Early NBA Betting Analysis for Sunday, January 24, 2021

  • By Dan Besbris

    Last Updated on January 24, 2021 12:19 am by Dan Besbris | Published: January 24, 2021

    I will remember the loss we took on that Suns-Nuggets Under for a while. It would have hit in overtime! But not double. A three unit swing isn’t nothin’. At least we know we had the handicap spot on, and those will hit most of the time.

    #Raptors @ #Pacers

    This is the beginning of a very weird stretch for Indiana that sees the Pacers play 2 with Toronto and 2 with Charlotte… the double Rematch Set! Toronto is showing some mild signs of life, but with Kyle Lowry questionable, we wouldn’t really be able to get down on this one until late regardless. Let’s sit on game one and try to cash a ticket in the rematch.

    #Cavaliers @ #Celtics

    I was really hoping Boston would beat Philly in the second game of their recent Rematch Set and then roll into this one on a bit of an emotional lull. But having lost both, even the drained Celtics are going to come in guns blazing. Plus, the Cavs just beat the Nets two times in a row, so they’re either riding way too high or a little gassed from some giant wins. My lean pre-line is to Boston, but if they’re laying the number I expect them to, it’ll likely be too expensive. Plus, Boston has lost 3 in a row, so no reason to try to catch a team in a spiral even if the scheduling angles suggest it might be the move.

    #Thunder @ #Clippers (-13.5) (222)

    I’m very, very glad I didn’t touch the front end of this Rematch Set, because now we’re set up for a better Thunder effort. It’s hard to blow a team out two games in a row. It’s just human nature to de-throttle a bit. The matchups are terrible and obviously at full tilt the Clips beat the pants off OKC, but just a few possessions flips that first game, and I’m willing to lean hard into a backdoor, at the very least. Lean to OKC.

    #Hornets @ #Magic (-1.5) (214.5)

    Another front end of a Rematch Set, here. And just like with Clips/Thunder, I’m inclined to let the first chunk play itself out. Charlotte has been slipping a tad as LaMelo Ball hit a bit of a rookie slowdown, and I think we can likely just wait until the Hornets kick it back into a better gear to grab hold. Orlando might actually be a value here having stunk for so long but they’re a lot better with Evan Fournier healthy. Just any shooting at all goes so far, there. This is the first game back home for the Magic off a 1-4 road trip, and normally we’d fade a team in that spot, but when the roadie goes that poorly, the team might be inclined to shrug off the lethargy.

    #Wizards @ #Spurs

    If you’re willing to bet on a game involving the Wizards, you’re a braver soul than I. Washington hasn’t played in about two weeks, so this game could go any number of ways. Are they amped and play fast? Are they TOO amped and miss easy looks? Are they rusty or rested? Uncertainty is no fun in a one-game sample size. Pass.

    #Hawks @ #Bucks (-7) (231)

    The Hawks looked like they got their groove back a little in the last one but that was also Minnesota. The eye test says this is a good spot to look for an Atlanta big game effort, but if Milwaukee sticks Jrue Holiday on Trae all night it could get ugly. You all know I prefer underdogs wherever possible, and I do think Atlanta is fired up for this one, since you can file it in the prove-it column, but if the Bucks take this game seriously, they should manhandle the Hawks.

    #Knicks @ #Blazers (-4) (214)

    The Knicks just lost to the Kings, which makes me very nervous to jump on them, but Portland has also looked straight terrible since Nurk and CJ went down. Again, uncertainty is a bad thing in a one-game sample. I actually think this line is pretty accurate, since the Blazers know they need to pick off winnable games until McCollum comes back, but they won’t have the horses to win big.

    January 24, 2021, 12:19 am

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