The NBA betting board has six games on Sunday, beginning with an East Coast showdown between the Knicks and Celtics and ending in La-La Land with the Clippers hosting the Pacers.
While the early start in Bean Town – and Kemba Walker's questionable status – makes the odds for that contest a tricky proposition, we dive into a trio of later games dripping with juicy lines.
So let's head to it as we bring you our best free NBA picks and predictions for Sunday, January 17.
NBA Picks for Today
Chicago Bulls vs Dallas Mavericks
The Chicago Bulls continue their lengthy West Coast road trip after their lone home game in the last two weeks was canceled due to COVID-19. They will play their sixth road game in a row on Sunday against the Mavericks and have lost four straight contests overall. The Bulls' last game at United Center actually came against Dallas, and they won 118-108 but the Mavs didn't have MVP favorite Luka Doncic or Kristaps Porzingis for that matchup.
Porzingis is listed as probable this afternoon after making his season debut on Wednesday. Doncic will be hungry for a big performance after he showed frustration after not getting the ball on the final play of the game on Friday, when the Mavs fell by three points to the Bucks.
That loss in Milwaukee snapped a four-game winning streak for the Mavs and they will be eager to get back in the win column by jumping out to an early lead today. Dallas ranks fifth in the NBA in first-half scoring margin at plus-4.8 ppg and will be taking on a Bulls squad that is among the worst defensive team in the league.
Despite their recent losing streak, the Bulls have actually been excellent at covering the spread, going 5-1 ATS over their last six games. However, they have struggled in the early going, ranking 25th in the league in first-half scoring margin at minus-3.3 ppg. And despite outscoring the Thunder by 18 points in the first half on Friday, the Bulls still have an atrocious first-half scoring margin of minus-9.8 ppg on the road.
Take Dallas to win the first 24 minutes.
PREDICTION: Dallas first half -4 (-110)
New Orleans Pelicans vs Sacramento Kings
The Pelicans have improved on the defensive end of the floor this season, ranking seventh in the league with 107.5 points allowed after giving up a whopping 117.1 points per game a year ago. That said, they will be without one of their best defenders for the third consecutive game with guard Lonzo Ball still out due to knee tendonitis.
Despite playing at a slower pace than last season – and seeing their overall scoring numbers dip – the Pels are still very talented on the offensive end of the floor with Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson combining for 45.3 ppg. They've also gone 5-1 to the Over in their last six games.
Meanwhile, Sacramento is dead last in the league in scoring defense and opponent shooting percentage, allowing a whopping 123.2 ppg on 50.1 percent shooting. The Kings have at least been decent at putting the ball in the bucket, ranking 11th in the league in offensive efficiency and averaging 114.9 ppg at home.
Solid offense and brutal defense has been a recipe for Over bets, with the Kings going 6-1 O/U in their previous seven contests. Expect a higher-scoring game between these teams tonight and bet the Over.
PREDICTION: Over 226.5 (-110)
Indiana Pacers vs Los Angeles Clippers
The Pacers got more bad news on the injury front with newly-acquired guard Caris LeVert out indefinitely after discovering a mass on his kidney. He will join T.J. Warren and Jeremy Lamb on the sideline for Indiana, but this Pacers squad is no stranger to dealing with injuries and has been highly competitive the last few years—even with key players out of commission.
As a matter of fact, even with their recently departed star guard Victor Oladipo resting the last two games, the Pacers took care of business, stomping the Blazers 111-87 and defeating the Warriors 104-95. The Pacers are 4-0 ATS in their last four games as an underdog and have lost only one game this year by more than six points.
Meanwhile, the Clippers have covered the spread in just two of their last nine home games—all of which they were installed as the favorites.
Although the Clips are coming off a 138-100 beatdown of Sacramento, that's only the second time in their last seven contests that they have won by more than five points. Take Indiana and the points.
PREDICTION: Indiana +6 (-110)
Top NBA Consensus for Today
Want to know who today's biggest NBA betting and consensus bets are right now? Check out our top NBA consensus picks.
Yesterday's picks: 2-1 (+0.82 units)
Season record to date: 39-28-1 (+8.3 units)
NBA Betting Card for January 17
- Dallas first half -4 (-110)
- New Orleans/Sacramento Over 226.5 (-110)
- Indiana +6 (-110)
NBA Parlays
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