NBA Betting Picks for Tuesday 1/16/24: The Nuggets Look to Stay Hot On the Road

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

Denver Nuggets at Philadelphia 76ers

Nuggets +3 (-108)

The Denver Nuggets against the Philadelphia 76ers tips off TNT's doubleheader for Tuesday night. This is a premiere matchup between two teams who are carrying No. 3 seeds in their respective conferences, and each squad features an MVP contender.

Denver is led by the two-time award winner Nikola Jokic, who is averaging 25.5 points per game (PPG), 11.8 rebounds per game (RPG), and 9.3 assists per game (APG), and Philadelphia features the reigning MVP winner in Joel Embiid (34.9 PPG; 11.7 RPG). Both players could boost their MVP resumes with Jokic as the favorite to win the award (+170), and Embiid is carrying the fifth-shortest odds (+800), per FanDuel's NBA MVP odds.

The Sixers' star big man has dealt with nagging ankle and knee injuries. After missing three consecutive games, Embiid returned with a bang, recording 41 points and 10 rebounds while shooting 57.1% from the field. Philly is simply a different team with Embiid in the lineup; when he has been absent, they are 3-7 on the season. The 76ers have been tabbed as three-point favorites for tonight partially thanks to Embiid's return.

However, Philadelphia's paint defense has been lacking over the last four contests, giving up over 60 points in the paint per game in three contests. Even with Embiid returning last game, who has a 109.9 defensive rating, the Sixers still surrendered 60 points in the paint per game in the previous game.

This could spell trouble against the Nuggets, who total the fourth-most points in the paint per game. Of course, the paint attack is led by Jokic; 66.1% of his shots are from within 10 feet of the rim. Aaron Gordon (14.0 PPG) is also no stranger to the paint, taking 72.1% of his field attempts within 10 feet of the basket. Gordon could regularly draw matchups against Philly's Tobias Harris (112.9 defensive rating) and Nicolas Batum (112.5 defensive rating), who carry the worst defensive ratings in the 76ers' starting lineup.

Following back-to-back wins, Denver could be a good pick to cover with Philadelphia's stumbling interior defense. Plus, the Nuggets allow the 7th-lowest effective field goal percentage (eFG%) while the Sixers' offense carries the 14th-worst eFG%.

Before placing this pick, keep an eye on the injury report, though. Denver has a long list of questionable players, including Jokic (hip), Gordon (heel), Michael Porter Jr. (knee), and Jamal Murray (tibia). However, all four players participated in the Nuggets' previous game, and with tonight's game on primetime television, we should expect Denver to be at near-full strength due to the league's updated resting rules.

Oklahoma City Thunder at Los Angeles Clippers

Over 235.5 (-112)

The nightcap for TNT's doubleheader is an exciting clash between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Los Angeles Clippers, who hold top-four seeds in the Western Conference. Both squads are viewed as contenders with the Thunder +850 to win the conference and the Clippers +500 when looking at FanDuel's NBA conference lines.

Both teams come off losses, but Los Angeles is the clear 6.5-point favorite, for they are on a five-game winning streak at home. Oklahoma City may fall short of a win, but their offense could thrive.

The Clips' defensive rating has slowly dipped over the last month as it is the league's 13th-best unit. The Thunder boast one of the Association's most efficient scoring units, touting the third-best eFG%, second-best three-point percentage, and third-best two-point percentage. As the NBA's fourth-best offense, OKC has the tools to attack opposing defense in a multitude of ways.

For tonight, shooting the three could be the Thunder's route to success. LA's perimeter defense has been susceptible over the last three contests with opponents shooting a combined 43.0% from beyond the arc while averaging 14.3 converted threes per game. On the season, opponents average 12.6 three-point makes while shooting 36.0% from deep against the Clippers. Meanwhile, Oklahoma City shot 49 threes in their last game -- which is well above their season average of 33.8 (14th-fewest).

This could be a game for the Thunder's sharpshooters to shine, including Isaiah Joe (41.0% three-point percentage) and Luguentz Dort (41.0% three-point percentage).

While LA's defense has been on a slight decline, the offense keeps climbing the rankings. It now has the NBA's sixth-best offensive rating. With two top-six offenses facing off, this could be enough to take the over, but let's look at why the Clippers could light up the scoreboard.

Three-point shooting could also be the key for Los Angeles. OKC has an elite defense with the fifth-best rating, but the perimeter defense gives up the third-most three-point shots per contest. The interior defense is miles better, allowing the fifth-fewest point in the paint per game as Chet Holmgren is the anchor with 2.5 blocks per game and a 112.1 defensive rating.

The Clippers lead the league in three-point percentage (39.4%) and have shot 45.7% from deep over their last eight games. Plus, they have averaged 15.4 three-point makes per game during the stretch compared to their season average of 13.1. LA is hotter than fish grease from three, which seems against the Thunder.

Prepare yourself for a fun one as Oklahoma City and Los Angeles could be gearing up for a high-scoring affair.

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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.