Best NBA Bets Today: Odds & Picks for every game on Thursday, January 8 - Timberwolves down Cavaliers

Napier Montgomery

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College football handicapper for Pickswise, specializing in college football, soccer and college basketball. Much prefer betting on the smaller/forgotten games than the big matchups, where the lines are a lot more vulnerable. PhD in Victorian Literature, putting my skills of the written word to the test with betting analysis.

Pacers vs Hornets best bet: Hornets -3.5 (-110)

Odds available at BetMGM at time of publishing.

On paper, this looks like 2 losing teams squaring off in a toss-up. We made it abundantly clear in our write-up yesterday when the Hornets were hosting the Raptors that this Charlotte team is turning a corner. And while we didn’t cash the money line ticket like we hoped, we were clearly on the right side as we had a good chance to cash since Charlotte lost by just a point.

The Pacers have struggled mightily all season long, and they have really had a hard time away from home (1–16 in away games). Moreover, the Pacers have dropped 10 straight overall. The Pacers are in free-fall while Charlotte is on the ascend. These are two teams heading in opposite directions. Our wager reflects that. Hornets minus the points.

Read our full Pacers vs Hornets prediction

Cavaliers vs Timberwolves best bet: Timberwolves -2.5 (-110)

Odds available at Caesars Sportsbook at time of publishing.

The beautiful thing about this match-up is that the set-up favors the home team beautifully. Cleveland is a team that loves perimeter shooting and pushing pace. The Timberwolves lean into their defense first and impose physicality. In scenarios where these contrasting profiles meet, the team with the more physical and defensive posture is the side to trust. Minnesota can not only win but control large sequences of the game. Yet, we aren’t even asked to spot a 3-pointer to the visitors. That’s a great deal from our perspective. Add in that Minnesota plays at a higher level on its own court while the Cavs are just a .500 team on the road, and backing the T-Wolves to get the job done is the prudent move here.

Read our full Cavaliers vs Timberwolves prediction

Heat vs Bulls best bet: Heat -7.5 (-105)

Odds available at Caesars Sportsbook at time of publishing.

The Bulls enter on a 3-game losing streak, and the market is telling you the Heat are meaningfully stronger right now. We would have to conquer. To win this ticket, Miami needs consistent offense and a couple of key defensive stops. That shouldn’t seem too difficult given that the Bulls’ defense has shown ability to lapse over and over again, while their biggest issue overall is scoring stability. If Chicago’s half-court offense stalls — as it often does when it’s not getting transition looks — Miami cannot only cover here but run away with this one.

Read our full Heat vs Bulls prediction

Mavericks vs Jazz best bet: Mavericks -7.5 (-110)

Odds available at BetMGM at time of publishing.

Who wouldn’t bet the Jazz here? As a 19-point underdog last night, Utah gave the defending champions Oklahoma City all that it could handle. The Jazz not only came in under an insane number, but they threatened the Thunder outright, falling by just 4 points to OKC in a 129-125 thriller. Last night, the market was fading Utah heavily, but because of this impressive showing, the market has fallen in love with the Jazz and is coming back on them hard in the second leg of their back-to-back.

Utah hung with the best, and the Mavericks aren’t even a winning team. As a result, the Jazz have become a public darling, and many are touting an outright upset — a sign of a huge of overreaction. Let’s pump the brakes, though. If Utah was really a threat, the Jazz would be favored here. Instead, they are installed as a significant underdog. Follow the signal and not the sentiment. The Mavs are the play.

Read our full Mavericks vs Jazz prediction