NBA action in 2022 continues on Tuesday with 10 games on the schedule. Check out our best spread and player prop bets for the slate right here!
NBA Betting Tips: Tuesday, 4th of January
Charlotte Hornets at Washington Wizards
Capital One Arena, 11am AEDT
The Hornets hosted the defending Western Conference champions in the Suns in a standalone home game on Monday, which turned out to be a game they’ll like to quickly forget. They were absolutely blown off the court by 34 points to snap what was a nice three-game win streak they’d built. Despite the loss, the Hornets remain in seventh spot in the East at 19-18.
The Wizards put up a great fight against the current leaders of the Eastern Conference in the Bulls on Sunday, but fell victim to another DeMar DeRozan game-winning three at the buzzer. Bradley Beal thrived in his new role as point guard in the loss, tallying a career high 17 assists to go alone with 27 points. The Wizards have now lost three of their last four games and have slipped to eighth in the East at 18-18.
Both of these teams are expected to fight for one of the remaining playoff positions at season’s end, which obviously makes this a very important fixture. The Hornets currently lead the season series 2-0 over the Wizards after winning both meetings in November, however the Hornets are coming off an abysmal home loss against the Suns and will have to suit up just hours later on the road for this clash. With that in mind, we give the slight edge to the Wizards on this occasion.
Washington Wizards H2H
$1.85
Atlanta Hawks at Portland Trail Blazers
Moda Center, 2pm AEDT
The Hawks managed to snap a three-game losing streak when they came from behind to defeat the Cavaliers on New Year’s Day. They trailed by 15 points at the main break but got some huge contributions from Trae Young and Clint Capela to help them start the year on a positive note. The Hawks still have plenty of work to get themselves back in the playoff picture as they currently sit in 12th spot in the East at 16-19.
The Trail Blazers have arguably been the worst performing team of the season to date and that form looks to have followed them into 2022. They were obliterated by 33 points in their New Year’s Day game against the Lakers where they gave up 139 points – their second most of the season so far. Where to from here remains the question for the Trail Blazers who are almost certain to blow things up as we approach deadline day for trades.
Neither team would be anywhere near happy with how they’ve fared through the first half of the season, but the Hawks have been the better performing team overall in our opinion. Despite this game being played on the Trail Blazers home deck, we expect the Hawks to be able to build from the momentum they garnered in their win over the Cavaliers and deliver a similar outcome here.
Minnesota Timberwolves at Los Angeles Clippers
Crypto.com Arena, 2:30pm AEDT
The Timberwolves season full of runs continues as they now find themselves on another losing streak. Injuries and health and safety protocols continue to plagued them and they’ve now lost three in a row and five of their last six. The Timberwolves have already had two streaks of 4+ straight wins and two streaks of 4+ straight losses, which is the most of any team in the league this season. They’re now 16-20 and are ninth in the Western Conference standings.
The Clippers have had a somewhat similar season to their opponents here and will be hoping for greater consistency in 2022. They managed to start the year off on a high with a gritty win at home against the Nets despite being without superstar Paul George. The Clippers have now won two of their last three games and have climbed into sixth spot in the West as a result.
Neither of these teams will be anywhere near full strength for this clash, which is a real shame considering the star talent they both possess. Interestingly, they’ve already met each other three times this season and the Clippers have won on each occasion by at least 11 points. That form is hard to knock and makes them good value to record the season series sweep on their home deck on Tuesday.
Los Angeles Clippers -1.5
$1.84
Player Props
11am Hornets at Wizards – Bradley Beal 10+ Assists $2.05 TAB
11am Hornets at Wizards – Kyle Kuzma 9+ Rebounds $1.95 TAB
11:30am Grizzlies at Nets – James Harden 27+ Points $1.95 TAB
12pm Jazz at Pelicans – Bojan Bogdanovic 18+ Points $1.87 Sportsbet
12:40pm Nuggets at Mavericks – Nikola Jokic 14+ Rebounds $1.80 Sportsbet
