The Grizzlies extended their win streak to 11 after securing the victory against the Timberwolves on Thursday. Giannis Antetokounmpo made a statement against the Warriors, posting his third triple-double of the season in a blow-out win at home. Friday offers an action-packed slate with nine games on the schedule. There is a lot of opportunity to find value within a slate of this size. Let’s dive into the best NBA bets, picks and overall NBA betting tips for Friday, Jan. 14.
NBA Best Bets: Game Tips & Expert Betting Predictions
Hawks vs. Heat Best Bet
The Miami Heat dominated the Hawks 115-91 in Atlanta, and these teams will meet in Miami on Friday for a rematch. Miami has been extremely successful at home, holding a 12-4 record inside FTX Arena. The Heat have won three straight and eight of their last 10 games. Atlanta continues to drop games, losing seven of their last nine.
The Hawks made a surprising move yesterday, trading Cam Reddish to the Knicks in exchange for Kevin Knox and a first-round pick. The Hawks will also include Solomon Hill and a future second-round pick in the package. With Reddish gone and no Clint Capela, this leaves the Hawks short-handed for Friday. Capela’s absence is a huge hit to the Hawks defense that has had it struggles this season, ranking 28th in the league for defensive rating. The Hawks will also miss his presence in the paint and pick-and-roll game on offense. To make matters worse, Kevin Huerter is questionable due to a bruised left foot that he picked up in their last game. Trae Young will need to step it up on Friday if the Hawks wish to have any chance to win this one. Young had a poor shooting night, going 4-for-15 from the field and 1-for-6 from deep on Wednesday. Young has failed to shoot better than 38% in each of the last three games. He cannot stay cold forever, but it will be a tough test against a team that just held him to 26.7% from the floor.
The Miami Heat continue to excel and win games without Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo. Keep an eye on Butler’s status, as he is listed as questionable for Friday. He has missed the past three games due to an ankle sprain but may be able to return in the front half of their back-to-back on Friday. Markieff Morris exited the health and safety protocols but remains out due to conditioning. Miami’s offense has been on a roll as of late ranking second in offensive rating and seventh in effective field goal percentage over their last ten games. Tyler Herro has been a force off the bench averaging 20.7 points per game. The Heat are draining 13.7 3-pointers per game on 37.6% shooting from 3 — second in the league. Miami outrebounded the Hawks on Wednesday 54-37. Capela’s 13 rebounds per game are hard to make up for, and Miami proved that in their last matchup. Their defense has posed challenges for opponents, ranking sixth in defensive rating and allowing opponents 49.3 rebounds per game, the fewest in the league.
The Hawks are 2-8 against the spread in the first half in their last 10 games, with an average margin of negative-6.2 points. The Heat are 7-3 against the spread in the first half, with an average margin of 7.6 points. Miami’s defensive advantages made the difference last game. Atlanta continues to struggle against teams over .500 going 7-17 on the season. Unless the Hawks are able to put together a completely different game plan full of adjustments, expect the Heat to cruise to victory again on Friday. With or without Butler, lay the points with Miami in the first half, as they have proven to play well at home and are coming off a 24-point victory over the same squad earlier this week.
Best Bet for Tonight’s Game: Miami Heat First Half -2.5
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Warriors vs. Bulls Best Bet
The Bulls and Warriors are both coming off a loss in their last game. Golden State got crushed last night by the Bucks 118-99 in a game where they trailed by as many as 39 points. Golden State will have to travel overnight to Chicago to face a Bulls squad looking to bounce back after getting embarrassed on their homecourt, letting up 138 points to the Nets on Wednesday. Chicago sits atop of the Central Division, winning eight of their last 10 games. Golden State is starting to slip away from the top spot in the West, losing three of their last four games and falling to 30-11 on the year.
Draymond Green (calf), Klay Thompson (rest) and Gary Payton II (back) will be inactive on Friday. The Warriors defensive efficiency has fallen off with the absence of Green, who is the heart and soul of this team’s defense. The Warriors are 2-5 this season without Green in the lineup. Golden State has lost their last four road games, failing to score more than 100 in three of the four games. Their offense ranks 26th in offensive rating over the last 10 games. Stephen Curry has been ice cold, averaging 27.5% shooting from 3 in the month of January. Curry cannot stay cold forever, but he will have a tough test going up against a Bulls squad that allows the seventh-fewest 3-pointers made to opponents. Curry and Andrew Wiggins will need to make up for a lot of missing offensive production due to injuries. Jordan Poole and Damion Lee will see increases minutes with Thompson and Payton II sidelined.
Chicago enters Friday 27-12 overall and 15-5 at home on the year. They will be without Javonte Green, Alex Caruso and Derrick Jones Jr. for tonight’s matchup. The Bulls have been impressive on offense this season, ranking third in offensive efficiency and averaging 111.5 points per game on 47.5% shooting from the field. DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine continue to dominant in scoring, with both players averaging over 25 points per game. Chicago’s defense has been impressive as well, ranking 11th in defensive rating and holding opposing team to 107.8 points per game.
Despite the Warriors success against the Bulls in recent years, tonight will be a different story, with the Warriors missing several key pieces to their rotation. Expect the Warriors to struggle to keep up on offense going up against two elite scorers. Golden State is 3-7 against the spread in the first half in their last 10 games and just 6-12-1 against the spread in the first half on the road. The Bulls continue to come out of the gate hot, with a 7-3 record against the spread in the first half over their last 10 games and an average margin of 5.4 points. Take the healthier Bulls squad and watch the dominant duo of LaVine and DeRozan take over tonight in Chicago. Have confidence laying the points with the Bulls in the first half.
Best Bet for Tonight’s Game: Chicago Bulls First Half -1.5
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