NBA Odds, Picks & Predictions: Thursday (1/15)
Thursday night in the NBA is packed with big-time matchups. There are nine games on the schedule, which means there is plenty of opportunity for casual and serious bettors alike. Let's take a look at some of the matchups for our top NBA picks & predictions.
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Thursday’s Best NBA Picks & Predictions
(Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)
Memphis Grizzlies at Orlando Magic
Although the Magic are listed as the home team, this game takes place in Berlin, Germany. Not only will this be a homecoming for emerging star Franz Wagner, but it will also be the first game back for the young forward in over a month. Orlando weathered the storm with Wagner out of the lineup to the tune of going 8-8 straight up (SU) and 5-11 against the spread (ATS). His team-leading 22.7 points per game (PPG) will be a welcome return for a lineup that is one of the worst shooting teams in the league.
The Grizzlies are plenty banged up, with Ja Morant sidelined, amongst others. As disjointed as Orlando's offense has looked at times, Memphis has been arguably worse. Memphis shoots just a 52.6% effective field-goal rate (eFG%), while posting a bottom-10 turnover rate. Orlando is a stout defensive team, and with Wagner back in the lineup, they should be even better.
The Berlin crowd will be heavily favoring the Magic, as both Franz and Moritz Wagner will be looking to put on a show for their hometown. For basketball reasons, Orlando is the right play. With the emotional edge of the game also in the Magic’s favor, they're one of my best bets.
Pick: Magic -5.5 (-110)
Boston Celtics at Miami Heat
After working their way up the standings, Boston has cooled down a bit in the last week. Boston is just 1-3 SU and 1-3 ATS in their last four games, including a loss to the Indiana Pacers. Boston has struggled to find their offense in those games, averaging just 100.3 PPG in the three losses.
On Thursday, Boston will look to bounce back in Miami. The Heat have been nursing some injuries and have an extensive list of players that could be game-time decisions. Because of this, they've also struggled in the last week by losing three of their last four. Much like Boston, it was their offense that didn't perform. Only 101.3 PPG were scored in the losses, which has doomed them.
While I don't expect the same level of offensive futility in this one, we could see similar outcomes. Miami plays at the fastest pace in the league, while Boston plays at the slowest. Boston is really good at taking care of the ball, so Miami won't have many opportunities to turn steals into fast breaks.
Miami is also a very strong defensive team that could keep the streaky Celtics in check. The total is much too high for this matchup, and I'll be playing the under in a game with two teams that aren't scoring very well right now.
Pick: Under 232.5 Points (-110)
Oklahoma City Thunder at Houston Rockets
The most exciting matchup of the night is a likely Western Conference Finals preview. The Thunder will travel to Houston to take on the Rockets. Oklahoma City finally seemed to break out of its funk in its win over the Spurs on Tuesday night. They not only beat the Spurs for the first time all year, but they covered, which snapped a five-game ATS losing streak.
Speaking of ATS losing streaks, the Rockets have failed to cover in six straight games. They've missed covering by over 11 points per game against some less-than-stellar competition. Before this recent slide, they were a pretty decent ATS with an 18-13 record. They're a top-10 offense and defense per rating metrics and are one of the best rebounding teams in the league.
Something here has to give. The Thunder had their moment on Tuesday in a revenge game against the Spurs. This is the Rockets' turn to get revenge. They haven't forgotten how the Thunder came back to win a captivating double overtime thriller back in the first week of the season. Houston will look to get a statement win at home on Thursday night.
Pick: Rockets +5.5 (-115)