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 7.
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NBA Best Bets Today – Wednesday, January 7
Hornets +2.5 (-113) vs. Raptors
Raptors at Hornets – 7:00 pm ET
This feels like a game in which the wrong team is favored. I know Charlotte is in a bit of a letdown spot after a 27-point road win over Oklahoma City, but I trust the Hornets to figure things out. While the Raptors are 7-4 straight-up over their last 11 games, the Hornets are 11-2-1 against the spread in their last 14. Charlotte is also 7-5-1 ATS in home games with lines of +3 to -3 under Charles Lee, so the team tends to cover when playing competitive games. The Hornets just haven’t played in many over the last two years. Charlotte is also 31-19-2 ATS when facing teams with winning records under Lee.
The Hornets also have a net rating of +2.6 over the last 10 games, while the Raptors are down at -1.5. That said, it feels like we’re getting points with the superior team here, and we’re getting them at home.
I also don’t mind that Charlotte will be without Ryan Kalkbrenner. While I like the rookie’s skill set, the Hornets’ five-man lineup of LaMelo Ball-Kon Knueppel-Brandon Miller-Miles Bridges-Moussa Diabate has been one of the most productive groups in basketball. Well, Kalkbrenner’s injury should mean we’ll see more of Diabate, who has done a good job anchoring the defense and dominating the glass.
Charlotte is also a very good offensive team, but the team struggles defensively. That might be the right combination against Toronto. The Raptors offense can occasionally stall out, so they might not be able to consistently take advantage of the Hornets being unorganized on defense. Then, on the other end, Charlotte should continue to roll — even against a good defense.
Clippers +5.5 (-109 – 1.5 units) & Clippers ML (+175 – 0.5 units) vs. Knicks
Clippers at Knicks – 7:30 pm ET
The Clippers are 7-1 in their last eight games, while the Knicks have lost four in a row. Perhaps New York’s losing streak means the team is due to bounce back, and I do think that’ll happen pretty soon. However, with Josh Hart out again, I’m not sure it’ll happen here.
The Knicks have a defensive rating of 123.1 over the last six games, which dates back to the last time they had Hart in the lineup. That’s one of the worst defensive ratings in the entire NBA in that stretch, and it’s way worse than the team’s season-long defensive rating of 115.6. Well, the Knicks are now hosting a Clippers team with Kawhi Leonard and James Harden, so they are going to need to be locked in defensively here. Otherwise they’re going to be relying way too much on their offense, which is going up against a Los Angeles team that is excellent on defense — and has Kris Dunn to handle the Jalen Brunson assignment.
The Clippers also happen to have Ivica Zubac back, giving them one of the few bigs in the league that can bang with the Knicks inside. And Los Angeles is 4-2 ATS when facing teams that outrebound opponents by 3.0 or more rebounds per game, which backs up the fact that Zubac can hold his own against good rebounding opponents.
Trail Blazers +7.5 (-127) vs. Rockets
Rockets at Blazers – 10:00 pm ET
The Blazers are 5-1 both SU and ATS in their last six games, and they’re on a three-game winning streak coming into this one. They’re also 6-3 ATS as home underdogs under Tiago Splitter, and they’re 8-2 ATS as underdogs of 3.5 to 8.5 with him on the sidelines. Meanwhile, the Rockets are just 6-11 ATS as road favorites of 6.5 to 12 under Ime Udoka. So, the trends set up rather nicely for Portland.
The Blazers are also getting the Rockets without Alperen Sengun, who is one of the best offensive players in the league. When you add in the fact that they have Toumani Camara to throw on Kevin Durant, I can see Houston having some trouble offensively in this one. Of course, Portland will also have to score against a very good defensive opponent. But I like the Blazers’ chances of doing enough to keep this from getting ugly. However, I did take this at 7.5 instead of 6.5, as I liked the price a little better.
Additional Plays
PARLAY: Suns ML vs. Grizzlies & Bucks Alt +10.5 vs. Warriors (+118)
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2025-26 NBA Record: 241-228 (+5.59 units)
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