NBA Betting Picks for Tuesday 1/2/24: Will the Magic Start the New Year With a Bang?

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

Brooklyn Nets at New Orleans Pelicans

Over 228.5 (-108)

The Brooklyn Nets and New Orleans Pelicans are slated to meet tonight with each squad trending in opposite directions. The Nets are 2-8 and 1-9 against the spread (ATS) over their previous 10 contests, and the Pelicans are 7-3 in their last 10 games.

With New Orleans at nearly full strength -- Trey Murphy III (15.9% usage rate) is the only notable player who is questionable -- Brooklyn is a noticeable 6.0-point underdog. The Pels are 1-3 ATS over the previous four contests while the Nets have failed to cover four straight games.

Neither team is a reliable cover, so which line should we lean on? The over could be the best pick for the matchup with the total sitting at 228.5 points.

The Pelicans' recent success on offense certainly points toward the over; they are averaging 121.7 points per game (PPG) in the last 10 games. New Orleans has also been extremely efficient in their previous two outings, shooting a combined 53.3% from the field and 44.3% from three.

Brandon Ingram (23.3 PPG), Zion Williamson (22.4 PPG), and C.J. McCollum (19.9 PPG) have all scored at least 20 points in back-to-back games. The star trio could be poised for another solid game as the Nets have the NBA's seventh-worst defensive rating.

Brooklyn's Spencer Dinwiddie (117.3 defensive rating) will likely guard McCollum, and Dorian Finney-Smith (119.3 defensive rating) could defend Ingram. Cameron Johnson has been a decent defender with a 116.5 rating, but the 284-pound Williamson could prove to be too much for the 210-pound Johnson.

The Nets also have a shaky perimeter defense, giving up the eighth-most three-point attempts per game. Remember, the Pelicans have been scorching from beyond the arc over the last two games. This could be yet another potential advantage for New Orleans' offense.

Of course, Brooklyn's offense must also play its part for the over. The unit is under a cold spell with only 106.0 PPG over the previous two games.

However, the Pelicans give up the most three-point shots in the Association. The Nets' sharp shooters should be licking their chops as the team totals the 11th-most three-point attempts per game. Johnson (41.4% from three), Cameron Thomas (36.5%), and Mikal Bridges (35.9%) could excel today.

The over is 4-2 in Brooklyn's last six games, and it is 7-3 over the previous 10 head-to-head matchups between these two. I believe the over trend will continue in Tuesday's matchup.

Orlando Magic at Golden State Warriors

Magic +3.0 (-110)

The Orlando Magic are looking to carry their momentum into the new year. Following a four-game losing streak, the Magic are 3-2 overall and 4-1 ATS over their previous five games. The 3-2 record is nothing to write home about, but the 4-1 ATS record is what we should focus on.

Orlando is a 3.0-point underdog on the road against the Golden State Warriors. The Magic have covered in four straight away games while the Warriors have lost back-to-back home contests while failing to cover the spread in each. Orlando is tied with the Philadelphia 76ers for the best ATS record in the Eastern Conference at 22-10.

As they say, if it isn't broken, don't fix it. The Magic continue to be a reliable point spread cover. Here's why Orlando will get the job done against Golden State.

After averaging 125.8 PPG with a 50.3% field goal percentage (FG%) during a five-game winning streak, the Warriors have cooled off during their three-game losing streak with clips of 112.7 PPG and 44.6 FG%.

Orlando, who has the league's fifth-best defensive rating, is fully capable of continuing Golden State's cold streak.

Most importantly, the Magic have an excellent perimeter defense that can help extinguish the Splash Brothers -- Stephen Curry (27.3 PPG; 11.6 three-point attempts per game) and Klay Thompson (16.7 PPG; 8.4 three-point attempts per game). As a team, the Warriors attempt the fourth-most threes per game, and Orlando gives up the sixth-fewest three-point shots per contest.

This is truly strength-on-strength, but the Magic could have the upper hand. Over the last three games, opponents have attempted only 28.3 three-point attempts per game against Orlando while shooting 28.2% from deep. For reference, Golden State averages 40.3 three-point shots per contest.

The Magic could simply get better looks throughout the game. They look to attack the rim with the 2nd-most points in the paint per game, and the Warriors give up the 15th-most points in the paint per game. This feeds right into Orlando's identity.

With the Magic potentially playing to their strengths in Golden State, Orlando feels like a good point spread pick. This could even be an intriguing upset, so I've also got my eye on the Magic's +126 moneyline.

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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.