Best NBA Betting Picks and Parlay Today - Wednesday, January 4, 2023

On Wednesday, January 4, we're looking to turn in a big night with our NBA best bets. This is an absolutely loaded slate for basketball fans, and it will be headlined by an ESPN doubleheader in which the Milwaukee Bucks face the Toronto Raptors and the Los Angeles Lakers host the Miami Heat. We're skipping that first game, but we will have a pick when LeBron James takes on his former team. And as always, these picks are backed by a mix of in-depth analysis, betting trends, artificial intelligence and predictive analytics. We think you're going to like what you see here, but you should also make sure you check out our NBA player props parlay. We do a three-leg player props parlay every night in hopes of coming away with a big payday. We have hit quite a few in recent weeks. 

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

Phoenix Suns vs. Cleveland Cavaliers, 7:00PM ET

The Suns have been absolutely miserable without Devin Booker, and the superstar will be out again for this one. However, Phoenix is capable of playing better basketball than it has in recent weeks, and the team apparently addressed that in the locker room after getting blown out by the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Monday. With that said, we're expecting a better effort from Monty Williams' group here. 

Phoenix has played well when coming off a road game over the last three seasons, as the team is 66-43 against the spread in that situation. The Suns will likely look to Deandre Ayton to lead them offensively here, as he can help slow this game down against a team that has a massive edge in the backcourt with Booker out. And Phoenix also has the luxury of putting Mikal Bridges on Donovan Mitchell, who is likely due for a cold shooting night after having scored 71 points in an overtime win over the Chicago Bulls last game. 

We're also expecting some good things out of Chris Paul here. He has shown flashes of looking like his former self in recent weeks, but the Suns need a throwback performance from him in order to stop this pitiful streak. 

BET: Suns +5.5 (-110) with DraftKings ➡️ here ⬅️.

🏀 Suns vs. Cavaliers Predictions
📈 Betting preview: Suns vs. Cavaliers

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Portland Trail Blazers vs. Minnesota Timberwolves, 8:00PM ET

The Blazers have won two of their last three games, and the team covered in both of those victories. Portland now has to feel great about its chances against a Minnesota team that had lost six in a row before finding a way to beat the Denver Nuggets last game. 

The reality is that the Timberwolves have been relying a lot on their perimeter firepower with Karl-Anthony Towns out, but it's hard to give them an edge in that category against a team with Damian Lillard and Anfernee Simons. Portland also has a few wings it can use to slow down Anthony Edwards. Jerami Grant is the first that comes to mind — it would normally be Justise Winslow, but he is out with an ankle injury — and he has the length to make Edwards work here. 

It should also be noted that Portland is already 2-0 both straight-up and ATS against Minnesota this season. The most recent meeting was a 21-point win for the Blazers.

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

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

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Miami Heat vs. Los Angeles Lakers, 10:00PM ET

The Lakers haven't been able to find much consistency this year, but they have scored at least 121 points in three of their last four games. And LeBron has been on an absolute tear for Los Angeles lately, so we don't see a scenario in which the Lakers will slow down offensively — even if they are facing a Heat team that has been excellent defensive in the past. Miami just doesn't have the same fire on the defensive end this season, and the team also has the weapons required to beat Los Angeles in a high-scoring game here. 

The Heat have actually seen three of their last five games go Over the total, while the Lakers have gone Over in seven of their last nine. The Over is also 14-3 in Los Angeles' meetings with Southeast division opponents since the start of last season, with the average total points scored in those games being 236.6 points per game. We're expecting some fireworks here and suggest a slightly bigger play on this one. 

BET: Over 229 (-110) with DraftKings ➡️ here ⬅️.

🏀 Heat vs. Lakers Predictions
📈 Betting preview: Heat vs. Lakers

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

🔥 Suns +5.5
🔥 Blazers PK
🔥 Heat-Lakers Over 229

*All odds and lines correct at time of publishing