NBA Friday Night Best Bets: January 28th

With a total of 11 NBA games this Friday night, we have a lot of betting opportunities, and the value is off the charts. The NBA best bets are going at 44.14 units of profit and a 5.03% yield, and we are coming off a nice 2/3 Wednesday night so let’s keep up the good momentum.

In this article :

• Charlotte Hornets vs LA Lakers Best Bet
• OKC Thunder vs Indiana Pacers Best Bet
• New Orleans Pelicans vs Denver Nuggets Best Bet
• Memphis Grizzlies vs Utah Jazz Best Bet
• Phoenix Suns vs Minnesota Timberwolves Best Bet

NBA Friday Night Best Bets:

Odds available as at 3 pm January 28th 2022. Odds may now differ. 

Charlotte Hornets vs LA Lakers Best Bet

The Charlotte Hornets have been a gold mine in terms of value this season, and it’s more of the same this Friday night. The Hornets have one of the best offences in the league, scoring an average of 114.9 points per game (1st in NBA) and ranking 3rd in offensive rating at 112.7. They are coming off an incredible 158-126 victory over the Indiana Pacers, and they have covered the spread in a whopping 75.0% of their home games. The Hornets are the best team in the league ATS at home, and even their tentative defence has improved when playing at Spectrum Centre.

Meanwhile, the Lakers are having an abysmal season, sitting 9th in the west with 24 wins and 25 losses. They are struggling on both sides of the floor at the moment, allowing 112.8 points in the last 10 games, and ranking 20th in offensive rating. Just like the Hornets, they love to play fast, but it, unfortunately, results in 15.0 turnovers per game. With LeBron James out for this one and unable to share the offensive load, the playmaking burden will fall to Russel Westbrook, who is having a terrible season and averaging 4.2 turnovers per game. What’s more, the Lakers are one of the worst teams ATS on the road this year, and I don’t expect them to bounce back tonight.

Tip: Charlotte Hornets -6.5 at 1.95 odds

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OKC Thunder vs Indiana Pacers Best Bet

The OKC Thunder are another team that has provided a ton of betting value this season largely due to their reputation as a struggling young team, but also their surprisingly good defence. It’s rare for a young team to rank 13th in defensive rating and allow just 107.9 points per game(13th in NBA), but the Thunder are making it work. They are facing a team that has basically given up on this season, and with their home record ATS of 66.7% it’s hard not to back them again. The Thunder also have the rest advantage and are coming off a close 110-111 loss to the Chicago Bulls.

The Indiana Pacers are 13th in the east with just 13 wins and 32 wins on the season. They have the talent and roster to compete in the east, but it seems like a mix of injury issues and poor team chemistry have made them one of the biggest disappointments this year. With a defensive rating of 118.2 in the last 10 games, the Pacers have the second-worst defence in the league at the moment. But despite this and their terrible away record of 5-19, 75% of bettors are backing them to win tonight, making the Thunder an excellent value pick once again.

Tip: OKC Thunder -1.5 at 2.02 odds

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New Orleans Pelicans vs Denver Nuggets Best Bet

The New Orleans Pelican are 11th in the western conference with 19 wins and 29 losses. Now, don’t tell anyone this, but the Pelicans have quietly been very good at home this season, winning half of their 22 home games and failing to cover the spread in just 8. Their play improves on both sides of the floor when they play at Smoothie King Center, and both bookmakers and bettors tend to underrate them. Only 5% of bettors are backing them to win tonight despite them winning 4 of their last 5 home games.

Meanwhile, the Denver Nuggets have been trudging along this season with Nikola Jokic pulling them to 6th place in the west with 26 wins and 21 losses. The Nuggets are definitely an unpredictable team, as they are now ranking 3rd in offensive rating in the last 10 games, but their defence has now dropped to 15th. But two things can be said about the Nuggets that we know for certain: their bench is very unreliable and they are terrible ATS on the road. In fact, despite having a respectable road record of 13-12, they have only covered the spread in 10 of those 25 games, and it’s largely because of the poor performance of their bench players. 95% of bettors are backing them to win tonight, and I have no problem taking the Pelicans in the handicap market as a solid underdog pick.

Tip: New Orleans Pelicans +5.5 at 1.98 odds

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Memphis Grizzlies vs Utah Jazz Best Bet

The Memphis Grizzlies are one of the most exciting teams in the league at the moment, winning 7 of their last 10 games and coming off a 118-110 road win against the San Antonio Spurs. They are now 3rd in the western conference with 33 wins and 17 losses and boasting a 17-9 home record. The Grizzlies like to play fast and get a lot of easy transition points, but they don’t rely on 3-pointers as much as the rest of the league. This can sometimes lead to a lack of ideas in half-court sets and lower shooting percentages, but with Rudy Gobert out for the Jazz, they shouldn’t face any offensive struggles.

The Utah Jazz have won just 2 of their last 10 games, and it’s easy to spot why. Their defence has ranked 22nd in the league in the last 10 games, and they are allowing almost 110 points per game. They are also struggling to score, averaging only 106.0 points and shooting just 45.2% from the field in the last 10 games (21st in NBA). The Jazz have failed to cover the spread in 8 of their last 10 games, and I don’t expect them to make a comeback tonight without their defensive centrepiece in Rudy Gobert.

Tip: Memphis Grizzlies -3.5 at 1.92 odds

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Phoenix Suns vs Minnesota Timberwolves

The Phoenix Suns are the top team in the western conference at the moment with a record of 38 wins and 9 losses, and currently at the crest of an 8-game winning streak. They have ranked top 5 in both offensive and defensive rating in the last 10 games, and everything is pointing to another solid home victory against the Timberwolves. So what’s the problem? The Suns haven’t been nearly as dominant as their 19-5 home record suggests, covering the spread in just 11 home games this season. This is because bettors rush to back them every single night, drastically moving the betting lines and giving their opponents a ton of value. What’s more, Ayton, Crowder, McGee and Payne, Saric and Kaminsky are listed as Out for this one.

The Minnesota Timberwolves have won 6 of their last 10 games, and have had the best-rated offence in the league in the last 10 games, averaging a whopping 122.2 points on 47.5% from the field. Although their defence still needs a lot of improvement, their offence is one of the best in the league on the road this year with a rating of 112.8. Their biggest advantage in this one will be that they will likely have their whole roster healthy, whilst the Suns are battling a lot of injuries at the moment. Only 9% of bettors are backing the Timberwolves tonight, making them an excellent value pick. That said, they played last night against the Warriors, so fatigue might be an issue, which is why I’m advising using lower stakes for this one.

Tip: Minnesota Timberwolves +8.5 at 1.95 odds

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