There’s another big nine-game slate in the NBA this Thursday with plenty of exciting matchups among them. As always, we bring you our best spread and player prop bets for the key games right here!
NBA Betting Tips: Thursday, 13th of January
Charlotte Hornets at Philadelphia 76ers
Wells Fargo Center, 11am AEDT
The Hornets have found some of their best form over the last fortnight with wins in six of their last eight games, which includes two different three-game win streaks. Their last two games were at home against the defending champion Bucks, whom they were able to dismiss twice by eight points and most recently, four points. The Hornets are now three games above .500 at 22-19.
The 76ers made very light work of the lowly Rockets in their most recent outing, taking them down by 20 points to make it four straight wins by a double-figure margin. They’ve also now extended their win streak to seven, which surpassed their previous season-high of six that they recorded at the beginning of the season. Overall, the 76ers are now 23-16 and just 4.5 games back from the #1 seed in the East.
These teams have already played each other twice this season, with the 76ers leading the series 2-0 after winning both games in Charlotte in December by a combined seven points. The season series now swings to Philly with the 76ers looking to extend their current win streak to eight. With seemingly everything in their favour, we expect them to get the job done once again and cover the small spread in the process.
Philadelphia 76ers -5.5
$1.89
Dallas Mavericks at New York Knicks
Madison Square Garden, 11:30am AEDT
The Mavericks have finally found the consistency they’ve been after this season and come into this slate on an impressive six-game win streak, five of which have been by 14+ points. Their best positive stretch prior to this was a couple of three-game win streaks at the beginning of the season, which clearly tells us they’re currently in the best form they’ve been in all campaign. The Mavericks are now four games above .500 at 22-18.
The Knicks have struggled to live up to the hype they created on the back of their impressive 2020-21 campaign, but they do look to be building some momentum to begin 2022. They’ve three of their last four and six of their last nine games, which has brought them to within just one game of levelling their record at .500. Still, the Knicks have plenty of work to do in the ever-improving Eastern Conference where they currently sit in 11th spot.
Meeting for the first time this season, the Knicks will be looking to take advantage of home court at the Garden. However, standing in their way are the red-hot Mavericks who have dismantled their las six opponents by an average margin of 15.7 points. That form is just too good to dismiss, so we’ll be backing in the Mavericks to continue cover the spread and extend their streak to seven.
Dallas Mavericks -2
$1.90
Miami Heat at Atlanta Hawks
State Farm Arena, 11:30am AEDT
The Heat have had one of the toughest runs with injuries and health and safety protocols of any team in the league this season, yet they continue to play hard and put in good performances. They come into this slate having won 11 of their last 15 games, which has seen them climb into third spot in the East with a tidy 25-15 record on the season.
The Hawks have been one of the most disappointing teams this season, with a lack of consistency from week to week and even game to game really hurting them. They recently finished off their lengthy six-game road trip with back-to-back losses at Crypto.com Arena against the Lakers and the Clippers, going down by at least a dozen points in both. The Hawks have now slipped to five games below .500 at 17-22.
Despite being Eastern Conference rivals and being slated to play each other three times per season, this will be the first meeting between the Heat and the Hawks this campaign. The Hawks will have home court advantage on this occasion, but their recent form has left a lot to be desired to say the least. In contrast, the Heat are seemingly firing on all cylinders and look like good value to at least cover the spread here.
Player Props
11am Hornets at 76ers – Joel Embiid 31+ Points $1.91 Picklebet
11am Celtics at Pacers – Jaylen Brown 35+ PRA $1.95 TAB
11:30am Mavericks at Knicks – Julius Randle 20+ Points $1.90 Picklebet
12:30pm Rockets at Spurs – Christian Wood 18+ Points $1.80 Sportsbet
1pm Cavaliers at Jazz – Jarrett Allen 30+ PRA $1.90 TAB
2pm Lakers at Kings – Malik Monk 18+ Points $1.95 TAB
