Best NBA Betting Picks and Parlay Today - Tuesday, January 17, 2023

We only have four games to dive into on Tuesday, January 17, but we're narrowing it down to three NBA best bets for the evening. The night features a meeting between the Toronto Raptors and Milwaukee Bucks as the first of two games on TNT, and the Los Angeles Clippers host the Philadelphia 76ers in the second one. We have picks for both of those nationally televised games, and we also have a little something on the matchup between the Portland Trail Blazers and Denver Nuggets. Keep reading to get our favorite picks of the night, which are made with a combination of our expert's in-depth analysis, our predictive analytics model and then Dimers' world-class artificial intelligence. 

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

Toronto Raptors vs. Milwaukee Bucks, 7:30PM ET

The Raptors beat the Knicks in overtime on Monday, but it was an afternoon game and that should give them the time they need to recover for this meeting with the Bucks. Now, we like Toronto to go on the road and turn in another good performance for us. 

This is a basketball team that is loaded with length on the wing, so the Raptors should be able to make life difficult on Jrue Holiday in this game. Every time the guard tries to attack the rim, he'll be met by Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby or Scottie Barnes. Not many teams offer that type of resistance, and not having Giannis Antetokounmpo to take the pressure off is going to be a killer. The Greek Freak is likely out for this one with knee soreness. 

Toronto also has enough shot-makers to keep things interesting late in the game, as Fred VanVleet and Gary Trent Jr. are both capable of drilling big shots. It's just tough to ask the Bucks to win without two of their best players. The Raptors have underperformed this season, but they are undeniably talented. 

Our predictive analytics model is also on the Raptors, giving the road team a 52% probability of covering. 

BET: Raptors +4.5 (-110) with DraftKings ➡️ here ⬅️.

🏀 Raptors vs. Bucks Predictions
📈 Betting preview: Raptors vs. Bucks

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Portland Trail Blazers vs. Denver Nuggets, 9:00PM ET

The Nuggets are 1-9 against the spread after playing three games in a row in which they made 50.0% of their shots or more over the last two seasons. This Denver team is undeniably excellent, but the team does tend to mix in some duds. And Portland is going to be getting after it tonight, as the Blazers have won two in a row and will be eager to earn a road win before heading back home for six consecutive games at the Moda Center. 

This is a game in which Damian Lillard should really go off for the Blazers, as the Nuggets don't have many great point-of-attack defenders at the guard spot. That should also mean a good performance from Anfernee Simons. 

Portland will just need to find a way to keep Nikola Jokic in check here. The Blazers do have a weapon to deploy to make life on Jamal Murray and Bones Hyland difficult. That weapon is Gary Payton II, who is about to play just his sixth game of the year. He's one of the best defenders in the league at the guard position. 

Our DimersBOT is also on this pick, with the model giving Portland a 53% chance to cover. 

SAY WHAT? Portland's Damian Lillard has recorded fewer than 2.5 turnovers in 7 of his last 11 appearances. You can find more stats like this in our NBA Trends section.

BET: Blazers +7 (-110) with DraftKings ➡️ here ⬅️.

🏀 Blazers vs. Nuggets Predictions
📈 Betting preview: Blazers vs. Nuggets

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Philadelphia 76ers vs. Los Angeles Clippers, 10:00PM ET

It's not clear whether or not we'll see Paul George for the Clippers tonight, but Kawhi Leonard will be out there. Leonard has been looking more and more like the two-way threat that once had a legitimate case to be considered the best player in basketball. The forward is coming off a 30-point performance in a win over the Houston Rockets, and he has now scored at least 30 in two of his last three games. Look for him to get it going against the Sixers tonight. 

The question in this one is whether the Clippers will have an answer for Joel Embiid. Not many teams in the league can actually shut the big man down, but we do like that Ivica Zubac has the size and strength required to be physical with him. As long as Zubac is making Embiid work for everything, the Sixers star could get tired by the end of this one. That will give Los Angeles a chance to steal it late. 

This just seems like a spot in which the Clippers should be able to win at home. We'll feel even better about that if George plays. 

TREND: We've also identified an NBA trend for Philadelphia's Joel Embiid that's worth consideration. Embiid has dished out fewer than 3.5 assists in six of his last 10 appearances.

BET: Clippers +1.5 (-110) with DraftKings ➡️ here ⬅️.

🏀 76ers vs. Clippers Predictions
📈 Betting preview: 76ers vs. Clippers

Your game not here? Find out who we're betting on for every basketball game on Tuesday 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! 

🔥 Raptors +4.5
🔥 Blazers +7
🔥 Clippers +1.5

*All odds and lines correct at time of publishing