Every night of the 2025-26 NBA season gives us a fresh set of games and numbers to pick apart. This daily column digs into the best sides and totals on the board, using in-depth basketball analysis, betting trends, and our VSiN NBA betting splits to spot value. We’ll also be tackling these slates relentlessly on our live VSiN programming, which is why basketball fans should really consider a VSiN Pro subscription. Below you’ll find some NBA picks and predictions for January 22.
MORE: Check out the VSiN Pro Picks page for more bets from our talented hosts and analysts!
NBA Best Bets Today – Thursday, January 22
Rockets ML (-125 – 1.5 units) vs. 76ers
Rockets at 76ers – 7:00 pm ET
The Rockets haven’t been the most reliable road team this year, but they are 24-6 straight-up as road favorites of 6 or fewer since Ime Udoka became the team’s head coach. Houston also has the second-best adjusted net rating (+6.1) in basketball, so the metrics still say that this Rockets team is elite. Meanwhile, Philadelphia’s aNET (+0.7) has the group sitting at 14th in the NBA, meaning there’s a lot that separates these teams.
The Rockets are also pretty well-equipped to slow this Sixers team down. Houston is fourth in the NBA in adjusted defensive rating (112.5) and third in the league in points allowed per 100 possessions (112.6). That’s big against an explosive Philly backcourt. You need to be able to get back and prevent the explosive backcourt of Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe from scoring easy buckets. The Rockets can do that.
Of course, it’s not great missing a player like Steven Adams in a matchup with Joel Embiid. However, I do think Houston has good size throughout the rotation, so physicality should still be an edge for the Rockets. And overall, I trust Houston to keep this game rather tight, allowing a player like Kevin Durant to close it out in the end.
Mavericks +5.5 (-110) vs. Warriors
Warriors at Mavericks – 7:30 pm ET
The Warriors are a pretty clear team to fade right now. Losing Jimmy Butler to a torn ACL is a blow to this team’s roster and mental strength, and it’s now really hard to imagine this team figuring things out moving forward. Steve Kerr is now essentially forced to play Jonathan Kuminga, who he clearly feels is a losing player. And going out and adding a win-now player with future picks feels like a mistake waiting to happen.
Golden State is also playing its third game in four nights, and Dallas has had two full days off. It’s a good rest spot for the Mavericks, who are 8-0 against the spread as underdogs of 3.5 to 9.5 at home this season. They’re also 8-3 ATS at home when facing teams with winning records this year.
Dallas is also coming off an awesome performance against New York, so there’s some momentum here. Golden State just got romped by Toronto at home.
Additional Plays (Parlays, Teasers, Futures)
PARLAY: Magic ML vs. Hornets & Timberwolves ML vs. Bulls (-130 – 1.5 units)
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2025-26 NBA Record: 279-263 (+6.01 units)
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