Here are three spread, moneyline, and OVER/UNDER bets to consider for all of the NBA action taking place on Monday, January 22, 2024:
Jump To Picks:
Recent Picks: January 19, 2024 (0-3)
| Game | Bet | Result | W or L | Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indiana Pacers vs. Portland Trail Blazers | Pacers ATS -5.5 | 118-115 Trail Blazers | L | -1 |
| Denver Nuggets vs. Boston Celtics | Celtics ML | 102-100 Nuggets | L | -1 |
| Brooklyn Nets vs. Los Angeles Lakers | UNDER 227 Total Points | 242 Total Points | L | -1 |
| Overall | -3 |
What seemed like a surefire perfect day turned out disastrous. The Indiana Pacers debuted Pascal Siakam and got Tyrese Haliburton back in the lineup against the lowly Portland Trail Blazers and lost, the Boston Celtics fell for the first time all year at home, and the Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Lakers had a rare OVER day on the scoreboard.
Ah well.
Season Pick Results: As Of Jan. 22, 2024
| Market | Record | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Moneyline | 1-4 | -3.02 |
| Spread | 3-4 | -1.31 |
| OVER/UNDER | 3-3 | -0.31 |
| Overall | 7-11 | -4.64 |
Boston Celtics Vs. Dallas Mavericks
The Game: Boston Celtics vs. Dallas Mavericks, 8:30 p.m. ET
| Team | Spread | Money | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Celtics | -3.5 (-110) | -158 | O 239.5 (-110) |
| Dallas Mavericks | +3.5 (-110) | +134 | U 239.5 (-110) |
Pick: Celtics ATS -3.5
The Celtics have a respectable 5-2 record this season when playing on the second night of a back-to-back slate, having just defeated the Houston Rockets 116-107 on Sunday.
The Dallas Mavericks have been off since Wednesday, Jan. 17 after their game against the Golden State Warriors was postponed following the death of Warriors assistant coach Dejan Milojevic. Having more rest doesn't necessarily equate to success, though, as having so many days off could lead to some initial rust when taking the hardwood against the league-best Celtics.
Boston went a perfect 2-0 last season against Dallas which included a 29-point victory at the American Airlines Center on Jan. 5, 2023. The Celtics have covered 66 percent of the time in their last six meetings against Dallas and should do the same on Monday.
Cleveland Cavaliers Vs. Orlando Magic
The Game: Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Orlando Magic, 7 p.m. ET
| Team | Spread | Money | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cleveland Cavaliers | -1.5 (-110) | -120 | O 216.5 (-110) |
| Orlando Magic | +1.5 (-110) | +102 | U 216.5 (-110) |
Pick: Magic ML
There's a leap of faith that needs to be taken when picking a team that's on a league-best seven-game winning streak to finally lose. When you take a deeper look at that streak, though, you'll notice that all but one win came against teams with losing records, and the blowout win over the Milwaukee Bucks didn't feature Giannis Antetokounmpo.
That's not to diminish the Cleveland Cavaliers' success, but it does provide enough reason to think the Orlando Magic can take this one with the spread and moneyline as tight as it is. Orlando prevailed on Dec. 11, 2023 when these squads met at the Kia Center, doing so without the presence of Franz Wagner.
While competing for the second time in a matter of days, the Magic will receive a balanced scoring attack from their starting lineup and give the Cavaliers' their first loss since the first of the year.
Memphis Grizzlies Vs. Toronto Raptors
The Game: Memphis Grizzlies vs. Toronto Raptors, 7:30 p.m. ET
| Team | Spread | Money | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Memphis Grizzlies | +7.5 (-112) | +225 | O 227 (-110) |
| Toronto Raptors | -7.5 (-108) | -275 | U 227 (-110) |
Pick: UNDER 227 Total Points
The Toronto Raptors are only averaging 110.3 points per game in three outings since moving Siakam to Indiana, which ranks 24th in the Association during that span. Much of that came in their first game sans Siakam, dropping 121 points on the Miami Heat on Jan. 17, although they're averaging just 105 points per game since.
The total has gone UNDER in four of their last five games while also going UNDER in five-straight games when the Memphis Grizzlies visit Scotiabank Arena.
A 227-point OVER/UNDER implies an average of 113.5 points between the two teams, and Memphis has hit that number just once in its last four games.
