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It was a forgettable slate of picks last Friday as I went 0-5 and even dropped the parlay and teaser. Oof! But it's a new year and a rather large slate of games for a Monday night (11) and I'm anxious to turn things around and start off the year with a bang!
I'm only picking sides and totals in this article three days a week, so consider subscribing to my sports betting substack here as I put out some DFS stuff and props on most evenings from Monday through Friday, too.
In this article, I'll be providing my favorite picks against the spread, game totals, parlays, and teasers for NBA games that tip-off at 7:00 PM EST on Monday, January 2nd. Let's take a look at the games that I am targeting with wagers tonight in the NBA!
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Thunder Dan's NBA Best Bets
- 2022-2023 Overall Record: 78-88
- Against the Spread: 38-40
- Game/Team Totals: 11-22
- Moneyline Parlay: 10-17
- Teasers: 18-8
NBA Betting Picks: Against the Spread
New Orleans Pelicans (+4) @ Philadelphia 76ers (228 total)
The Pelicans just beat this Sixers team last week and survived a huge Embiid game to do it. Now Embiid is questionable tonight and I want to jump on this spread before it moves any further. The Pels are playing some great basketball right now and if the Sixers end up without Embiid, they (the Pelicans) will surely move to favorites in this game. I am putting a half unit on the NOP money-line, too, and even if Embiid does end up playing this game should be close and competitive with the Pelicans having a great shot at pulling off a tough road win.
The Pick: NOP +4 (-110), NOP ML (half unit at +145)
Chicago Bulls (+4.5) @ Cleveland Cavaliers (222.5 total)
Ugh, I said I wouldn't pick the Cavs anymore but here we are again! They're only 4.5-point favorites here in a rematch of Saturday's matchup with the Bulls. They held on for a one-point win on Saturday night, despite not having Darius Garland or Evan Mobley. While Garland is doubtful, it's looking like Mobley should return for this one and the Cavs have been phenomenal at home. I look for them to win this one a little more convincingly and move to 3-0 against the Bulls this season.
The Pick: Cavs -4.5 (-110)
Denver Nuggets (-2) @ Minnesota Timberwolves (233.5 total)
Denver has won 10 of their last 12 games and the reigning MVP, Nikola Jokic, continues to play at an elite level every night. Jamal Murray was rested last night and the Nuggets still dispatched a good Celtics team without him. Denver is really rounding into form and getting great production from Aaron Gordon and they got Michael Porter Jr. (a huge difference-maker when healthy) back in the mix, too. Minnesota continues to underwhelm this season and without KAT, I don't give them much of a chance here in this one. This spread is far low for how well Denver is playing, I think they cover here with ease.
The Pick: Nuggets -2 (-110)
Atlanta Hawks (+1.5) @ Golden State Warriors (237 total)
I already mentioned the Pelicans as underdogs worth a money-line bet and I'm still undecided on whether or not I want to back the Lakers at +100 against Charlotte as it would be purely be a bet on LeBron carrying the rest of that sad roster against a poor opponent.
But I do like the Hawks here at +100 quite a bit. The Warriors' bench is very depleted and they are still without Curry and Wiggins in their starting lineup. That leaves a lot of pressure on Jordan Poole and Klay Thompson to carry this offense and while they are both very capable of doing it, they're going to need to shoot the lights out.
The Hawks should have an advantage on the interior as the Dubs have almost no one left to help Draymond Green and Kevon Looney, while the Hawks can deploy John Collins, Onyeka Okongwu, and Jalen Johnson. Trae Young and Dejounte Murray are a formidable combo and Bodgan Bogdanovic is starting to play well as their third scorer, too. Give the Hawks here as road dogs!
The Pick: Hawks ML (+100)
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NBA Betting Picks: Game and Team Totals
Phoenix Suns (+1.5) @ New York Knicks (217.5 total)
No more betting on the Suns, BUT they do get two important pieces back today in Landry Shamet and Cameron Payne. That should help their offense tremendously and take some of the pressure off Chris Paul, Deandre Ayton, and Mikal Bridges. The Knicks could also get Jalen Brunson back here, too, which would improve their offense as well as really help their depth by allowing them to shift Immanuel Quickley back the bench. This is the lowest total on the slate (even lower than Miami-LAC) and I just don't get it because both of these teams can score and I don't view either team as elite defensively.
The Pick: OVER 217.5 (-110)
MONEYLINE PARLAY (ultra-conservative today)
POR + BKN + DAL = (-118 DK)
UNDERDOG TEASER (buying 5 points)
LAL +6.5, MIA +7.5, NOP +9, ATL +6.5 = (+190 DK)
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