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 Tuesday, January 23. 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 23
2023 Record: 163-146-1 (+12.96 units)
NBA Best Bets Today – January 23
Utah Jazz at New Orleans Pelicans – 8:00 pm ET
The Jazz haven’t played since Saturday, and the Pelicans haven’t played since Friday. That said, you shouldn’t see tired legs out of either of these squads. But I still believe the Jazz are being disrespected by the market. Sure, they have lost two in a row, but this is still a good basketball team. Utah lost one of those games by five against the Oklahoma City Thunder. There’s no shame in that. The Jazz then came close to pulling off an unlikely road comeback against the Houston Rockets.
Utah is still 15-6 straight-up and 16-5 against the spread in its last 21 games. In that time, the Jazz are seventh in the league in offensive rating and 13th in defensive rating. Of course, New Orleans is also rolling over the last few weeks. But I still think it’s tough to ask the Pelicans to win this game by this margin. Two of Utah’s outright wins in this stretch have come over this New Orleans team.
The Jazz are also 21-6 ATS versus Southwest division opponents over the last two seasons. They’re also 25-13 ATS when avenging a loss against an opponent in that span. That’s important when considering the Pelicans won-and-covered when these teams met in New Orleans on December 28. Will Hardy is one of the brightest coaches in the league, so I trust him to make adjustments. That’s a big part of the reason the Jazz are regulars for my NBA best bets.
One thing to keep an eye on is how often Utah gets to the free throw line. The Jazz have been great at drawing fouls, and the Pelicans can get caught reaching. Don’t be surprised if Lauri Markkanen, Collin Sexton and Jordan Clarkson put some pressure on New Orleans.
Bet: Jazz +6.5 (-110 – 2 units)
NBA Player Props Today – January 23
Portland Trail Blazers at Oklahoma City Thunder – 8:00 pm ET
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander might be known mostly for his offense, but he’s a tremendous defender also. The Thunder star is actually second amongst all guards in Defensive EPM this year. And he’s in the 97th percentile in steal percentage, while also averaging 2.2 steals per game. With that in mind, I’m playing Gilgeous-Alexander to rack up some steals tonight. The Blazers have the fourth-highest turnover rate in basketball this year. They have a lot of mistake-prone guards on their roster. Gilgeous-Alexander should be able to take advantage of that. The only thing to worry about here is a blowout. Gilgeous-Alexander probably needs to play at least 30 minutes tonight’s NBA player prop.
Bet: Gilgeous-Alexander Over 1.5 Steals (-130 – 1.5 units) & Alt Steals 3+ (+215 – 0.5 units)
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