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