The NBA regular season resumes 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 6 NBA picks for today's matchups. Continue below for our NBA best bets and predictions for Thursday, January 30.
NBA Best Bets, Predictions, Picks, Odds: Thursday, Jan. 30
| Game | Time (ET) | Pick |
|---|---|---|
  | 7 p.m. | |
  | 9:30 p.m. | |
  | 7 p.m. | |
| 9:30 p.m. | |
  | 10 p.m. | |
  | 9 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. | ||
Lakers vs. Wizards
This is an awesome spot for LA's available players. Anthony Davis leads the team in usage rate, and he's been ruled out. The remaining Lakers get to take on one of the worst defenses in the league. LeBron James is also questionable, which could open up massive opportunities on offense.
Austin Reaves has gotten a hefty 4.2% usage rate boost with Davis off the floor. It's translated into a big bump in scoring. His assists have hardly budged, but he's taken an extra 3.1 shots and scored 4.3 more points per 36 minutes with Davis on the bench.
D'Angelo Russell actually got the biggest usage bump with Davis off the floor among regulars, and he's now in Brooklyn. Reaves should handle the bulk of the scoring burden tonight.
Reaves has taken a step forward in terms of volume, averaging career highs in minutes, scoring, shots, and free throw attempts. The increased workload has dinged his efficiency, as he's posted a career-worst shooting percentage and the 2nd-worst 3-point percentage of his career.
He managed to score 16 points against Washington last week, despite going 4-for-16 from the field.
The matchup helps raise the floor for opposing scorers.
The Wizards are dead last in defensive rating and points allowed per game and are 4th in pace. They have allowed the most made 3-pointers per game and the 3rd-most free throw attempts.
Reaves can have a bad shooting night and still get there via the charity stripe. He could also exploit the most generous outside shooting defense in the league. There are multiple paths toward a big game here.
Pick: Austin Reaves Over 20.5 Points (-115)
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Rockets vs. Grizzlies
By Joe Dellera
The Grizzlies host the Rockets today in a showdown between two of the Western Conference’s top teams.
For tonight’s matchup, I’m targeting Desmond Bane.
Bane continues to be a touch undervalued in the prop market as he is averaging 17.7 points per game on the season, but he has continued to improve as the season has gone on.
In January, he is averaging 20.7 points. Some of this is because Morant has missed some time. However, he’s gotten back into a rhythm after averaging closer to 24 points last season.
This points line of 17.5 is one he has now exceeded in 15 of his last 20 games as well.
This season he has scored 17, 16, and 25 points against the Rockets, but with the improved play of late and the likelihood that this is a close and competitive game, I expect him to see plenty of opportunities here.
I’ll grab over 17.5 points.
Pick: Desmond Bane Over 17.5 Points (-104)
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Hawks vs. Cavaliers
By Nick Galaida
There have been 10 games this season in which Dyson Daniels has played 30+ minutes with both Jalen Johnson and Clint Capela unavailable for the Hawks.
In those 10 games, he's recorded 10+ rebounds & assists in 8 of the games, and has no games with fewer than 8 rebounds & assists.
On Tuesday against the Rockets, Daniels had 16 rebounds & assists, supported by a team-high 14 rebound chances and a healthy 16 potential assists.
Assuming he sees 30+ minutes again, he should have a good chance to get the job done here against the Cavaliers tonight.
Pick: Dyson Daniels Over 9.5 Rebounds + Assists (-135)
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Rockets vs. Grizzlies
Houston has had the Grizzlies' number this season, winning all three matchups thus far.
The Rockets have had success in slowing down Memphis's up-tempo (first in pace) offense, holding the Grizz to below their season average in scoring in those games.
Dillon Brooks, Amen Thompson, and Fred VanVleet have done a tremendous job in shutting down all of their passing lanes.
In fact, the Grizz have averaged fewer than 20 assists per game against Houston this season, which is roughly 10 assists less than their season average.
However, since those passing lanes have been cut-off, and Houston has done its best job to slow the game down, we have seen a version of Ja Morant that much more closely resembles his play the past few seasons: aggressive and scoring-focused.
Morant has had to take matters into his own hands against Houston, averaging 26.7 points per game on just shy of 45% shooting from the field.
He has gone over this line in all three matchups with the Rockets in 2024-25, including the first game, when Morant only played 24 minutes.
Pick: Ja Morant Over 20.5 Points (-110)
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Magic vs. Trail Blazers
The Magic are out for revenge after losing to the Trail Blazers by over 20 points in their matchup last week.
If we dissect that game, we know it was Franz Wagner first game back from an oblique injury, Goga Bitazde and Jalen Suggs were out, and the depth for Orlando was still an issue.
Now, the tide has turned.
This becomes a sell-high spot on Portland after they have been covering and winning outright, and a buy-low spot on the Magic, who need a road trip to get right.
Pick: Magic -5 (-115)
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Timberwolves vs. Jazz
By Nick Parsons
Minnesota is 26-21 after four straight wins, including a 121-113 victory at Phoenix just last night. Note though, the Wolves are only 2-6 ATS in their last eight after 3+ ATS victories in a row.
With a night off after this, followed by five-straight winnable home games, not only does this set up as a natural letdown spot after the upset win just last night, but also a look-ahead position as well. And when you add those two situational factors together, you get a Trap Game.
Utah is 10-35 after a 114-103 loss at Golden State last time out. The Jazz have lost seven straight, and they'll be desperate to snap the slide.
This is the first matchup of the year between the clubs. I say the Wolves come in complacent and flat, and the hungry Jazz make them work for it here.
Grab the points, the play is Utah.
Pick: Jazz +7.5 (-115)
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