NBA Betting Picks for Thursday 1/18/24: Will the Revamped Raptors Top the Bulls?

The 82-game NBA regular season offers us a wide variety of betting options, including point spreads, moneylines, and totals. The Association features 1,230 regular season games, which can make sifting through the odds an overwhelming task.

However, various advanced statistics can help narrow the choices. numberFire's NBA power rankings and daily projections paired with advanced stats from the NBA can help give the inside track to winning big.

While utilizing some of the mentioned tools, which NBA odds from FanDuel Sportsbook look like the best bets today?

Please note lines are subject to change throughout the day after this article is published.

NBA Best Bets

Chicago Bulls at Toronto Raptors

Raptors +2 (-108) Over 227 (-112)

The Chicago Bulls have crossed the border into Canada to take on the Toronto Raptors, who have recently undergone a roster overhaul. Chicago could follow suit as the next Eastern Conference squad to "blow it up" as several Bulls have continued to land in trade rumors.

Let's recap the moves that the Raptors have made. To welcome in the New Year, Toronto sent OG Anunoby to the New York Knicks for RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley. The Raptors followed that move by trading another key player on Wednesday as Pascal Siakam is relocating to the Indiana Pacers while Toronto acquired picks and Bruce Brown Jr..

Anunoby was certainly a notable loss with his 18.5% usage rate and 114.5 defensive rating (best among starters), but Siakam could be an even bigger blow as he led the team with a 25.6% usage rate and 22.2 points per game (PPG).

The Raptors first night without Siakam was a booming success as they defeated the Miami Heat, 121-97. However, Toronto was unusually hot from three in that one, cashing in 20 of 38 looks (52.6%). Not only was this well above the Raptors' season mark of 36.0%, their volume also increased as they average 33.1 three-point shots on the season (12th-fewest). The chances of Toronto continuing to shoot over 50.0% from deep are slim.

Still, the Raptors will likely give it their best shot as the Bulls permit the most three-point makes and the second-most three-point attempts per contest. Since acquiring Barrett and Quickley, Toronto has attempted 32.8 threes per game over the last nine games -- on par with their season average of 33.1. Their efficiency has spiked, converting 40.9% of looks. Plus, the Raptors are now totaling 13.4 made three-pointers over the nine-game span (season average is 11.9).

Thanks to Chicago's weak perimeter defense, Toronto could have another big night from deep. Will it be on the same level as Wednesday's three-point barrage? Probably not. But it could still be a difference maker.

Barrett -- who is averaging 20.6 PPG since the trade -- and Quickley (19.8 PPG over his last five) could also be poised for big games against a susceptible defensive backcourt. The Bulls' Zach LaVine (115.9 defensive rating) and Coby White (116.5 defensive rating) carry underwhelming defensive ratings.

The Raptors feel like a worthy underdog pick and perhaps even a good moneyline bet at +118. Chicago has continued to struggle, failing to cover three straight games, and Toronto is 4-2 against the spread (ATS) over the last six.

Finding multiple picks for the Bulls-Raptors would be useful for FanDuel's No Sweat Same Game Parlay for a TNT NBA game on Thursday. Pairing the over with the Raptors covering could be a great building block for a successful parlay.

As previously mentioned, Toronto has their list of reasons -- including three-point shooting -- for potential scoring success. But what about Chicago? Why will they put up enough points for the over?

The Bulls were red-hot before their previous game (91 points against the Cleveland Cavaliers), totaling 124.0 PPG over a four-game span. The Raptors have a mediocre defense, sporting the 13th-worst rating. Chicago has the seventh-worst offensive rating in the Association. Frankly, finding strengths for the Bulls' offense is no easy feat. However, a sudden change over the last five games could provide answers.

First off, LaVine and Nikola Vucevic recently returned from injury on January 5. LaVine ranks second on the team with 20.0 PPG and a 24.7% usage rate, and Vucevic totals 16.8 PPG with the third-highest usage rate (23.9%). The return of both players could steadily improve the offense.

Additionally, three-point shooting has come to the forefront over the last four games as Chicago has shot 39.1% from beyond the arc during the span. That's an improvement over their season mark of 36.0% (12th-worst). White has been scorching from three, shooting 45.3% in January.

The Bulls' 91-point showing on January 15 may cause some hesitation for the over, but it was against the surging Cavaliers who tout the fourth-best defensive rating. Toronto is a much more favorable matchup as the Raps give up 6th-most points in the paint per game, the 13th-most three-point makes, and have the 9th-worst mark in opponent effective field goal percentage (eFG%).

Oklahoma City Thunder at Utah Jazz

Jazz Moneyline (+130)

Tonight will be the Utah Jazz's first game since January 15 as Wednesday's game against the Golden State Warriors was postponed due to the tragic death of the Warriors' assistant coach Dejan Milojevic. Utah has been one of the hottest teams in the NBA and is on a six-game winning streak, which is tied with the Cavaliers for the longest current win streak.

The Jazz are averaging 130.8 PPG during the stretch while shooting 53.5% from the field and 40.0% from three. The offense is pretty much dominating on every front as they have also totaled 56.7 points in the paint per game during the hot streak. Utah will once again be put to the test with the Oklahoma City Thunder, who own the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference, visiting on Thursday.

The Thunder have an exceptional defense with the sixth-best rating. But with the Jazz excelling in nearly every category, they have the tools to take advantage of OKC's weaknesses. This includes perimeter defense with the Thunder allowing the third-most three-point attempts per game. Utah could lean on their three-point specialists, which includes Lauri Markkanen (24.0 PPG), Jordan Clarkson (17.9 PPG), and Keyonte George (11.3 PPG).

George is worth keeping an eye on as he has recorded 19 points in three of his last five outings, and the emerging rookie could get some favorable matchups against Luguentz Dort, who has a team-worst 117.0 defensive rating. Markkanen has kept up his outstanding play with 25.3 PPG while converting 47.6% of his three-point shots this month.

Alongside rolling three-point shooters, the Jazz also have a potential advantage in the rebounding department. They lead the league in rebounds per game while Oklahoma City totals the second-fewest boards per contest. With Thunder playing at the league's sixth-quickest tempo, this low rebounding mark is a major concern going forward. Utah also has the second-best offensive rebounding percentage, and OKC has the second-worst defensive rebounding percentage.

Feeding the Jazz's scorching offense even more possessions is a recipe for disaster. The Thunder have lost back-to-back games ATS while Utah has covered six straight. With Oklahoma City favored by only 3.5 points, I'm going a step further by taking the home underdog to pull off the upset.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.