Another NBA game has been postponed Tuesday due to COVID-19, and that leaves just six games on the board for NBA bettors to dive into. But luckily for us, that includes one of the hottest betting trends going in the early part of this NBA season.
After cashing nine times in a row, Cleveland Cavalier Unders are getting awfully close to earning a betting trend nickname. They highlight our best NBA picks and predictions for Tuesday, January 12.
NBA Picks for Today
Utah Jazz vs Cleveland Cavaliers
Cleveland Cavaliers Unders are getting dangerously close to earning a betting trend nickname. Thanks to a renewed emphasis on defense this season, as well as an aversion to scoring, the Cavs have become a great Under bet.
Cleveland ranks first in the NBA in defensive rating and opponent scoring, giving up 102.8 points per game. At the same time, getting the offense going has been a struggle. The Cavs are the lowest-scoring team in the league and rank last in offensive rating. That makes for a perfect Under recipe. And it has been exactly that, with Cleveland cashing the Under in nine consecutive ball games.
Tuesday’s opponent – the Utah Jazz, should play right into this trend as well. The Jazz have been long known as a defense-first squad and this season is no different, ranking ninth in opponent scoring and field goal percentage. Additionally, the Jazz have scored 106 points or fewer in six of their last eight games.
To help our case even more, it sounds like the Cavs will hold leading scorer Collin Sexton out of this game, while second-leading scorer Darius Garland is questionable. Fans of scoring look away, but Under bettors rejoice.
PREDICTION: Under 207.5 (-110)
Denver Nuggets vs Brooklyn Nets
Kevin Durant has looked like his old self in his new digs, averaging 29.3 points on 51.6 percent shooting while adding 7.6 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game. He’ll look to continue his strong play Tuesday when the Brooklyn Nets welcome the Denver Nuggets to town.
This should be a good matchup for Durant, because while the Nuggets are heating up on offense, their defense is still lacking. Denver ranks 25th in defensive rating, is giving up 112.8 points per game, and is allowing opponents to shoot 38 percent from 3-point range – where Durant is nailing 42.5 percent of his attempts.
Durant is averaging 30.5 points in his last six games, and with the Nets playing “Where in the World is Kyrie Irving,” he should get more shots up. In the first game Durant played without Irving, he put up 36 points on 21 shots, and you shouldn’t be surprised if he gets close to that number again in what is expected to be a high-scoring, close game according to the spread and total. Take Durant to go Over his point total in this one.
PREDICTION: Kevin Durant Over 29.5 Points (-115)
San Antonio Spurs vs Oklahoma City Thunder
We close with an intriguing Western Conference matchup as the San Antonio Spurs get set to take on the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Spurs look to close out a five-game road trip - which is already a success at 3-1 - with a win, while the Thunder are playing their first game at home after a five-game road trip of their own, which saw them go 4-1, including the last three in a row.
Thunder center Al Horford looked like he found his footing with his new team over the last three games of the road trip, averaging 15 points and seven rebounds per game, and he’ll get a chance to keep cleaning up the glass in this matchup.
The Spurs give up the third-most opponent rebounds per game, and they attempt more field goals per game than anyone in the NBA, so Horford will have plenty of opportunities. He is a good bet to go Over his rebounding total in this matchup.
PREDICTION: Al Horford Over 6.5 Rebounds (-125)
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: 28-24-1 (+2.58 units)
NBA Betting Card for January 12
- UTA-CLE Under 207.5 (-110)
- Kevin Durant Over 29.5 Points (-115)
- Al Horford Over 6.5 Rebounds (-125)
NBA Parlays
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Use our NBA parlay calculator to create your own parlays and see their potential payouts.
Where Can I Bet on the NBA?
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