NBA Betting Guide: Lines, Trends & Picks For Wednesday, Jan. 4

Today's NBA Betting Lines, Odds & Picks

The NBA has been tough to bet on lately because of so many late injury reports. My best advice in navigating that is to wait until closer to tipoff to place your wagers even if it means losing a point or two of closing line value. That goes for the three games that I have plays in tonight. Scroll down to see where I think we can find some value as well as which picks our BetQL model likes.

One trend to note is that the BetQL NBA model is on fire, going 146-108 (58%) combined on spread and total picks rated ⭐⭐ and higher in the last 30 days for a total return of $2,473 on $100 bets! Take advantage of BetQL's free trial and see all of today's best NBA bets, plus what the model is projecting for this week's NFL, NHL, and NCAA football and basketball games! Start your free trial today!

Grizzlies at Hornets Prediction

The Charlotte Hornets (10-28 SU, 16-22 ATS, 18-20 O/U) host the Memphis Grizzlies (23-13 SU, 19-15-2 ATS, 15-20-1 O/U) for the second and final meeting between the two teams this season.

After losing four of five games in late December, the Grizzlies have bounced back with three straight wins and seem to be rolling right now. They are also coming off of two days rest and are 6-2 ATS in that situation. The Hornets are a mess right now and are dealing with more injuries. Gordon Hayward is considered doubtful tonight, Cody Martin is questionable and Kelly Oubre is out for the next 4-6 weeks. Charlotte has also been awful at home, going just 5-13 SU and 6-12 ATS. That’s the second-worst home ATS record in the league behind Miami. Not to mention, these two teams met early in the season and Memphis won by 31. Yikes!

My pick: Grizzlies -7.5

Nets at Bulls Prediction

The Brooklyn Nets (25-12 SU, 19-17-1 ATS, 17-20 O/U) look for their 13th straight win when they face the Chicago Bulls (16-21 SU, 18-18-1 ATS, 18-18-1 O/U) tonight in the Windy City.

The Bulls are coming off a tough loss to the Cavs in which they kind of got screwed by the refs late in the game. The two-minute report after that game said that there should have been a lane violation against Donovan Mitchell when he tipped in the game-tying shot after a missed free throw. That outcome could either light a fire under the Bulls tonight or be completely deflating, which is why I'm going to stay away from a side in this one.

Instead, I'll take the under at 235.5. The Nets' defense on the road over this recent win streak is ranked in the top 10 and their half-court defense is even better. They've also been great at limiting opponents' mid-range attempts, which is where DeMar DeRozan thrives. On the offensive end over their last 10 games, Brooklyn ranks in the top six in both points off turnovers and points in the paint. However, Chicago also ranks in the top six in defending those areas. I think we see a total closer to 230, so I'll take the under.

My pick: Nets vs. Bulls Under 236

Heat at Lakers Prediction

The Miami Heat (20-18 SU, 14-23-1 ATS, 18-19-1 O/U) beat the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday night and look to do the same against the Los Angeles Lakers (16-21 SU, 14-21-2 ATS, 23-14 O/U) tonight.

Backing the Lakers to cover always feels kind of gross, but I like this spot for L.A. tonight. The Heat are on the fourth game of a five-game road trip and spent the last two nights in Los Angeles, where there's a good chance they enjoyed the nightlife. Miami also plays Phoenix on Friday and even though the Suns have been terrible lately, that always seems to be a game the Heat have circled on their calendar. The Lakers offense has been putting up big numbers lately, averaging 126.0 points over their last three wins, so as long as LeBron James is playing tonight, I think they can keep this one close.

My pick: Lakers +7.5

MORE NBA: STAFF PICKS | PLAYER PROPS

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