Tyrese Haliburton faces a Hornets team that ranks in the bottom-five in points allowed to opposing point guards. AP Photo/Marc Lebryk
ESPN's fantasy basketball and basketball betting tips cheat sheet is your pregame destination for basketball betting predictions and our best intel and data to help you make smart fantasy and wagering decisions. NBA game odds for January 8th are provided by Caesars Sportsbook, and fantasy advice is based on ESPN 10-team leagues.
Point Chasing: The Hornets find themselves opening as large 'dogs today and that means we have an entertaining one coming our way. Overs are 15-5 this season when Charlotte is catching more than five points and the Pacers are not the type of team to lock in defensively for extended period of times. Is the total a high one? Yes. Is it potentially not high enough? Also, yes.
Low Totaled Underdogs: The total for the Cavs/Suns game sticks out as exceptionally low in this era of basketball, and with that, there is an edge to be gained. Underdogs are 58-45 ATS this season (56.3%) when the total goes off at less than 220 points. Also interesting is the fact that when the Suns cover as an underdog this season, overs are 6-1 (when they fail to cover: 2-4).
Close Game, Easy Pick: You may not have the Timberwolves/Rockets game listed as a much watch, but betting it makes a lot of sense. Houston is just 2-7 ATS this season when the spread is less than five points and Minnesota has covered seven of their past 10 games in such spots.
-- Jim McCormick and Kyle Soppe
Philadelphia 76ers at Detroit Pistons 3 p.m. ET, Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, Michigan
Line: 76ers (-6) Money line: 76ers (-225), Pistons (+185) Total: 230 points BPI Projected Total: 236.1 points BPI Win%: 76ers (66.3%)
Fantasy streamer: Montrezl Harrell (available in 72.7% of leagues) has come alive in the last couple of games with Joel Embiid out. Harrell has averaged 18.0 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 2.0 BPG and 1.0 SPG in 25.5 MPG in the last two contests and should be in for a larger role again with Embiid still out on Sunday. -- Andre Snellings
Best bet: James Harden over 34.5 points+assists. This season, Harden has taken a back seat to Joel Embiid, but with Embiid out, Harden will take over the 76ers' offense. The Pistons rank 29th in points allowed per 100 possessions. In his last six games, Harden has averaged 24.2 points and 10.5 assists. -- Eric Moody
Portland Trail Blazers at Toronto Raptors 3:30 p.m. ET, Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Line: Raptors (-3) Money line: Raptors (-160), Blazers (+135) Total: 226 points BPI Projected Total: 235.8 points BPI Win%: Raptors (62.1%)
Best bet: Blazers +3.0. The Raptors keep getting favorite treatment even though they've lost 11 of their last 14 overall and are 1-7 in their last eight home games. The Trail Blazers aren't a lot hotter, coming in at 6-7 in their last 13 games and 1-7 in their last eight road games, but they've been the slightly better team than the Raptors this season. The Trail Blazers have a better record, a better scoring margin, and in a matchup between two evenly matched teams I tend to take the points. -- Snellings
Charlotte Hornets at Indiana Pacers 5 p.m. ET, Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana
Line: Hornets (-6) Money line: Pacers (-205), Hornets (+170) Total: 239.5 points BPI Projected Total: 240.9 points BPI Win%: Pacers (72.6%)
Fantasy streamer: Mason Plumlee (available in 54.3% of leagues) has been playing very well of late, with four double-digit scoring efforts and five double-digit rebound efforts in his last six outings. During that stretch, he averaged 14.2 PPG, 11.8 RPG, 3.3 APG, 1.5 BPG and 0.7 SPG in 28.7 MPG. -- Snellings
Fantasy streamer: Jalen McDaniels (available in 76.9% of leagues) should get another start on Sunday with Kelly Oubre out and Gordon Hayward listed as doubtful. In his last two starts, McDaniels has contributed 13.5 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 2.0 APG and 1.5 BPG in 29.5 MPG. -- Snellings
Best bet: LaMelo Ball over 24.5 points; Tyrese Haliburton over 20.5 points, over 31.5 total points + assists. This game has the highest point total on the board on Sunday, an both teams are dependent on their point guards to create offense for themselves and the team. The Hornets also rank in the bottom-five in the NBA in points allowed to opposing point guards. I think both point guards put up numbers on Sunday. -- Snellings
Brooklyn Nets at Miami Heat 6 p.m. ET, FTX Arena, Miami, Florida
Line: Nets (-3.5) Money line: Nets (-156), Heat (+132) Total: 222 points BPI Projected Total: 232.8 points BPI Win%: Nets (65.2%)
Utah Jazz at Memphis Grizzlies 6 p.m. ET, FedExForum, Memphis, Tennessee
Line: Grizzlies (-7) Money line: Grizzlies (-295), Jazz (+240) Total: 233.5 points BPI Projected Total: 242.6 points BPI Win%: Grizzlies (63.9%)
Minnesota Timberwolves at Houston Rockets 7 p.m. ET, Toyota Center, Houston, Texas
Line: Timberwolves (-1.5) Money line: Timberwolves (-130), Rockets (+110) Total: 228.5 points BPI Projected Total: 239.9 points BPI Win%: Timberwolves (57.4%)
Best bet: Jalen Green over 22.5 points. Green has averaged exactly 22.5 PPG in his last eight games, but has gone over the mark in five of those contests. He's facing a Timberwolves squad that ranks in the bottom-half of the league in points allowed to opposing shooting guards, and in the bottom-10 in the league in points allowed to opposing small forwards. -- Snellings
Dallas Mavericks at Oklahoma City Thunder 7 p.m. ET, Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Line: Thunder (-3.5) Money line: Thunder (-156), Mavericks (+132) Total: 227.5 points BPI Projected Total: 237.5 points BPI Win%: Mavericks (56.4%)
Cleveland Cavaliers at Phoenix Suns 8 p.m. ET, Footprint Center, Phoenix, Arizona
Line: Cavaliers (-4.5) Money line: Cavaliers (-186), Suns (+156) Total: 214.5 points BPI Projected Total: 229.5 points BPI Win%: Cavaliers (59.8%)
Atlanta Hawks at LA Clippers 9 p.m. ET, Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, California
Line: Clippers (-3.5) Money line: Clippers (-158), Hawks (+134) Total: 231 points BPI Projected Total: 232.1 points BPI Win%: Clippers (67.1%)
