The 2023-24 NBA season has begun and we’re excited over here at VSiN. As always, Jonathan Von Tobel will be providing you with his exceptional coverage of the greatest league in the world. Just click here for all of his content. However, all of my picks will be featured in this daily column, which will combine my NBA best bets and NBA player props. So, keep reading to find out how I’m playing the NBA slate on Friday, January 19. Also, check out our NBA Odds page for the latest line movement.
MORE: Check out our Pro Picks page for everything our experts have on January 19
2023 Record: 161-140-1 (+18.84 units)
NBA Best Bets Today – January 19
Philadelphia 76ers at Orlando Magic – 7:00 pm ET
The Sixers went into Orlando and beat the Magic by 20 points on December 27, but I’d be surprised if we don’t see a more spirited effort from the home team here. The Magic are still without Franz Wagner right now, but the team is as healthy as it has been all season outside of that. Meanwhile, the Sixers will be without De’Anthony Melton in this game, and that’s a big loss for them on the defensive end.
Philadelphia will be well rested coming into this game, which is about the only thing I’m really worried about. The Sixers had two full days off after beating the Denver Nuggets, 126-121. But overall, I think Philadelphia is laying too many points here. I just like that the Magic will be able to throw Jalen Suggs on Tyrese Maxey in this game, and I trust Orlando head coach Jamahl Mosley to have a plan in place to slow down Joel Embiid — even if that means giving another player more space to operate.
I also don’t think Philadelphia will have much of an answer for Paolo Banchero’s offense. He was just 6 for 21 from the floor the last time these two played, but you can’t count on that type of inefficiency from a good offensive player twice in a row. I also think Orlando will win the bench minutes in this game, which would be very helpful.
It’s also worth noting that the Magic are 57-40 against the spread as underdogs of 3.5 to 9.5 under Mosley. Overall, there’s a lot of reasons why they’re the focus of tonight’s NBA best bets.
Bet: Magic +5.5 (-115 – 1.5 units)
NBA Player Props Today – January 19
San Antonio Spurs at Charlotte Hornets – 7:00 pm ET
LaMelo Ball returned from an ankle injury three games ago, but he is already starting to play 30 minutes each night. He has done so in back-to-back games, so the training wheels are fully off. That means that you can start taking some of his NBA player props, and I’m going with the Over on rebounds tonight. Ball is averaging only 5.6 rebounds per game this season, but his total is up at 6.5 here. I think the oddsmakers are trying to get people to jump on the Under. But the Spurs are just 27th in the league in rebound rate this season. They’re also 27th in offensive rebound rate. So, Ball won’t face much resistance when he looks to hit the glass. And he’s somebody that likes to rack up numbers, so I think he’ll do that quite often here.
Bet: Ball Over 6.5 Rebounds (-120)
Atlanta Hawks at Miami Heat – 8:00 pm ET
Bam Adebayo has had four assists in back-to-back games, but he had at least six in three straight before that. Now, the Miami big man will be going up against a Hawks team that is 26th in the league in adjusted defensive rating this season. The Hawks are also giving up more assists per game than all but one team. With that in mind, I like the idea of going to Adebayo’s NBA player props tonight. He’s obviously not a guard, but the Heat run a lot of offense through him. In fact, he’s averaging 6.7 potential assists per game. And I like his teammates to cash in on the opportunities he gets them tonight. Atlanta gives up a ton of good shots and Miami has reliable shooters.
Bet: Adebayo Over 4.5 Assists (+100)
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