With the bubble now burst, this week the NBA got its first taste of weird COVID-19 uncertainty since March 11, when Rudy Gobert essentially became a lightning rod for the virus' threat.
With multiple teams now going through COVID protocols, games are in danger of being postponed, and NBA odds are thrown even further into flux.
We're doing our best to sort through the madness and bring you a few winning plays for your weekend wagers. Let's dive into our best NBA picks and predictions for Saturday, January 9.
NBA Picks for Today
Cleveland Cavaliers vs Milwaukee Bucks
It can be daunting trying to sort out an Over/Under when the NBA's highest-scoring team meets its second-lowest, but we're giving it a go here.
Cleveland is 7-2 to the Under this season and (somehow, still) sports the NBA's second-best defensive rating. The Cavs' suddenly-potent backcourt is also crippled, with Darius Garland out, and Collin Sexton questionable, sapping their two leading scorers.
The Bucks are no slouches on D themselves, manning the NBA's best defense last season. They've scorched the NBA thus far (leading both scoring and O-rating by a mile), and while that's far from a fluke, we're likely to see some kind of regression.
With the Cavs so neutered, it's just really hard to envision Andre Drummond and Cedi Osman putting up the points to hit this Over. The total seems low for the Bucks, but this game could be finished by halftime, their B-team will play out the strings, and they won't keep shooting 42 percent from distance forever.
PREDICTION: Under 223 (-110)
San Antonio Spurs vs Minnesota Timberwolves
Adept fantasy players are surely familiar with the name Keldon Johnson, the Spurs swingman who's come out of nowhere as a bonus source of scoring, steals and threes.
For the season, Johnson averages 13.9 ppg, a tick above his 13.5 points O/U for Saturday's game against the Timberwolves. Seems like a fair bet, right? Not so fast.
Minnesota plays at a break-neck pace, ninth in the NBA this season after leading the league last year. They also happen to sport the league's worst defensive rating and cough up 121.9 ppg, which is second-last.
If that weren't enough to tilt the scales in Johnson's favor, Josh Okogie - Minnesota's best perimeter defender - is out for this one. Fire away.
PREDICTION: Keldon Johnson Over 13.5 points (-110)
Portland Trail Blazers vs Sacramento Kings
I'm fairly skeptical as to whether the Kings are for real, having beaten the Nuggets (twice) and the Suns already this season. Despite being 4-5, they sport the NBA's second-worst net rating.
Sacramento's backcourt is pretty terrible on defense, and both of the Damian Lillard-CJ McCollum dynamic duo are currently Top 10 in the league in scoring. That matchup alone could be enough to cover this spread.
Sacramento not only played last night, but allowed the Raptors (previously the NBA's worst offensive team) to set a new franchise regulation scoring record, putting up 144 points without Kyle Lowry.
The Kings shouldn't strike NBA bettors as the type to rally after such a performance, and the Blazers will look to assert themselves against one of the West's weaker teams.
PREDICTION: Portland -5.5 (-110)
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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: 0-3 (-3.0 units)
Season record to date: 21-22-1 (-1.79 units)
NBA Betting Card for January 9
- Milwaukee-Cleveland Under 223 (-110)
- Keldon Johnson Over 13.5 points (-110)
- Portland Trailblazers -5.5 (-110)
NBA Parlays
Did you know that if you parlayed today’s NBA betting picks, you could win $59.58 on a $10 bet?
Use our NBA parlay calculator to create your own parlays and see their potential payouts.
Where Can I Bet on the NBA?
You can bet on NBA odds at every online and casino sportsbook, including NBA moneylines, spreads, Over/Under totals, and a ton of NBA prop odds. Head over to our best-suggested sportsbooks for the top spots to bet on NBA odds in your area.
