NBA Odds, Picks & Predictions: Thursday (2/6)
The National Basketball Association (NBA) has six total games on the schedule for Thursday night, including a TNT/truTV/Max doubleheader. The first nationally televised game features the Dallas Mavericks and Boston Celtics tipping off at 7:30 p.m. ET, with the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers doing battle at 10:00 p.m. ET in the nightcap.
Let’s build a bankroll for the Super Bowl and other upcoming betting events with our best NBA picks for Thursday, February 6th.
Go premium to view top prop bets based on Cover Probability, Expected Value & Star Rating >>
Thursday’s Best NBA Picks
NBA odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook | All picks are for 1 unit
Orlando Magic (+270) at Denver Nuggets (-335) | O/U 221.5 (-110/-110)
The Magic (25-27) and the Nuggets (32-19) battle at Ball Arena in Denver at 9:00 p.m. ET, as Orlando wraps up a six-game road trip.
This is the second and final meeting of the season, with Denver coming away with a 113-100 win as a 7.5-point favorite in Orlando in the first meeting on January 19th as the under (221.5) cashed. That halted a three-game win streak in the series by the Magic. The cover was the first for the Nuggets in eight tries, as Orlando had been an impressive 7-0 against the spread (ATS) in the previous seven meetings since April 4th, 2021.
In that first meeting, Denver shot 52% (40-of-77) from the field, while connecting at a 28% clip from behind the three-point line (7-of-25). All five starters ended up scoring in double digits, with Nikola Jokic and Christian Braun finishing with 20 points each. Jokic had a triple-double, also contributing 14 rebounds, 10 assists and three steals with three blocked shots.
For the Magic, they hit just 38% (38-of-102) from the field and 29% (12-of-41) from the perimeter. Five Magic players also had double-digit points, including Wendell Carter Jr. with 16 points and 13 rebounds for the team’s only double-double. He also added five assists, three steals and a blocked shot in 34 minutes.
Denver is fresh off a sweep of a back-to-back against the New Orleans Pelicans, averaging 129.5 points per game (PPG), while allowing just 116 PPG. The Nuggets covered both games, halting an 0-5 ATS skid. Denver has won four in a row while splitting the over/under 3-3 in the past six outings.
For Orlando, it picked up a 130-111 win as a 4-point underdog against the Sacramento Kings last time out. The Magic opened the road trip with four straight losses and non-covers. The over against Sacramento also snapped a three-game under run. The total has still gone low in six of the past nine games for Orlando.
Despite Orlando’s recent success in the series, especially against the number, let’s back Denver to secure the season sweep. In addition, the lean is to the under. It cashed in the first meeting, with 213 total points on a line of 221. Be careful, though, as the over is 6-1 in the past seven home games for the Nuggets.
Picks: Nuggets -8 (-110) & Under 221.5 Points (-110)
Golden State Warriors (+250) at Los Angeles Lakers (-310) | O/U 221.5 (-110/-110)
The Warriors (25-25) and the Lakers (29-19) meet at Crypto.com Arena at 10:00 p.m. ET in the nightcap of the nationally televised doubleheader.
Both teams were busy working the phones and upgrading their rosters ahead of the NBA trade deadline. The Golden State Warriors made a huge splash by landing disgruntled forward Jimmy Butler from the Miami Heat in a four-way trade, while Kyle Anderson, Dennis Schroder, Lindy Waters III and Andrew Wiggins are on the move from the Bay Area. As such, the Warriors figure to be very short-handed on Thursday night.
Meanwhile, the Lakers were back making deals, acquiring center Mark Williams from the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for rookie Dalton Knecht, Cam Reddish and draft picks. Even if Williams cannot make it to Los Angeles in time, the Lakers should be in a lot better shape in terms of bench depth.
The Warriors have dropped five of their past nine games since January 20th, while going just 5-5 ATS in the past 10 games, with the over cashing in three of the past four games and eight of the previous 11 contests. That includes a 118-108 loss at home against the Lakers as a 1-point underdog on January 25th in the most recent meeting in San Francisco as the over (220.5) cashed.
L.A. has rolled up three straight wins, with seven victories in the past eight games, while going 3-0 ATS in the past three and 6-1-1 ATS across the eight-game span. The over is 3-1 in the past four outings, too. The Lakers offense has racked up 122+ points in three straight, while the defense has allowed 108 or fewer points in six of the past eight contests.
Los Angeles has won both meetings this season. Each game took place in the Bay Area. The Lakers are 2-0 ATS in the series this season, too, while the over has hit in both meetings.
As such, back the Lakers laying the points, especially since the Warriors figure to have a patchwork roster following the huge trade. In addition, we’ll roll with the under, which goes against the series numbers. While the total has gone high in four in a row and seven of the past eight meetings, Golden State will be short-handed. Wiggins was the team’s second-leading scorer, so it’s uncertain when the Dubs will get their offense on Thursday.
Picks: Lakers -7.5 (-110) & Under 221.5 Points (-110)
Make sure to check out our other best bets for Thursday:
Daniel E. Dobish is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Daniel, check out his archive and follow him @danieledobish.