NBA Expert Picks and Best Bets | January 17

Tuesday was a light night for the NBA with only three games, but the league will more than make up for that on Wednesday. There will be plenty of basketball betting opportunities with 10 games on the schedule, including a few that figure to make headlines. Of course, it’s not always the best idea to bet on the biggest games; you have to look for value. That’s what we did while selecting our three favorite NBA picks for Wednesday night.

Raptors ML | +106 at FanDuel

While Toronto has fallen 10 games under .500, the Raptors look poised to snap their four-game losing streak on Wednesday. Keep in mind those four losses have come against the Lakers, Clippers, Jazz, and Celtics. Plus, only one of them was at home. The Raptors put up a fight at home on Monday after playing nine of 10 games at home. Now that they’re finally able to settle in a home with their new lineup, the Raptors are a good candidate to get a mild upset over Miami.

The Heat continues to deal with injuries. While Miami’s starters are back to full health, the Heat’s bench is missing some key figures. They barely eked out a win against the Nets on Monday and are far from clicking on all cylinders offensively. It’ll be hard for Miami to win without an extraordinary game from either Jimmy Butler or Bam Adebayo, which is why it’s worth backing the Raptors in this game.

Cavaliers +4.5 | -110 at BetMGM

This is a good time to back Cleveland with the Cavs winning five in a row, including a 4-1 record against the spread during that stretch. Donovan Mitchell has gone crazy, scoring 79 total points over his last two games. He’s stepped up with Darius Garland out of the lineup while the Cavs also have a strong duo in the paint with Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley. That should be enough to keep them competitive at home against the Bucks, who can run hot and cold.

Milwaukee has the fourth-worst record against the spread in the NBA this season. That includes a 7-9 record against the spread as a road favorite. Obviously, Giannis and Damian Lillard can be an exceptional tandem when everything is clicking. But that doesn’t mean Milwaukee will rise to the challenge against a red-hot Cleveland team. The Bucks have lost against the spread in their last three road games and might be headed toward another letdown on Wednesday.

Under 244.5 | -113 at BetRivers

This pick goes against season-long trends, as the Warriors are one of the best teams at hitting the over while Utah isn’t bad either. However, the reputation of those two teams has led to an inflated over/under. Keep in mind that this is the largest over/under the Warriors have seen in over a month, which is why they are destined to fall short.

The Warriors have lost four of their last five games with an inconsistent offense being a big part of the problem. Golden State has failed to hit 120 points in five of its last six games. If that continues, it’ll be hard to go over 244 total points in this game. Utah will help because the Jazz is on fire, but not enough to reach the over.