The NBA regular season continues with a relatively light slate this Thursday, with a total of only 5 matchups on the docket scheduled for today. However, our staff of basketball betting experts still dug into the latest odds and identified all the best value on the board for tonight.
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 Thursday, January 16.
NBA Best Bets Today, Predictions, Picks, Odds: Thursday, January 16
Game | Time (ET) | Pick |
---|---|---|
7 p.m. | ||
7:30 p.m. | ||
10 p.m. | ||
10 p.m. | ||
10 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. |
Pacers vs. Pistons
By Joe Dellera
The Pistons face off against the Pacers today, and one player to target is Jalen Duren.
Duren has been a monster against Indiana, hitting the Over at this number in 8 straight games and averaging 24.9 Points + Rebounds (PR) during that stretch.
This includes two games this season with 26 PR in each.
The Pacers have been relatively weak against the center position defensively, and Duren should get enough run to take advantage.
Over his last 10 games, he’s averaged 20.7 PR, and that combo sees a notable uptick when he sees at least 20 minutes.
The Pacers tend to allow points in the paint, and Duren is a tough matchup for Myles Turner given his size and athleticism.
I like Duren to keep up the strong play against Indiana tonight.
Pick: Jalen Duren Over 19.5 Points + Rebounds (-113)
Cavaliers vs. Thunder
The Thunder are at home, in revenge-mode, and the moneyline is priced at -120? Sign me up!
The Thunder saw their 15-game winning streak snapped in a 129-122 loss at Cleveland on January 8, but they've bounced back with three straight wins both SU and ATS since then, including a 126-101 win at New York, a 136-95 win at Washington, and a 118-102 win at Philadelphia.
Going back to November 20, Oklahoma City is 22-2 SU and 18-4-2 ATS.
The Thunder haven't lost at home since a 121-119 defeat vs. Dallas on November 17.
Pick: Thunder Moneyline (-125)
Clippers vs. Trail Blazers
Ivica Zubac has gone over this line in eight of his last 14 games, with two landing at 28 exactly.
The Blazers will be without Donovan Clingan, Robert Williams, Deni Advija and Jerami Grant.
DeAndre Ayton is unserious, and Zubac is coming off an outing where he only had to play 22 minutes because the Clippers destroyed the Nets last night.
In fact, his last three Unders were all in games where he played less than 30 minutes.
He may have to play tonight.
The Clippers are 2-5 against the spread on the second half of back-to-backs, while Portland is 6-4 ATS with a rest advantage.
Pick: Ivica Zubac Over 28.5 Points + Rebounds (-110)
Rockets vs. Kings
With a victory on Thursday night against the Kings in Sacramento, the Rockets can extend their winning streak to a season-best six games tonight.
While the Rockets are widely known for their suffocating defense, their perimeter offense has been the shining light during this recent run.
Houston is averaging 15 3-pointers per game during this winning streak, the seventh-best mark in the league over that period. And it’s not as if the Rockets have suddenly become trigger-happy from beyond the arc, because their 36.2 3-point attempts during this span are also identical to their season average.
Houston will face a Kings defense tonight that allows the third-highest opponent 3-point field goals (14.5 per game).
The total is 8-2 to the Over in their last 10 meetings, and Houston comes into the contest on a 4-0-1 run to the Over. Sacramento is also 4–1 to the Over in its last five games.
These signs suggest we could be in for a high-scoring affair, and with a total of 224.5, the Over is well worth a look.
Pick: Over 224.5 (-115)
Clippers vs. Trail Blazers
By Bill Marzano
The Clippers are coming off their biggest win in the team's history after posting a 59-point win over the hopeless Nets last night, so I don't think playing on back-to-back nights is going to have much of an effect on them in this spot.
The Clippers have absolutely dominated this series and should have no problems taking care of a banged-up Blazers team that is missing several key players.
This series is tied 1-1 this season, but the Clippers are as healthy as they have been all season long, and despite playing on back-to-back nights, Leonard will still play a key role in his limited minutes tonight.
The Blazers are riding a three-game skid and have lost six of their last eight overall.
The Clippers are 3rd in NBA in scoring defense, allowing just 107 per contest. The Blazers are bottom-five in scoring defense, allowing just under 117 per game.
The Clippers are 23-15 ATS on the season, and will have a huge edge on the boards and in the paint with the Blazers makeshift lineup tonight.