RADIO
It's a Wednesday night in the NBA, and we have eight games on the slate. Yesterday was an eventful day, with the Heat acquiring Terry Rozier and the Milwaukee Bucks firing head coach Adrian Griffin and hiring Doc Rivers. I'll admit, as a Knicks fan, I didn't love seeing Miami add Rozier to their roster. He should be an unfortunate great pickup for them, and I'm intrigued to see how it looks on the court.
There are two featured games on tonight's slate that you can find on ABC and ESPN. The streaking Phoenix Suns visit Luka Land to take on the Mavericks. Rookie of the Year favorites Chet Holmgren and Victor Wembanyama will duel in San Antonio as the Spurs host the Thunder.
In this article, I'll be providing my favorite picks against the spread, game totals, parlays, and teasers for the NBA slate that tips off at 7:00 p.m. EST on Wednesday, January 24. Follow me on Twitter, @Jwiesel13.
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NBA Betting Picks: ML & Spreads
Minnesota Timberwolves (-11.5) at Washington Wizards (231 total)
Both of these teams come into this game off of losses, but they probably feel differently about them. The Timberwolves wasted 62 points from Karl Anthony-Towns Monday night and blew the game at home against the Charlotte Hornets. Washington didn't really have a chance to beat the Nuggets on Sunday, but they played pretty tough in a good effort.
I really like the Wizards in this spot at home with the points. According to team rankings, Washington is 6-9 ATS this season as a home underdog. They are also 3-2 ATS when double-digit underdogs. Overall, they have been a very solid 20-21-1 ATS this season.
Minnesota is 7-7 ATS as an away favorite and 2-3-1 ATS with a rest disadvantage. The Wizards haven't played since Sunday, and Minnesota had to travel from Minnesota to Washington, so I give the Wizards the edge there.
The Wizards are 13th in home points per game and should be fresh coming into the game. They actually shoot it pretty well, and their 13.1 threes per game place them just around league average. Washington does a decent enough job scoring in the paint and on the fast break that I think they'll be able to hang.
Anthony Edwards and company have lost two straight, and this is the first game of a four-game road trip. It's a game they should win and likely will win, but hopefully not by too many points.
The Pick: Wizards +11.5 (-110 PointsBet)
Cleveland Cavaliers (+6.5) at Milwaukee Bucks (236.5 total)
At first glance, this line feels high for a Cavs team that has won eight in a row. Maybe it is just that easy to take Cleveland and the points, but I'm going the other way. In this league, teams go on streaks and fall back to earth, and I think that happens to Cleveland here.
Throughout their eight-game streak, the Cavs are scoring 121 points per game, hitting 50.3 percent of their field goals, and shooting over 40 percent from three on 16.6 makes per game. For the season, they are averaging 114 points, making 47.8 percent of their field goals, and hitting 35.9 percent of their threes on 13.2 makes. This streak has been impressive, and they did destroy the Hawks and Magic on the road in their last two games.
Milwaukee fired head coach Adrian Griffin yesterday, despite a 30-13 record. Whatever conflict the coach and team seemed to have did not really affect their performance on the court. In a way, I think this will free the Bucks players up, and there is probably some sense of relief with Griffin out. If that means Giannis and Damian Lillard freelancing this game, so be it.
The Bucks have shot over 50 percent on field goals and over 40 percent from three in five games at Fiserv Forum in January.
The Picks: Bucks -6.5 (-110 FanDuel)
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NBA Betting Picks: Totals
Oklahoma City Thunder (-7) at San Antonio Spurs (240.5 total)
I like the first half over in this game. After watching what Joel Embiid did to the Spurs on Monday night, I'm not sure how anyone could trust the Spurs' defense.
Oklahoma City comes into this game as a top-seven first-half scoring offense. They are also in the top ten in field goal percentage. Their outside shooting could be better, but they are one of the best teams scoring inside the paint. Unsurprisingly, this is an area the Spurs have struggled with on defense.
When it comes to Spurs first-half scoring, they are currently 16th among home teams, which isn't bad at all. San Antonio is in the top five for first-half three-pointers made per game. Neither team has had a spectacular first-half defense, and their offensive numbers point up compared to defense. The Spurs are prone to turning the ball over, and Oklahoma City is one of the top steal teams in the league. Turnovers could lead to some easy baskets for the Thunder. This is an ESPN nationally televised game, and I think both teams will come out hot. It should be a fun game.
The Pick: First Half Over 122 (-112 DraftKings)
ML Parlay: CHA + MIL (+226 FD)
Teaser: WAS +17 - POR +16.5 - SAS +13 (+140 FD)
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