X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Free NBA Betting Picks - Today's Best Bets, Expert Predictions, Odds (1/3/24)

Julius Randle - NBA DFS Picks, Daily Fantasy Basketball Betting, Prop Picks

Josh Wiesel's top NBA betting picks and best bets for today's NBA games on 1/3/24. His free picks against the spread, teasers, parlays, and NBA player props.

I hope you all had a nice New Year's and start to the new year. We have a massive 12-game slate tonight, and hopefully, winners to find. I'm going to continue to find some first-quarter and first-half spots that I like. In the beginning of the season, I was forcing a lot with over/unders, and that's just not my game.

On Monday night, I was able to go 3-0 on my single-game picks. Milwaukee easily covered -2.5 in the first quarter, and the Jazz won outright to cover +4.5. I needed a Jalen Duren putback layup with 0.5 seconds to cash Pistons +5.5, which led to a sweep.

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 Wednesday, January 3. Follow me on Twitter/X, @Jwiesel13. I hope it's a great year for all of us, and thank you as always for reading!

 

NBA Betting Picks: ML and Spreads

Chicago Bulls (+9.5) @ New York Knicks (218.5 total)

OG Anunoby made his debut for the New York Knicks on Monday, and he fit right in. New York was down 32-23 at the end of the first quarter but had a huge 38-17 second quarter to take a 61-49 halftime lead. Minnesota battled back, but ultimately the Knicks pulled away and won 112-106.

I'm looking for the Knicks to have a good start and do it in the first half. I just think they match up well against the Bulls. Chicago is in the bottom five in scoring in the last 10 games in the first half. They have also shot an uninspiring 46.9 percent on their field goals. From three, I wouldn't expect the Bulls to light it up. Chicago has shot 32.9 percent from deep in their last 10 contests.

For the Knicks, I can only judge them based on the last game, but I liked what I saw. They only hit 20/47 (42.6%) field goals and 8/22 (36.4%) threes. New York was aggressive in getting to the line, hitting 13-of-14 attempts. Despite the poor shooting numbers, they still put up 61 points, and there's a lot of opportunity for growth. Jalen Brunson did not shoot the ball well.

The Knicks go up against a Bulls team that was 26th in defensive rating on the road in the opening half of games in December. I also know Tom Thibodeau would love to stick it to his former team. The Knicks feel like they have some new-found swagger, and the Bulls are on the second end of a back-to-back after getting punk'd by the Sixers.

The Pick: Knicks First Half -5 (-110 Caesars)

 

Detroit Pistons (+9) @ Utah Jazz  (240.5 total)

I'm going back to the Jazz at home after they covered for me on Monday night. I'm not a fan of the game spread, but I do like them to cover the first quarter.

Utah jumped out to a 37-26 first-quarter lead Monday thanks to shooting 5-for-9 from deep. The Jazz have been a pretty good first-quarter team at home all season. They are in the top 10 in points per game at 30.1. Detroit is averaging 24.9 points in the first quarter on the road this season.

The Jazz are also in the top eight in first-quarter three-pointers. They may not shoot 55.5 percent like they did against the Mavericks, but knowing they're capable of that is encouraging. Detroit is only hitting 2.1 threes in the opening 12 minutes and shooting 31.5 percent, which is in the bottom five of the league. Utah is also in the top five in first-quarter free throw attempts. This is something that oftentimes can be a differentiator.

Will Hardy's squad is a strong rebounding team and averages the most second-chance points in first quarters.

Utah's first-quarter defense hasn’t been great, but they just held a Luka Doncic-led team to 26 first-quarter points. I think they could have good success against a Pistons defense that has not been good in the opening 12 minutes of games. According to Fantasy Pros, Utah is great at defending point guards. That could make life difficult for Cade Cunningham.

The Pick: Jazz First Quarter -2.5 (-115 FanDuel)

 

Sports Betting Promo Offers

Featured Promo: Get any Betting Premium Pass for 30% off using code NEW. Win more with exclusive betting picks from proven winners across 9 sports! Find optimal bets with our Betting Picks Tool and Bet Weighting Tool and follow along in our VIP chat rooms! Go Premium, Win More!

 

Orlando Magic (+4) @ Sacramento Kings (233 total)

Both teams are in the second half of back-to-backs coming into this game.

I like the Kings at home. Sacramento is a top-seven-scoring team at home this season. In nine December games, the Kings shot 49.4 percent on field goal attempts and 41.6 percent from three. That three-point percentage was good enough for third in the NBA among home teams. They also pass the ball well and limit turnovers.

Orlando is one of the lowest-scoring teams on the road. They haven't shot it well and are the only team in the NBA averaging less than 10 three-pointers. The Kings love to shoot the three and have shown they can do it efficiently.

On defense, Sacramento's numbers do not look good, but I found something that could explain it. They are allowing the 12th- most field goal attempts, and opponents are shooting the seventh-best percentage. That means opponents are shooting it efficiently against the Kings' defense. Orlando struggles with field goal percentage and could have trouble keeping up scoring against a high-octane Kings offense.

The Kings also do a good job limiting fast break points, which would be an easy way for Orlando to generate some easy buckets.

The pick: Kings -4.5  (-115 BetMGM)

 

NBA Betting Picks: Parlays and Teasers

Favorite ML parlay: NYK+ SAC + LAL (+170 DK)



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy basketball mobile app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, lineup notifications & DFS articles. All free!

NBA DFS News and Injury Alerts




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Luke Waddell27 mins ago

Swinging A Hot Bat At Triple-A
Chandler Simpson50 mins ago

With A Two-Run Triple, Stolen Base On Wednesday
Los Angeles Chargers1 hour ago

Chargers Sign Tight End Jordan Petaia
Austin Gomber2 hours ago

Scratched From Rehab Start With Shoulder Inflammation
Zack Wheeler2 hours ago

Records 10 Strikeouts
2 hours ago

Matthew Golden Making Pre-Draft Visit To Steelers
Cincinnati Bengals2 hours ago

Trey Hendrickson Not Looking For Short-Term Deal
Aroldis Chapman2 hours ago

Earns First Save Of The Season
Garrett Crochet2 hours ago

Works Eight Strong Innings
Tutu Atwell2 hours ago

Rams Plan To Give Tutu Atwell A Bigger Role In 2025
Rafael Devers3 hours ago

Finally Delivers At The Plate
Tampa Bay Buccaneers3 hours ago

Bucs Restructure Antoine Winfield's Deal To Free Up Cap Space
Xavier Edwards3 hours ago

Collects Four Hits
Pete Alonso3 hours ago

Comes Up Clutch
Jackson Merrill5 hours ago

Goes Deep After Inking Nine-Year Extension
Jrue Holiday5 hours ago

Won't Play Against Miami
New York Jets5 hours ago

Xavier Newman-Johnson Re-Signs With New York
Luis Castillo5 hours ago

Finally Beats The Tigers On Wednesday
Al Horford5 hours ago

Sidelined Versus Heat
Seiya Suzuki5 hours ago

Carries Cubs Offense With Two Homers, Five RBI
Kristaps Porzingis5 hours ago

Ruled Out On Wednesday
Fred VanVleet5 hours ago

Out Versus Utah
Dennis Santana5 hours ago

Picks Up First Save Of The Year
Evan Phillips5 hours ago

Tony Gonsolin, Evan Phillips Starting Rehab Assignments
Dean Wade5 hours ago

Sidelined On Wednesday
George Springer6 hours ago

Hits First Homer In Win Over Nationals
Alex Bregman6 hours ago

Considering Using Torpedo Bat
Trae Young6 hours ago

Expected To Suit Up On Wednesday
Freddie Freeman6 hours ago

Remains Out On Wednesday
Ozzie Albies6 hours ago

Moving To Leadoff Spot On Wednesday
Joel Embiid6 hours ago

Will Undergo Arthroscopic Surgery On His Left Knee
Evgeni Malkin6 hours ago

Joins Penguins For Road Trip
Freddy Peralta6 hours ago

Dazzles In No-Decision Against Royals
Filip Chytil6 hours ago

Could Miss Rest Of Season
Jackson Chourio6 hours ago

Picks Up Three Hits, First Homer In Extra-Innings Win
Declan Chisholm6 hours ago

Back In Action Against Rangers
Michael Harris II6 hours ago

Sitting Against Lefty On Wednesday
Keaton Wallace6 hours ago

Sidelined Again On Wednesday
Samuel Girard7 hours ago

Exits Avalanche Lineup Wednesday
Joel Kiviranta7 hours ago

Returning Against Blackhawks
Eeli Tolvanen7 hours ago

Misses First Game Of The Season
Jaden Schwartz7 hours ago

Unavailable Against Canucks
8 hours ago

Kyle McCord Rising Up Draft Boards?
8 hours ago

Ashton Jeanty To Raiders Continues To Gain Steam
9 hours ago

Emeka Egbuka To Fall To Round 2?
Los Angeles Rams9 hours ago

Rob Havenstein Expected To Be Ready For Training Camp
Cleveland Browns10 hours ago

Mike Hall Likely To Miss Offseason Program After Having Knee Surgery
New England Patriots11 hours ago

Christian Barmore Expected To Be Ready For Offseason Workouts
11 hours ago

Saints Expected To Visit With Quinn Ewers
Jake Moody11 hours ago

49ers To Bring In Competition For Jake Moody
Pittsburgh Steelers11 hours ago

Steelers In Play To Draft A Running Back
Green Bay Packers13 hours ago

Packers Not Ruling Out Jaire Alexander Returning
Tennessee Titans13 hours ago

No. 1 Overall Pick Might Not Be For Sale
Kenny Pickett13 hours ago

Browns Feel Good About QB Situation, Kenny Pickett
Cleveland Browns14 hours ago

Browns Unlikely To Trade Up To No. 1 Overall For Cam Ward
Cincinnati Bengals14 hours ago

Bengals Still Working On Contract Extension With Trey Hendrickson
Dyami Brown14 hours ago

Jaguars Intrigued By Dyami Brown's Potential
Bennedict Mathurin15 hours ago

Iffy For Wednesday
Myles Turner15 hours ago

May Miss Another Game Wednesday
Al Horford15 hours ago

Considered Doubtful Wednesday
Jrue Holiday15 hours ago

Questionable For Wednesday's Game
Kristaps Porzingis15 hours ago

Listed As Questionable For Wednesday
Jaylen Brown15 hours ago

Could Remain On The Shelf Wednesday
Cade Cunningham15 hours ago

Likely Out For Fifth Straight Game
Anthony Davis15 hours ago

Probable Wednesday
Evan Bouchard17 hours ago

Tallies Two Assists In Victory
Jake Guentzel17 hours ago

Tallies Goal, Assist In Victory
Kirill Marchenko17 hours ago

Scores Hat Trick On Tuesday
Tage Thompson17 hours ago

Stays Hot On The Scoresheet
Lane Hutson17 hours ago

Dishes Out Three Helpers In Overtime Victory
Alex Ovechkin18 hours ago

Tallies Two Points In Victory
Cameron Young22 hours ago

A Player To Avoid At Valero Texas Open
Kurt Kitayama22 hours ago

In Search Of Consistency At Valero Texas Open
Si Woo Kim23 hours ago

Looking To Bounce Back At Valero Texas Open
Tom Hoge1 day ago

Looking To Build Off Strong Performance At The PLAYERS Championship
Matt Fitzpatrick1 day ago

Looking For Consistency At Valero Texas Open
Corey Conners1 day ago

Continues Strong Form Ahead Of Valero Texas Open
Patrick Cantlay1 day ago

Eyeing Victory At Valero Texas Open
Gary Woodland1 day ago

Showing Great Form Ahead Of Valero Texas Open
Akshay Bhatia1 day ago

Aiming For Repeat At Valero Texas Open
Alejandro Tosti1 day ago

A Volatile Choice At TPC San Antonio
Guerschon Yabusele1 day ago

Out Against Knicks
Karl-Anthony Towns1 day ago

Sits Out Tuesday's Game
Jevon Carter1 day ago

Ruled Out Tuesday
Dalen Terry1 day ago

Unavailable Against Raptors
Julian Phillips1 day ago

Out On Tuesday
Jimmy Snuggerud1 day ago

Ready For NHL Debut Tuesday
Jacob Trouba1 day ago

Set To Rejoin Ducks Lineup Tuesday
Troy Terry1 day ago

On Track To Play Tuesday
Jonathan Marchessault1 day ago

Remains Out Against Blue Jackets
Alex Laferriere1 day ago

Expected To Return On Tuesday
Luke Schenn1 day ago

A Game-Time Decision Tuesday
Dante Fabbro1 day ago

Returns Against Predators
Olli Määttä1 day ago

Olli Maatta A Game-Time Call On Tuesday
Jordan Spieth2 days ago

Needs To Find Consistency At TPC San Antonio
Jake Knapp2 days ago

Making First Appearance At Valero Texas Open
Michael Kim2 days ago

Looking To Find The Magic Again In San Antonio
Tommy Fleetwood2 days ago

Is Nearly A Must-Play At Valero Texas Open
Tony Finau2 days ago

Hoping For Better Approach Play In San Antonio
Eric Cole2 days ago

Trending In Right Direction Ahead Of Valero
Sam Stevens2 days ago

Enjoys Nice Result In Houston
PGA2 days ago

J.T. Poston Seeks To Contend At Valero Texas Open
Denny McCarthy2 days ago

Keeps Making Cuts But Needs To Make More Putts
Brian Harman2 days ago

Off To A Subpar 2025 So Far
Ryan Preece2 days ago

Has Three Straight Top-10 Finishes For First Time In His Career
NASCAR2 days ago

Bubba Wallace After Third-Place Finish At Martinsville: "What a Great Day"
Todd Gilliland2 days ago

Has Mistake-Free Day At Martinsville, Grabs Another Top-10 Finish
Brandon Moreno2 days ago

Wins Back-To-Back Fights
Steve Erceg2 days ago

Losses Third Consecutive Fight
Drew Dober2 days ago

Gets Knocked Out At UFC Mexico City
Manuel Torres2 days ago

Gets Back In The Win Column
Harry Hall2 days ago

Bounces Back In Houston Last Week
CJ Vergara2 days ago

Gets Submitted
Édgar Cháirez2 days ago

Edgar Chairez Gets Submission Win At UFC Mexico City
Vince Morales2 days ago

Drops Decision At UFC Mexico City
Raul Rosas Jr.2 days ago

Gets Decision Win At UFC Mexico City
Saimon Oliveira2 days ago

Still Winless In The UFC
David Martinez2 days ago

Wins His UFC Debut
Kevin Borjas2 days ago

Earns His First UFC Win
Ronaldo Rodríguez2 days ago

Ronaldo Rodriguez Suffers His First UFC Loss
Christopher Bell3 days ago

Powers His Way To A Second-Place Finish At Martinsville
Chase Elliott3 days ago

Strong Martinsville Performance Ends With A Top-Five Finish
Kyle Larson3 days ago

Collects A Top-Five Finish At Martinsville
William Byron3 days ago

Places 22nd After Struggles At Martinsville
Joey Logano3 days ago

Claims His First 2025 Top-10 Finish After Up-And-Down Performance
Tyler Reddick3 days ago

Fails To Place In The Top 10 At Martinsville
Denny Hamlin3 days ago

Silences Doubters After Crew-Chief Change
Ty Gibbs3 days ago

Earns Best 2025 Finish At Martinsville Despite Failing Cool Suit
Ross Chastain3 days ago

Has A Great Day At Martinsville
Chase Briscoe3 days ago

Has Solid Run At Martinsville
Erik Jones3 days ago

Disqualified At Martinsville For Weight Violation
Josh Berry4 days ago

Has Top-10 Upside At Martinsville
Joey Logano4 days ago

Don't Overlook Joey Logano This Weekend
Ryan Preece4 days ago

Could Get First Three-Race Top-10 Streak Of His Career
Chase Elliott4 days ago

Looking To Continue Great Runs At Martinsville
Christopher Bell4 days ago

Wins Pole At Martinsville, But Can He Stay Up There?
Ryan Blaney4 days ago

Fast In Practice But Skeptical About Car
Denny Hamlin4 days ago

New Crew Chief Has Terrible Martinsville Record
Steve Erceg5 days ago

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Brandon Moreno5 days ago

A Favorite At UFC Mexico City
Manuel Torres5 days ago

Set For Co-Main Event
Drew Dober5 days ago

An Underdog At UFC Mexico City
Joe Pyfer5 days ago

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Kelvin Gastelum5 days ago

Set For Middleweight Matchup
Vince Morales5 days ago

In Dire Need Of Victory
Raul Rosas Jr.5 days ago

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Saimon Oliveira6 days ago

Looks For His First UFC Win
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF