NBA Betting Picks for Thursday 1/25/24: Will the Timberwolves Cover on a Back-to-Back?

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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

Minnesota Timberwolves at Brooklyn Nets

Timberwolves -4.0 (-110)

The Minnesota Timberwolves are playing the second leg of a back-to-back on Thursday following a 118-107 victory over the Washington Wizards on Wednesday. The Timberwolves are the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference, and they're slated to face the struggling Brooklyn Nets today.

The Nets have tallied a 2-8 record in their last 10 contests and have gone 2-7-1 against the spread (ATS) in that span. While Brooklyn is 12-7-2 ATS at home this season, it has gone 2-5-1 ATS at home in its last eight home matchups.

Meanwhile, the Timberwolves are 6-3 ATS in their last nine games, and they own the best defensive efficiency (110.1) in the NBA, per numberFire's metrics. Scoring on the Timberwolves is going to be a tall task for the Nets, who have averaged only 108.4 points per game in their last 10 games.

Slowing down Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards is also easier said than done for the Nets. After Towns produced 62 points while making 10 three-pointers on Monday, Edwards logged 38 points for the Timberwolves in the win against the Wizards on Wednesday.

Even with the Timberwolves playing on a back-to-back, we should feel good backing them as they have covered the spread on the second leg of a back-to-back in two consecutive contests. With the Nets skidding in recent games, the Timberwolves are primed to secure another cover on the road.

Philadelphia 76ers at Indiana Pacers

Over 237.5 (-110)

The over doesn't seem like a home-run pick in the impending showdown between the Philadelphia 76ers and the Indiana Pacers when you consider that Tyrese Haliburton is expected to miss more time for Indiana. However, the Pacers recently added Pascal Siakam via trade and are still playing at a relatively fast pace amid Haliburton's absence.

In Indiana's last eight games -- only one of which has featured Haliburton -- it is still playing at the eighth-fastest pace. It will be a massive pace-up game for a 76ers squad that has registered 124-plus points in five of their last seven contests.

The 76ers and Pacers have met twice this season, and there has been at least 258 points scored in both meetings. While Haliburton was active in both of those games, the Pacers still boast the fourth-worst defensive rating (119.5) in the leagu e ahead of a bout with Joel Embiid (36.1 PPG).

Philadelphia last played on Monday, when Embiid managed to record a jaw-dropping 70 points despite making just one shot from beyond the arc. After a historic performance, the reigning NBA MVP has had a couple days of rest to prepare for a Pacers team that struggles on D.

Even though the Pacers are 2-8 to the over in their last 10 games, the 76ers are 4-1 to the over in their last five. There should be plenty of points in Thursday's matchup between Philadelphia and Indiana.

Utah Jazz at Washington Wizards

Jazz -7.0 (-108)

There aren't many times where we'll see the Utah Jazz listed as 7.0-point favorites in any contest, especially on the road. That being said, the Jazz square off against the lowly Wizards on Thursday, so the massive spread is somewhat justified.

The Jazz have been playing much better as of late despite being on a three-game losing streak. Utah was on a six-game winning run before its current losing skid, and two of those losses came against the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder and the No. 5 seed New Orleans Pelicans.

With Collin Sexton (17.5 PPG) joining the starting lineup and Lauri Markkanen (23.6 PPG) getting healthy recently, the Jazz have gone 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games. On the other hand, the Wizards are 1-9 overall in their last 10 games and are currently on a five-game losing streak.

Not to mention, the Wizards are making a coaching change on Thursday with Wes Unseld Jr. moving from the sideline to the front office. Washington already has the second-worst defensive rating (120.5) in the Association and seven of its last nine losses have been by at least eight points.

The Wizards haven't been a good team to back at home, sporting a 7-13 record ATS when playing at Capital One Arena. Despite it feeling like a risky endeavor to lay the points in favor of the Jazz on the road, the Wizards are 7-36 and are clearly one of the worst teams in the NBA. Give me Utah.

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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.