NBA Expert Picks for Tuesday, January 24

NBA EXPERT PICKS FOR TUESDAY, JANUARY 24 – Much of the NBA will take the night off on Tuesday, January 24th, after a full slate of games this Monday that include some of the league’s hottest teams.

Tuesday’s slate offers three games with particular interest, because five of the six teams scheduled to play will have the night off on Monday. That means we don’t have to wait until Tuesday morning for the odds.

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The Chicago Bulls (21-24) will travel to Indianapolis to face the reeling Indiana Pacers (23-25) in an Eastern Conference battle for the 9th seed.

The Washington Wizards (20-26) will battle the Dallas Mavericks (25-23), as they try to stop one of the league’s most dynamic stars in Luka Doncic.

The night ends with a cross-town rivalry between the Los Angeles Clippers (25-24) and the Los Angeles Lakers (22-25).

Let’s get right to the odds for the NBA expert picks for Tuesday. January 24.

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Chicago Bulls at Indiana Pacers (+1)

Tipoff: 7:00 pm EST 

The Chicago Bulls will finish their game against the Atlanta Hawks (24-23) on Monday night and quickly fly to Indiana to face the Pacers.

The Bulls are 5-5 in their last 10 games and have been playing steady basketball as of late. Per ESPN, Chicago is currently 11th in offensive efficiency rating, with DeMar DeRozan leading the way at 26.1 points per game (ppg). They’re 14th in defensive efficiency rating and can be suffocating when they want to be.

The Bulls have also been getting production out of Zach LaVine, who is averaging 24.1 points per game. Chicago’s big man, Nikola Vucevic, is averaging 11 rebounds per game (rpg) and 17.5 ppg.

While the Bulls have a very nice team rating with respect to efficiency numbers, DeRozan is far and away the most efficient player on the court, ranking 25th in player efficiency (PER).

What’s Wrong with the Pacers?

The Pacers have been struggling to put together a series of impressive wins after their hot start to the beginning of the season.

Indiana is 3-7 in their last ten games. The Pacers rank 24th in offensive efficiency and 24th in defensive efficiency.

Tyrese Haliburton has been a maniac on the hardwood for the Pacers this year. He leads the team in points per game, assists per game (apg), and steals per game (spg). He ranks 17th in PER.

Even though the Bulls are coming off short rest, they should be able to handle this one-dimensional Pacers team.

Chicago is 5-2-1 ATS with no rest and 11-10 ATS on the road. The one trend that worries me is the Bulls’ record ATS when they are an away favorite: 0-4. That could give the savvy bettor pause, but a one-point favorite isn’t exactly much to lay and I’d rather take the hotter team here.

Jack’s Pick: Bulls -1

Washington Wizards at Dallas Mavericks (-7)

Tipoff: 8:30 pm EST

The Dallas Mavericks continue to struggle to find production from anyone on the team whose name isn’t Luka Doncic. The dynamic point guard leads the points per game (33.6), assists per game (8.7), rebounds per game (8.9), and steals per game (1.5). Doncic is 4th in the player efficiency ratings, behind only Nikola Jokic, Anthony Davis, and Joel Embiid.

The Mavericks play incredibly efficient offensive basketball, ranking 6th in the league in offensive efficiency. Much of this is due to Doncic’s dominance on the court. However, the Mavs also see some production out of Spencer Dimwiddie and Christian Wood.

Where the Mavs struggle is on defense. They rank 23rd in defensive efficiency so far this season. This isn’t a team that protects the rim well and they are often comfortable letting teams go on an offensive run, because they feel confident Luka can bring them back into any game.

What Say the Wizards?

There hasn’t been much to cheer for in Washington this year and things seemed to have gotten a little worse with the injury of Kristaps Porzingis. The Wizards’ star looks to miss at least two weeks with a high ankle sprain.

This is a major blow for a struggling Wizards team that is looking to advance into the 10th spot of the Eastern Conference standings. Porzingis is second on the team in points per game (22.1) and he leads the team in both rebounds per game (8.8) and blocks per game (1.5).

Bradley Beal

Without Porzingis in the lineup, the Wizards will rely on Bradley Beal for offensive production. On the road this season, Beal is averaging 34 minutes 24.5 points. He’s shooting 60% from three point range in his last ten games, so look for Beal to let it rip.

Beal has always needed help in order to produce and, with the absence of Porzingis, the Wizards will struggle to keep up with the Mavs.

But here’s the problem, the Mavericks can’t cover a spread. In every meaningful trend, Dallas is below 50% ATS. Even without Porzingis, I’m taking the seven points and banking on the trends to carry me through. You may even be able to get 8 or 9 if you wait until game time.

Jack’s Pick: Wizards +7

Los Angeles Clippers at Los Angeles Lakers (+4)

The Lakers followed up an impressive win against the red hot Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday night with a come-from-behind win on Sunday against the PortlandTrailblazers. L.A. now goes back home to face the Clippers in a cross-town showdown of huge stars.

The Lakers are also happy to have added Rui Hachimura to the team in a trade that sent Kendrick Nunn to the Wizards. Hachimura is a good addition to the Lakers, as he adds some three-point shooting depth to the wing position and a two-way ability.

The Lakers are 6-4 in their last ten games. They rank near the middle in both offensive efficiency (18th) and defensive efficiency (21st). LeBron James is making a push for a late career MVP, averaging almost 30 points per game and willing the Lakers closer and closer to competitive basketball.

It’s unclear if Anthony Davis will play in this one. He’s been dealing with a foot injury, but head coach, Darvin Ham, said the foot “looked phenomenal” in Sunday’s practice.

Clip Show

Kawhi Leonard and the Los Angeles Clippers are coming off an impressive win against the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday night.

The Clippers have been playing terrific defensive basketball and currently rank 11th in defensive efficiency. They struggle on the offensive end of the hardwood, where they rank 21st in offensive efficiency.

Paul George currently leads the team in scoring with 23.1 point per game, but George has only played 4 of the last 10 games. Much of the offensive production lately has fallen to superstar, Kawhi Leonard, who is averaging 20.5 points per game. He’s played in 8 of the Clippers last 10 games, averaging just shy of 27 points and 7 rebounds.

The biggest problem for Kawhi is that the Lakers have held him to just 14 points per game in two matchups this season.

With the offensive struggles that the Clippers have been facing and the mid-season renaissance of LeBron James, I like the underdog in this one.

The Lakers are 8-5 ATS as a home underdog this season and 5-3 ATS with 2-3 days off. I’ll go with the trends and the hot team in this one.

Jack’s Pick: Lakers +4

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