NBA Best Bets Today, 1/19: Picks, Predictions & Player Props - Monday
The sportsbooks sent all their troops out of the foxhole to attack our best bets. They blitzed us. Paolo Banchero’s rebounding line died on the hook in a lopsided game in London. Nikola Vucevic attempted seven threes against the Brooklyn Nets, his most attempts over the past ten Chicago Bulls matches. His proposition died on the hook as well, as he was unable to make two threes. Another example of the research being correct, but the execution failed to deliver.
Worst of all, the “nickel” wager was a complete, utter disaster. There must have been something in the air, as it was trouble across multiple sports for bettors. Fantasy Alarm NBA Best Bets had our worst day of the year. We haven’t been skunked in quite some time, and the first nickel bet was unsuccessful due to the Denver Nuggets playing their worst game of the season. They only scored 34 points in the first half, and they had Jamal Murray. The moneyline best bet was dead in the first quarter.
If you bet seven days a week, most days throughout the year, a day like that is going to happen. Even the great Nolan Ryan had a game where he gave up four walks, a grand slam, and a single before recording an out. However, in the world of betting, every day is a new day. The trick is getting up, dusting yourself off, and attacking the lines once again. There are basketball games throughout Martin Luther King Jr. Day. It’s a day that is important in the NBA, and we often get great performances from individuals and teams.
NBA Best Bets Today, 1/19: Picks, Predictions & Player Props - Monday
Boston Celtics vs Detroit Pistons: Monday 1/19
Game Time: 8:00 PM ET | TV: NBC/Peacock | Location: Little Caesar Arena | Odds: DET -3.5 | O/U 224.5
- Prediction: DET -3.5 (-102 on BETMGM Sportsbook)
The Detroit Pistons and Boston Celtics are on national television in the late slate. Their match is the fourth game to be on NBC/Peacock, and they may have saved the best for last. This is the top two teams of the Eastern Conference battling it out. Both teams are on a two-game winning streak that they hope to extend to three. Boston has won seven of their last ten games, while Detroit has won six of their last ten games.
Is this the Eastern Conference Finals preview? It is possible. The Pistons are favored in tonight’s match by -3.5 points, or a couple of field goals. That is the best bet from this match, and at almost even odds is the best bet in today’s column. Cade Cunningham will present problems for the Celtics offensively, and Boston will have issues scoring on Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart. If Cunningham is finding his players open on the court, it’s going to be a long night for Boston.
The Pistons are playing great basketball and have been the class of the Eastern Conference throughout the season. They should have a few issues handling the Boston Celtics on their home court. The spread is too low, and we are taking advantage of it. Put a unit on this best bet.
LA Clippers vs Washington Wizards: Monday 1/19
Game Time: 3:00 PM ET | TV: NBA League Pass | Location: Capital One Center | Odds: LAC -7.5 | O/U 226.5
The Los Angeles Clippers are an interesting team. They started out terribly, but that is expected on any team Kawhi Leonard is a part of. They currently have the longest win streak in the Association with 5, and Los Angeles has won eight of their last ten games. They are heavy favorites to win against the Washington Wizards today, but the spread is high, and the moneyline has no value. So the total is the best bet in this match.
Each team averages just over 112 points per game, but Los Angeles has scored over 117 points in four of their last five wins. The total has exceeded 226.5 points in three of those wins, too. Washington allows 123.9 points per game to opposing teams, and they have little concern for defense.
Los Angeles should score over 124.5 points in this match. That would imply that Washington needs to score only 100 points for this total to be successful. That is the plan for the game, and that is why the over on the total is the best bet of this match. Put a unit on the over in this match, and cheer for a high-scoring MLK Day game.
NBA Prop Bet Today, 1/19
The first match today begins at 1:00 PM ET, and appropriately takes place in Atlanta, Georgia. The home city of Martin Luther King Jr. The game is nationally televised on NBC-Peacock, and the pre-game will highlight a match between excellent forwards.
Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jalen Johnson are playing at elite levels this season. The proposition bet today is set at a difficult and rare stat to achieve. The triple-double. However, Jalen Johnson has 7 triple-doubles this season. That is the second most this season, behind the triple-double machine that is Nikola Jokic.
The Milwaukee Bucks have lost three consecutive games and are a mess defensively. Jalen Johnson should look to exploit a backcourt that plays with little to no defense. He can attack the glass against an older front court in Myles Turner and Bobby Portis. And as mentioned, it is a national holiday that means so much to so many people in the United States of America. As important as this day is in the NBA, it should (and does) have more meaning for the Atlanta Hawks.
The NBA franchise that represents the city in which the champion of the social rights movement was raised. Jalen Johnson is the best player on the Hawks roster, and he will rise to the occasion. Put a unit on the +483 triple-double on DraftKings. Should this proposition be successful, then the nickel bet loss of yesterday would be avenged.
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Bet Smart, Be Lucky - Iggy G. -
*All bets placed at 1 unit unless specified otherwise.
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