NBA Friday Betting Preview January 28th
Odds Suggest Plenty of Tight Games on Packed Schedue
Another busy evening of NBA basketball awaits fans and bettors this Friday. Eleven games are on deck with at least seven games lined smaller than a five-point spread and three that are separated by a point or less. The BetUS online sportsbook has all the NBA betting lines.
NBA Games For Jan. 28
Detroit Pistons (11-36) at Orlando Magic (9-40)
- Time: 7 p.m. ET
- Point Spread: Orlando -3½
- Moneyline: Detroit +135, Orlando -155
- Total: 214½
It’s a battle of the two worst teams in the NBA. Should we be betting online on who wants to win more or lose more? This will only be the second time this season where the Orlando Magic are favored and they lost the previous game. The Pistons are 12-13 against the spread (ATS) as an underdog.
Boston Celtics (25-24) at Atlanta Hawks (22-25)
- Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
- Point Spread: Atlanta -1
- Moneyline: N/A
- Total: 217
The Atlanta Hawks won the last meeting against the Boston Celtics, which also took place at State Farm Arena. Notably, that one snapped a streak of three straight overs on the total in the series. Boston can struggle offensively, but it scores the 10th-most points on the road while four of Atlanta’s last five conference games have gone over.
Los Angeles Lakers (24-25) at Charlotte Hornets (27-22)
- Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
- Point Spread: Charlotte -67
- Moneyline: Los Angeles Lakers +270, Charlotte -330
- Total: 227½
Coming off a ridiculous 158-point performance, the Charlotte Hornets find themselves as sizable favorites at home against host the banged-up Los Angeles Lakers. The visitors could be without LeBron James and Anthony Davis and are just 2-3 on the second night of a back-to-back. Charlotte is 6-3 on both the spread and moneyline as a home favorite.
Denver Nuggets (26-21) at New Orleans Pelicans (18-29)
- Time: 8 p.m. ET
- Point Spread: Denver -4½
- Moneyline: Denver -180, New Orleans +160
- Total: 218½
On a three-game winning streak, the Denver Nuggets visit the New Orleans Pelicans as favorites. New Orleans lost against Philadelphia but covered. This team has also covered their last six games on Friday, while Denver is just 3-7 ATS despite being 7-3 in their last 10 games.
Indiana Pacers (17-32) at Oklahoma City Thunder (14-33)
- Time: 8 p.m. ET
- Point Spread: Indiana -1
- Moneyline: N/A
- Total: 219½
The newly tanking Indiana Pacers meet the already-tanking Oklahoma City Thunder in a toss-up game. The Pacers have one of the worst records on the road: 5-19 overall and only 2-10 in their last 12 trips, while the Thunder have lost five straight home games.
Los Angeles Clippers (25-25) at Miami Heat (31-17)
- Time: 8 p.m. ET
- Point Spread: Miami Heat -7½
- Moneyline: Los Angeles Clippers +240, Miami -290
- Total: 210½
At just 210½ points, this is expected to be Friday’s lowest-scoring game. The Los Angeles Clippers are 24th in road scoring and Miami is 17th at home. Four of their last five meetings have gone over the total, but several star players will be sitting this one out, including Kyle Lowry and potentially Jimmy Butler from Miami.
Portland Trail Blazers (20-28) at Houston Rockets (14-34)
- Time: 8 p.m. ET
- Point Spread: Portland -2
- Moneyline: Portland -135, Houston +115
- Total: 233
On the flip side, we have the highest-scoring game featuring two of the NBA’s three worst defensive teams. The Portland Trail Blazers are rare road favorites, where they are only 2-5 on both spread and moneyline. The Houston Rockets are 5-12 ATS as a home underdog. The under has cashed on six of these teams’ last seven meetings in Houston.
Utah Jazz (30-19) at Memphis Grizzlies (33-17)
- Time: 8 p.m. ET
- Point Spread: Memphis -5
- Moneyline: Utah +175, Memphis -210
- Total: 226
Two of the NBA’s top Western Conference teams throw down, but the underdog Utah Jazz may have to win without their two best players. The Memphis Grizzlies have been on a tear, crushing both the moneyline and spread (32-18 ATS). They have gone 12-3 ATS this 2022 but are only 10-9 ATS as a home favorite.
Chicago Bulls (30-17) at San Antonio Spurs (18-31)
- Time: 8:30 p.m. ET
- Point Spread: Chicago -1½
- Moneyline: N/A
- Total: 231
The Chicago Bulls have strung together two straight wins, their first consecutive victories in their last nine games. They’ll look to make it three straight as they take on star player DeMar DeRozan’s old team. The San Antonio Spurs have won just three of their last 12 games.
Minnesota Timberwolves (24-24) at Phoenix Suns (38-9)
- Time: 9 p.m. ET
- Point Spread: Phoenix -8½
- Moneyline: Minnesota +300, Phoenix -360
- Total: 230
The Phoenix Suns host the Minnesota Timberwolves and are tied as the biggest favorite for the evening. Phoenix has covered six of its last seven conference games but is just 1-3 ATS in its last four home games. Minnesota is 10-8 ATS as a road underdog.
New York Knicks (23-26) at Milwaukee Bucks (30-20)
- Time: 10 p.m. ET
- Point Spread: Milwaukee -9
- Moneyline: New York +320, Milwaukee -400
- Total: 216½
As the other large favorite on Friday, the Milwaukee Bucks will take out its frustrations on the New York Knicks. The Bucks got handled by the Cleveland Cavaliers and have lost seven of their last nine spreads. The Knicks are back to struggling, having lost five of their last six games. They are just 3-8 ATS in their last 11 games against the Bucks.
