We hit on two of our three plays on Tuesday’s NBA slate to continue our profitable season to date. We kicked things off with the Warriors absolutely blitzing the Pacers to cover their -6.5 line, and followed that up with a narrow win on the Nets +10 against the Celtics. However, we couldn’t make it 3/3 due to the Hawks recording a huge upset win over the Clippers on the road. We now shift our focus to the eight game slate on Thursday and look to build on our recent success. Good luck to everyone following our tips!
NBA Betting Tips Thursday January 31st
Dallas Mavericks @ New York Knicks (11:30am AEDT)
First up on the Thursday slate we’ve got the Dallas Mavericks travelling to take on the New York Knicks at MSG. The Knicks won the first meeting between these teams by 12 points in Dallas. This will be the second and final time they face each other this season.
The Mavericks lost a heartbreaker in their most recent outing against the Raptors. They led at multiple stages down the stretch, but were unable to get over the line despite Luka Doncic posting a huge triple double (35 points, 12 rebounds, 10 assists). The loss put an end to their mini two-game win streak and leaves them in 13th position in the West with a record of 22-27.
The Knicks are having the worst stretch of any team in the league this season. They’ve lost 10 games on the spin and have won just one of their last 19. Saying they’re a basket case is an understatement at the moment, as they sit in last place in the East with the worst record in the league (10-39).
We expect the Mavericks to bounce back from their narrow loss against the Raptors with an emphatic win on the road here. They’re at a point in the season where wins are a must, and they get an excellent opportunity to claim one against the worst team in the league on Thursday.
Dallas Mavericks -6.5
$1.94
Denver Nuggets @ New Orleans Pelicans (12pm AEDT)
The second game of the slate that we’re interested in is the Denver Nuggets at New Orleans Pelicans match-up. These teams have already met twice this season, splitting the series at one game apiece.
The Nuggets continue to get the job done and tick over the win column. They’ve won each of their last three and five of their last six, which has kept them right on pace with the Warriors at the top of the Western Conference standings.
Meanwhile, the Pelicans are coming off a big win on the road against the Rockets, but will face the really difficult test of backing it up just one day later against a top five team in the league in the Nuggets. The Pelicans rotation is also paper thin thanks to ongoing injuries, which has only gotten worse with the recent trade request of superstar big man Anthony Davis.
The Pelicans deserve all the credit in the world for how they responded to the Davis trade request by defeating the Rockets on the road on Wednesday. However, they now face one of the best teams in the league on the second night of a back-to-back, which they’ve had trouble with all season. We expect a fresh Nuggets outfit to cruise to the finish line in this one.
Atlanta Hawks @ Sacramento Kings (2pm AEDT)
The third and final game that we’ve found value on Thursday is the Atlanta Hawks at Sacramento Kings match-up. The Kings won the only other game between these teams this season by a whopping 31 points in Atlanta (146-115).
The Hawks are coming off one of their best wins of the season in their most recent game against the Clippers. They were able to hold off a late Lou Williams flurry to get up by five points and claim win number 16 for the season. They remain in 12th spot in the standings with a 16-33 record.
On the other hand, the Kings lost to the Clippers by 14 points in their most recent game, which was the sixth and final game of their exhausting road trip that finished with two wins and four losses. The Kings will be itching to get back on their home deck where they’ve had great success this season. As it stands, they’re in 10th spot in the West with an even 25-25 record.
The Kings obliterated the Hawks in the earlier match-up this season, and we believe that will be the case once again when they return home on Thursday. They’re reaching the stage in the season where wins are a must if they're to make the playoffs, especially against one of the weaker teams in the league. We have the Kings winning this by double figures and easily covering their small spread.
Sacramento Kings -5.5
$1.92
