NBA Best Bets for Monday, January 29th. Trust the Clippers to Stay Hot.
Matt LaMarca highlights his favorite NBA bets for Monday, January 29th, including the Clippers, Pelicans, and a player prop.
It’s that time of year, baby!
If you’re someone who primarily bets on the NFL, it’s time to start dipping your toes into some of the other offerings across the various sportsbooks.
The NBA has 12 games to choose from on Monday, and I'm here to walk you through some of my favorite bets, that can also be found on our NBA bet tracker.
Los Angeles Clippers (-2.0) at Cleveland Cavaliers (-112; FanDuel)
I’m not sure that the Clippers are being taken seriously enough at the moment.
I get it – they were already a perennial underachiever with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, and they added arguably the biggest “underachiever” in the league in James Harden.
With those three players, it was fair to wonder if they’d end up playing more games together or resting during the regular season.
That said, don’t forget that those three players are also extremely talented.
They’ve put that talent on display of late, winning 16 of their past 20 games with a Net Rating of +11.2 over their past 15. The trio of Leonard, George, and Harden has posted a Net Rating of +13.4 across more than 721 minutes.
For my money, they’re the best team in basketball outside of maybe the Celtics. Only time will tell if they can make it to the playoffs, but they’re undervalued as just 2.0-point road favorites vs. the Cavs. They’re up to -2.5 at some locations across the industry, so I’d snap this number up while you still can.
You can tail the -2.0 at FanDuel, where you can get $150 in bonus bets when you sign up below and place your first bet of at least $5!
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New Orleans Pelicans (+8.5) at Boston Celtics (-110; DraftKings)
Speaking of the Celtics, they’ll face a tough test Monday vs. the Pelicans.
New Orleans dealt with a fair share of injuries to start the year, and they’re coming off back-to-back losses to the Bucks and Thunder. Overall, they’re merely seventh in the Western Conference standings.
Jan 23, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (1) dunks over Utah Jazz forward Kelly Olynyk (41) during the second half at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-USA TODAY Sports
However, this team is way better than their current record suggests. Even with their two recent losses, they’ve posted a +7.0 Net Rating over their past 15 games. With Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram, and C.J. McCollum, they have a top three that can compete with the best in the league.
The Celtics are the better team, but the gap isn’t nearly as wide as the current spread suggests.
The sharps have already pushed this number down from +9.0 to +8.5, and it’s at +8.0 across some sportsbooks. This number should continue to shrink as we approach tip-off.
You can tail the Pels on DraftKings, where you can get $200 in bonus bets INSTANTLY when you sign up below and place your first bet of just $5 or more!
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Donte DiVincenzo Over 20.5 points + rebounds + assists (-120; BetMGM)
The Knicks have been absolutely rolling of late, winning 12 of 14 games since acquiring OG Anunoby. They’re first in the league in Net Rating over that stretch, and they’re just 1.0 game behind the 76ers for third place in the Eastern Conference.
Unfortunately, they’re going to have to survive without Julius Randle for an extended period. Randle is a polarizing player, but he’s been vital to the Knicks’ success. He’s first on the team in usage rate and second in rebounds and assists per game.
Without Randle, guys like DiVincenzo are going to have to help pick up the slack. DiVincenzo has already been playing great for the Knicks recently, but he should see a spike in minutes and production with Randle sidelined.
The Hornets are the perfect matchup for DiVincenzo to have a huge outing, ranking dead last in defensive efficiency and 27th in team rebound rate.
You can tail the DiVincenzo prop at BetMGM, where you can get $158 in bonus bets when you sign up with promo code FANTASYLIFE below and place your first bet of just $5 or more:
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