24 Jan

Raptors, Thunder among best teams to bet on for Thursday

Five games will make up Thursday’s NBA slate with matchups tipping off between 7:30 and 10 p.m. ET. There aren’t a ton of standout bets on the table, but we’ve done our due diligence to find the best value ahead of the action. Are you looking to find an edge? We’ve gone over each pairing to identify a moneyline, spread and player prop pick worth considering.

Moneyline: Toronto Raptors (+110) vs. Chicago Bulls
The Raptors unexpectedly beat the Miami Heat on Wednesday without Pascal Siakam and are home underdogs in the second night of a back-to-back. They improved to 10-10 at home with that victory and it appears like their recent trade additions have given them enough firepower to win games without their star power forward in the mix. Chicago’s starters are finally healthy, but they’re just 6-13 on the road in 2023-24. Half of Toronto’s home wins have come against teams with winning records.

Spread: Oklahoma City Thunder -3.5 (-110) @ Utah Jazz
OKC is enduring a two-game losing streak, while Utah is looking to secure its seventh straight victory. Lauri Markkanen didn’t play when the Thunder handed the Jazz a 14-point loss in December and his presence will be impactful, but he shouldn’t tip the scales too much. The Thunder have endured three two-game losing streaks this season and have avoided dropping three straight each time. They won all three of those contests by at least eight points.

Player prop: Vince Williams Jr. under 3.5 assists (+114)
Williams has made 11 starts for the shorthanded Memphis Grizzlies this season but will be challenged by the NBA’s top defense. The Minnesota Timberwolves are giving up a league-low 107.6 points per game, and only the Orlando Magic and Cleveland Cavaliers give up fewer assists per game. Williams has gone over three assists just three times, and Memphis doesn’t have any star players on the perimeter, so he could draw a matchup against the very capable Jaden McDaniels.

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