NBA Odds, Picks & Predictions: Saturday (1/25)
The National Basketball Association (NBA) has a full slate on Saturday, with 14 total games. We have a couple of matinee games, including the noon eastern tip-off in Paris on ESPN between the Indiana Pacers and San Antonio Spurs. We won’t bother with the afternoon games or twilight tips. We’ll choose from an array of games with a tip-off time of 7:00 p.m. ET or later to give you more time to get your bets in.
Let’s get that bankroll in the black with our best NBA picks for Saturday, January 25th.
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Saturday’s Best NBA Picks
NBA odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook | All NBA picks are for 1 unit
New Orleans Pelicans (-166) at Charlotte Hornets (+140) | O/U 227.5 (-112/-108)
The Pelicans (12-33) and the Hornets (11-30) meet at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, with a tip time of 7:00 p.m. ET. Both of these organizations are intertwined with the sports history of the city of New Orleans.
The current New Orleans organization has won four straight meetings in this series dating back to October 21st, 2022, including a 132-112 win as 12-point favorites in the most recent matchup on January 17th, 2024 in the Crescent City last season. The most recent matchup in Charlotte was on December 15th, 2023, with the Pelicans winning 112-107, while the Hornets covered as a 9-point underdog. The under has a slight 2-1 edge in the past three meetings and is 3-2 in the past five in the series.
New Orleans suffered a 139-126 loss at Memphis on Friday night, and now it faces a quick turnaround in the Queen City. That loss halted a four-game win streak. The Pelicans are a respectable 5-2 against the spread (ATS) in the past seven games, too, while cashing the over in four in a row and six of the past seven matchups.
The Hornets were edged 102-97 by the visiting Portland Trail Blazers on Friday night, failing as a 1-point favorite as the under (216) cashed. After winning three in a row, the Hornets have dropped the past two games, while failing to cover either. Back the Pelicans and look low on the total.
Picks: New Orleans Pelicans -3.5 (-114) & Under 227.5 Points (-108)
Sacramento Kings (+205) at New York Knicks (-250) | O/U 232.5 (-110/-110)
The Kings (23-21) invade Madison Square Garden to battle the Knicks (29-16). Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET.
New York has dominated this series in recent seasons, posting six victories in the past seven meetings, while also going 6-1 ATS. New York has a four-game win and cover streak against the Kings at Madison Square Garden, too, while the under has cashed in three of the past four in the series and seven of the past 10 since November 3rd, 2019.
Sacramento suffered a 132-123 loss at Denver as a 7.5-point underdog as the over (241) cashed on Thursday, halting a three-game win streak. However, Sacto is just 1-4-1 ATS in the past six games, while the over is 5-1 in that span while going 8-2 in the previous 10 outings.
New York scratched out a 99-95 win at Brooklyn on Tuesday night, but it failed to cover as an 11.5-point favorite. The Knicks have alternated non-covers and covers in each of the past nine games. If you’re into circumstantial streaks, the Knicks are due for a cover. The under has hit three in a row for New York.
We’ll back the Knicks laying the points, not so much because of that non-cover/cover pattern, but because New York has dominated this series recently. And let’s play the under, too.
Pick: New York Knicks -6 (-110) & Under 232.5 Points (-110)
Washington Wizards (+750) at Phoenix Suns (-1200) | O/U 231.5 (-110/-110)
Short, but sweet, let’s do a bonus third game. We usually don’t hit a third game on Saturdays, but this one is an intriguing matchup in the Valley of the Sun.
The Wizards (6-37) meet the Suns (22-21) at Footprint Center, as Phoenix returns home after a 3-2 straight up (SU) road trip, while covering two of the previous three outings. The under cashed in the past two games, but the over is 4-2 across the past six outings. The under is 4-1-1 in the past six games at home, too.
That under run at Footprint Center will be put to the test with the very giving Wizards. Washington is the worst defense in the NBA, allowing 122.5 points per game (PPG), ranking 30th in The Association. The Wizards allow teams to hit 47.6% from the field and 36.3% from behind the three-point line.
However, the Wizards have cashed low in each of the past three games, mainly because the offense has been struggling mightily. In this battle in Phoenix, we’ll roll with the under with the bonus play.
Pick: Under 231.5 Points (-110)
Daniel E. Dobish is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Daniel, check out his archive and follow him @danieledobish.