Best NBA Betting Picks and Parlay Today - Sunday, January 8, 2023

There's a loaded nine-game slate in the NBA on Sunday, January 8 and we have three best bets that we absolutely love here. The first game of the day features the Philadelphia 76ers taking on the Detroit Pistons at 3:00PM ET, but we'll have basketball running all the way up until the Los Angeles Clippers host the Atlanta Hawks at 9:00PM ET. And while we didn't make picks in either of those two games, we do have others that we're thrilled about. So, keep reading to find out which plays we're backing, using our artificial intelligence, predictive analytics and in-depth analysis on season-long trends. Also, make sure you check out our NBA player props parlay for today, where we try and find a three-leg parlay that could offer up some big payouts. 

RELATED: Check out our favorite NBA player props for tonight's slate!

As always, we've simulated all of the night's NBA games 10,000 times each to determine where the value lies for sports bettors across the United States.

Best NBA Bets Today

Utah Jazz vs. Memphis Grizzlies, 6:00PM ET

The Jazz are no longer over the .500 mark, but they are still a very competitive basketball team. Utah happens to be 16-6 against the spread as an underdog this season, and the team earned two wins over this Memphis squad back in October. With that in mind, the Jazz are not going to be afraid when they get out there and face the Grizzlies in Memphis, and there's no guarantee we'll even see Ja Morant in this game for the home team — although we'd lean Utah even if he did play. 

There's no denying that the Grizzlies have been rolling recently, but they haven't played since Thursday and that has given them some time to cool down. Meanwhile, Utah is going to be fuming after losing to the Chicago Bulls last night, so we're expecting a strong effort from this team to close out a three-game road trip. This is a very motivated and well-coached group. 

Look for Lauri Markkanen to be a problem for the Grizzlies in this game. In his two meetings with Memphis this season, Markkanen is averaging 27.0 points and 10.0 rebounds per game on 55.6% shooting from the floor and 40.0% shooting from three. 

DID YOU KNOW? Utah's Jordan Clarkson has scored more than 21.5 points in 7 of his last 10 appearances.s? That and more in our NBA Trends section.

BET: Jazz +7.5 (-110) with DraftKings ➡️ here ⬅️.

🏀 Jazz vs. Grizzlies Predictions
📈 Betting preview: Jazz vs. Grizzlies

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Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Houston Rockets, 7:00PM ET

With Karl-Anthony Towns out and Anthony Edwards banged up (and potentially missing this game), the Rockets have to view this as one of their best opportunities to snap their recent six-game losing streak. This also happens to be a prime let-down spot for the Timberwolves, who are coming off of a 13-point win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday. 

This is just a game in which Houston has a nice edge in the backcourt, where Jalen Green and Kevin Porter Jr. will have no trouble matching, or exceeding, the production of whatever Minnesota gets on the perimeter. It's also just not hard to see a scenario in which both of those young Rockets guards are able to make life tough on Rudy Gobert when the big man gets switched onto them in isolation. And if that does happen, Alperen Sengun will punish whoever ends up being tasked with defending him on that possession. 

This is just a game that should either go down to the wire or end with a Houston outright victory. But we're taking the points just to be a little safer. It doesn't hurt that Minnesota is 1-8 ATS after three straight games of making 47% of its shots from the field this season. The Wolves are due for a dud. 

SAY WHAT? Houston's Alperen Sengun has recorded more than 3.5 assists in 5 of his last 10 appearances. You can find more stats like this in our NBA Trends section.

BET: Rockets +2.5 (-110) with DraftKings ➡️ here ⬅️.

🏀 Timberwolves vs. Rockets Predictions
📈 Betting preview: Timberwolves vs. Rockets

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Dallas Mavericks vs. Oklahoma City Thunder, 7:00PM ET

Luka Doncic is questionable for the Mavericks this evening, but we like the Thunder's chances of covering no matter what. Dallas has won eight of its last nine games, so this is a team that is really starting to figure it out. The Mavericks are, however, heading out on a five-game road trip, and coming away with wins on the first night of those can be difficult — especially against a Thunder team that has an excellent home crowd. 

Oklahoma City also happens to come into this game after having gone 6-4 both straight-up and ATS in its last 10 games. This Thunder team is really starting to play well, and the fact that they're up at 11th in the league in defensive rating now is definitely a factor. They're actually sixth in the league in that category over the last 10 games, while also having an offensive rating of 115.5 in that span. That last number is a lot higher than Oklahoma City's season-long offensive rating of 111.7. 

It's also just important to note that the Thunder have covered in both of their games against the Mavericks this year. This has not been a matchup that scares them, and they'll also like the fact that Dallas is 0-8 ATS when coming off a home win over a division rival under Jason Kidd. The Mavericks have lost those games by an average of 12.7 points per game. 

BET: Thunder -3.5 (-110) with DraftKings ➡️ here ⬅️.

🏀 Mavericks vs. Thunder Predictions
📈 Betting preview: Mavericks vs. Thunder

Your game not here? Find out who we're betting on for every basketball game on Sunday via our NBA Bet Hub, where we deliver you NBA predictions and suggested bets, or check out the NBA Betting News section.

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Best NBA Bets Today

There are numerous different ways you can wager on NBA games in 2022, such as the moneyline, spread, total, player and team props, and, of course, parlays. While we normally suggest taking our picks on their own, we recognize the need to service a parlay-loving audience! With that said, check out the fat payout you can get by throwing all of our best bets together tonight. Also, feel free to make your own parlays using our NBA best bets page! 

🔥 Jazz +7.5
🔥 Rockets +2.5
🔥 Thunder -3.5 

*All odds and lines correct at time of publishing