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Best NBA Bets Today | NBA Picks January 3

Written by: Christian Jope
Updated January 3, 2023
4 min read
Best NBA Bets Today

The NBA is putting on a subdued Tuesday night schedule with three matches between some of the NBA's most exciting teams!

To open the night, the Washington Wizards look to earn back-to-back wins against the Milwaukee Bucks. At the top of the Eastern Conference, the Boston Celtics take on the Oklahoma City Thunder. And closing out the night are the Utah Jazz who are hosting their Western Conference rival Sacramento Kings!

Let's take a look at the bets!

Washington Wizards @ Milwaukee Bucks

When: 8:00 PM EST

TeamSpreadTotalMoney
Washington Wizards+8.0 (-110)TBD+265
Milwaukee Bucks-8.0 (-110)TBD-320

Moneyline: Washington Wizards (+265) @ DraftKings Sportsbook

The Washington Wizards and Milwaukee Bucks face each other one more time after their meeting on New Year's Day. The Milwaukee Bucks remain hampered by injury and now sit third in the Eastern Conference with a 23-13 record. The Washington Wizards have climbed to 10th in the East, with a 17-21 record and on a five-game win streak.

The Milwaukee Bucks simply didn't have the scoring diversity to keep up with the Wizards in their last game, despite double-digit efforts from six different players. They shot just 35.1% from the field and 26.5% from three in their 118-95 loss. Washington was strong without Bradley Beal in the lineup, as they dominated the paint on 53.2% shooting and won the rebounding battle 54-44.

Both teams project to be missing the same key players in this match-up, so the advantage lies in the hands of the Wizards. Health and availability could flip this matchup at any second, but as things stand the Wizards' current strength is greater than what's presented by a star-less Bucks team.

Boston Celtics @ Oklahoma City Thunder

When: 8:00 PM EST

TeamSpreadTotalMoney
Boston Celtics-8.5 (-110)O 236.0 (-110)-375
Oklahoma City Thunder+8.5 (-110) U 236.0 (-110)+300

Spread: Boston Celtics -8.5 (-110) @ PointsBet

The Boston Celtics and the Oklahoma City Thunder face off for the last time this season. The Celtics enter this game of the back of a loss but still sit first in the Eastern Conference with a 26-11 overall record. The Oklahoma City Thunder remain 13th in the Western Conference, owning a 15-21 record - but a 10-9 home record.

Despite coming off of a loss, the Celtics won four straight games before that. In their loss to the Celtics, they shot just 27.3% from three and allowed their opponents to shoot 56.7% from deep - marks they must improve on to beat the Thunder. Oklahoma City are definitely what you'd call a rim-running team. Averaging 31.0 two-pointers made per game (9th in the NBA) the Thunder are much more inclined in the paint than from range.

Boston won their earlier meeting with Oklahoma City by a slim margin, 126-122. The Celtics seem to have sorted out their short run of down form, and should be encouraged against a Thunder team that shoots just 36.2% from three (18th in the NBA) on 13.0 makes per game (24th in the NBA).

Sacramento Kings @ Utah Jazz

When: 9:00 PM EST

TeamSpreadTotalMoney
Sacramento Kings+2.0 (-110)O 243.5 (-110)+110
Utah Jazz-2.0 (-110)U 243.5 (-110)-130

Spread: Utah Jazz -2.0 (-110) @ bet365

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Both the Kings and Jazz will be looking to make a statement in this rematch from Friday's game. Now sixth in the Western Conference with a 19-16 record, the Kings look to build off of a last-second win against the Jazz. Utah on the other hand will be looking to climb back up the Western Conference rankings, falling to below .500 for the first time this season.

Both of these sides struggle on the defensive side of the ball. Utah would like to be more efficient shooting the ball, as they converted on just 8 of 32 three-point attempts in their last game against the Kings. Sacramento will look to improve on their defensive basics, as they allowed the Jazz to shoot 54.8% from the field overall in their last game.

While the Kings were able to hold their opponents to poor shooting from three-point range, they are likely to struggle to defend Utah's frontcourt - specifically All-Star-worthy big man Lauri Markkanen. While the Jazz haven't been able to replicate their early-season form as of late, the diversity of their attack should help them get revenge against the Kings.

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Christian Jope WSN Contributors

Christian Jope

NBA Betting Analyst

Expertise:
NBA
Betting Picks
Christian Jope is a writer, social media strategist, and data analyst. A Queen’s University Alumni, Christian is an author and social media strategist with Raptors Cage, while also working closely with MLSE and Canada Basketball through community-driven events.
Email: [email protected]
Nationality: Canadian
Education: Bachelor of Arts (Applied Economics)
Favourite Sportsbook: FanDuel Sportsbook
Favourite Casino: BetMGM Casino
Experience: 6 years
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