The NBA regular season resumes with another excellent slate this Monday, with a total of 6 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.
Our betting experts have looked over the odds and made 4 NBA picks for today's matchups. Continue below for our NBA best bets and predictions for Monday, January 13.
NBA Best Bets Today, Predictions, Picks, Odds: Monday, January 13
| Game | Time (ET) | Pick |
|---|---|---|
  | 7:30 p.m. | |
  | 7:30 p.m. | |
  | 10:30 p.m. | |
| 7:30 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. | ||
Pistons vs. Knicks
By Joe Dellera
Karl-Anthony Towns has continued his All-Star campaign for the Knicks and is now averaging 25.4 points, 14 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game. On a back-to-back, I like him to score today against the Pistons.
When these teams played earlier in the season, KAT scored 21 points in a blowout and he played only two minutes in the fourth quarter.
However, the Pistons have played better of late, and I’m not as concerned about a blowout this time around.
KAT’s ability to score at all three levels will give him an advantage against this Pistons’ defense that has surrendered strong performances to Bigs that can play both inside and outside such as Nikola Jokić and Kristaps Porziņģis.
Yesterday, Jalen Brunson got a stinger to his shoulder and missed some time before returning, but there’s always the potential it flared up overnight.
If Brunson misses tonight, KAT would be a clear beneficiary. He scored 31 points in his one game without Brunson this season and saw his Usage bump by about 20% in that game.
I’ll grab KAT over 24.5 points.
Pick: Karl-Anthony Towns Over 24.5 Points (-110)
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Warriors vs. Raptors
The Raptors (8-31) have had a disappointing season. Toronto carries a five-game losing streak into Monday’s game against Golden State and has won just once in their last 17 games.
If we turn to the Warriors (19-19), they have also been slightly underwhelming following a 12-3 start, considering they managed just seven wins over their next 23 games.
While this would seem like an optimal spot to back the Warriors on the road, their recent form is worrying enough to blindly lay the 5.5 points on the road.
Despite their issues, the Warriors have been solid defensively, ranking eighth in efficiency with a 110.5 rating. Their defense could be particularly key in slowing down Toronto’s Scottie Barnes.
Barnes has an assists prop set at 5.5, which seems attainable given that he’s averaging 6.4 dimes on the year.
However, the Raptors' small forward has exceeded this projection only once in seven of his last eight games.
Moreover, the Warriors are the sixth-best team in the league in limiting opponent assists at the small forward position, allowing just 3.48 per game this season. And if you look at the six games in Barnes’ career against the Warriors, he registered over 5.5 assists only once.
This is a sneaky good contrarian play with some promise, and since the Warriors have a clear defensive edge in this player-vs.-player matchup, it’s worth fading Barnes to stay under his assists prop of 5.5.
Pick: Scottie Barnes Under 5.5 Assists (-122)
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Spurs vs. Lakers
The large and obvious story for this game is the fires happening in Los Angeles and the tragedy that has struck that community.
There are various sports psychology angles to either say the team has been through hardship and they are distracted, or that they are going to rally for the city. I think most of that is past post, meaning we use the results to explain it in hindsight.
What I want to play into is the Lakers coming off a few days of rest.
With their previous two games postponed, LeBron James and Anthony Davis have been resting their legs, and this group is notoriously strong on 3+ days of rest.
Here, they get the Spurs with a -3.5 spread, I played it for more than my normal 1-unit.
Pick: Lakers -3.5 (-110)
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Pistons vs. Knicks
By Nick Parsons
The Knicks are now 26-14 after hammering Milwaukee by a score of 140-106 their last time out.
The Knicks will be seeking revenge here after a 120-111 loss to the Pistons in early December, and note that New York has seen the total go Under the number in eight of its last 11 when trying to avenge a SU/ATS home loss vs. an opponent.
The Pistons 20-19 after winning four of its last five. That includes a 123-114 victory over Toronto in their latest outing.
But with the home side looking to set the pace here, look for a slower-paced affair to produce a lower-scoring outcome. The play is the Under.
Pick: Under 222.5 (-105)
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