The NBA regular season is back in action with an excellent slate of games this Friday, with a total of eight matchups on the docket scheduled for today. So, our staff of basketball betting experts dug into the latest odds and identified NBA picks for five of tonight's matchups.
Continue below for our NBA picks, odds, props, and predictions for Friday, January 23.
NBA Picks, Odds, Props, Predictions: Friday, January 23
| Game | Time (ET) | Pick |
|---|---|---|
  | 7:30 p.m. | |
  | 7:30 p.m. | |
  | 8 p.m. | |
  | 9:30 p.m. | |
  | 10 p.m. | |
Specific betting recommendations come from the sportsbook offering preferred odds as of writing. Always shop for the best price using our NBA Odds page, which automatically surfaces the best lines for every game. | ||
Kings vs. Cavaliers
By Joe Dellera
The Cavaliers face off against the Kings on Friday, and I’ll be targeting one of Cleveland's key role players.
This is a great spot for Jaylon Tyson against the Kings here, as the Cavs will be without both Garland and Merrill in this game.
Tyson sees a direct spike in usage and scoring without them, and he has exceeded this points line in 8-of-9 games without them — with the lone miss coming last game at 14.
In those nine games, he is averaging 21.1 and now draws a matchup against a Swiss cheese Kings’ defense. So, I’ll back Tyson on Friday.
Pick: Jaylon Tyson 15+ Points (-130)
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Suns vs. Hawks
By Bet Labs
This NBA system identifies profitable moneyline opportunities by fading home teams that are mildly hot but not dominant, especially during the heart of the season.
These situations occur when a team has recently won one or two games and returns home after a short road trip, creating inflated market confidence and public bias.
When those same teams were underdogs in their previous game, bettors often overreact to the perceived turnaround, driving prices beyond fair value.
Visiting teams benefit from this pricing inefficiency, as motivation and focus tend to be stronger for road squads facing temporarily overvalued opponents.
The effect is most pronounced in winter months when travel schedules and fatigue begin to normalize early season variance, allowing disciplined contrarian bettors to take advantage of short-term overperformance by home favorites.
Pick: Suns Moneyline (-155)
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Pacers vs. Thunder
By Bet Labs
This NBA system focuses on games where struggling road teams face stronger home opponents in non-conference matchups, creating favorable conditions for high scoring results.
When a poor road team with a low win rate meets a winning home team, defensive effort and intensity often dip for the visitor while the home side pushes the pace and controls offensive rhythm.
Non-conference games tend to feature looser defensive schemes and unfamiliar matchups, leading to faster scoring runs and less resistance in transition.
The data shows that when totals close above the 220 range and the line movement slightly favors the Over, the market correctly anticipates offensive efficiency rather than defensive pressure.
These situations consistently produce games where both teams exceed expectations, with the stronger home team dictating tempo and the weaker visitor contributing enough to push the total past the number.
Pick: Over 226.5 (-110)
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Nuggets vs. Bucks
By Bet Labs
This NBA system identifies teams that benefit from rest and situational inefficiencies in the betting market during the regular season.
It targets teams that have played frequently in recent days but have at least a single day off before the current game, facing opponents who have enjoyed multiple days of rest.
These matchups often create inflated spreads as the market overvalues the fresher opponent while undervaluing the rhythm and momentum of teams still in game shape.
The spread movement between open and close reflects that bettors typically chase the rested team, providing value on the other side.
By focusing on teams in the middle of a road stretch and leveraging modest line movement, this system captures the edge where fatigue perception exceeds its real impact, especially when both scheduling and market bias align.
Pick: Nuggets +6.5 (-110)
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Raptors vs. Trail Blazers
I'm back in on Portland after flip-flopping back and forth a few times since this line opened. Betting overnights in the NBA can be a roller coaster ride. So, strap in fellow sports bettors. This is my official play. We're riding this one out. Here's the handicap:
The Blazers are 11-4 ATS (73%) as home 'dogs. The fact that they are playing on the 2nd night of a back-to-back set shouldn't be an issue either, as they are a clean 7-1 ATS on no rest.
The Blazers faced a Heat team yesterday that can get up and down the floor and tire you out, but then in come the Raptors tonight, who move glacially slow.
The Blazers should be able to control the tempo at home on Friday night, especially against a Toronto team that is on the 4th game of a West Coast road trip.
Toronto has OKC on deck. So, this might be a sleepy spot for a Raptors team that’s won two straight.
Pick: Trail Blazers +3.5 (-110)
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