The 2023-24 NBA season has begun and we’re excited over here at VSiN. As always, Jonathan Von Tobel will be providing you with his exceptional coverage of the greatest league in the world. Just click here for all of his content. However, all of my picks will be featured in this daily column, which will combine my NBA best bets and NBA player props. So, keep reading to find out how I’m playing the NBA slate on Wednesday, January 24. Also, check out our NBA Odds page for the latest line movement.
MORE: Check out our Pro Picks page for everything our experts have on January 24
2023 Record: 165-147-1 (+13.37 units)
NBA Best Bets Today – January 24
Oklahoma City Thunder at San Antonio Spurs – 9:30 pm ET
Joel Embiid scoring 70 points buried the fact that San Antonio covered as a 13.5-point road underdog the other night. The Spurs are now 9-2 against the spread in their last 11 games, and they have quietly been a much more competitive team with Victor Wembanyama now playing center. San Antonio is also getting an Oklahoma City team that is coming off a battle against the Portland Trail Blazers last night. That’s why I’m reluctantly playing the Spurs as one of my NBA best bets this evening.
Over the course of this 11-game stretch, the Spurs are 14th in the league in defensive rating. That’s a massive improvement for a team that is 25th in defensive rating on the season. If this continues, San Antonio should remain competitive moving forward. But overall, when you combine the fact that the Spurs are actually playing some defense with the fact that the Thunder will have tired legs tonight, how can you not like San Antonio? This is a big number. In fact, Oklahoma City has only been a road favorite of more than eight once this season. They were favored by 11 against the Wizards on January 8 and only won by eight.
The questionable tag next to Tre Jones’ name is a little concerning to me, as he’s the only real point guard on this roster. He’s a good distributor and a feisty point-of-attack defender. But I still think San Antonio makes this a respectable game against an Oklahoma City team with tired legs. I’d also expect Wembanyama to show out here. The Rookie of the Year race is heating up, so he has an opportunity to show his stuff against Chet Holmgren.
Bet: Spurs +8 (-110 – 1.5 units)
Atlanta Hawks at Golden State Warriors – 10:00 pm ET
The Hawks got beat down by the Sacramento Kings on Monday. They now have to face the Warriors and will again be without Trae Young. Golden State also happens to come into this game with a big edge in rest. The Warriors haven’t played since January 15th because of the tragic death of assistant coach Dejan Milojevic. But that has likely taken a huge toll on all of these players. So, it’s not like these guys have been on vacation. There have probably been some sleepless nights. And they’ll also carry some real rust heading into this game.
It’s also just hard to trust the Warriors to cover this big of a spread against anyone. Before all of this time off, Golden State had been struggling. The team has lost eight of its last 11 games, and the team only covered in five of those contests. Now, the Warriors face a Hawks team that isn’t in as bad of shape as people think. Sure, Young is sidelined right now, but the numbers suggest Atlanta is just fine with Dejounte Murray at point.
The Hawks are also weakest on the defensive end, but the Warriors are mediocre offensively. So, I like this match-up for Atlanta quite a bit. I’m taking the points for my NBA best bets.
Bet: Hawks +6.5 (-110 – 2 units)
NBA Player Props Today – January 24
Phoenix Suns at Dallas Mavericks – 8:30 pm ET
According to our NBA Player Prop Analyzer, Grayson Allen has gone Over his point total in 21 of the 38 games he has played this season. But Allen has been even better as of late, scoring at least 12 points in 10 of his last 15 games. Even with Bradley Beal now healthy for Phoenix, Allen has proven to be too good to take off the floor. He’s shooting 49.1% from 3 this season, making it impossible for opposing defenses to double the Suns stars. That said, I’d be surprised if he doesn’t play at least 30 minutes tonight, and this should be a high-scoring game. Allen also happened to score 32 points the last time he faced the Mavericks. And overall, I think Dallas will have to prioritize guarding Phoenix’s other players. That’s good news for Allen, who I love to have at least 12 points.
The Boston Celtics also destroyed the Mavericks last game by hunting Luka Doncic on the defensive end. I imagine the Suns will try to do something similar, and the Mavericks won’t be able to focus on Allen if they’re looking to prevent that from happening.
Bet: Allen Over 11.5 Points (-125 – 1.5 units) & Allen Alt Points 15+ (+170 – 0.5 units)
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