NBA Betting Picks of the Week – January 22nd

The Cleveland Cavaliers are learning a hard lesson this season — that high-flying style that has won in the postseason the past few seasons doesn’t play all that well over the grueling marathon of the regular season. LeBron James simply can’t carry this team by himself while the rest of the team plays shoddy defense. Winners of just three in their last 10, the Cavs are in danger of slipping out of the top four slots in the East. Miami has won 8 of 10 to get just a half-game back of Cleveland, and the Wizards and Pacers are breathing down their necks in the standings as well. Philadelphia is on another tear, winning three in a row and eight of 10. In the West, Minnesota has moved past San Antonio into the third slot in the standings, and the Clippers have won seven of 10 to move back into the top eight. Ready for your best NBA betting picks of the week? Let’s get started.

NBA Betting Picks of the Week – January 22nd

#NBA statistical power rankings after the 14th week of games: pic.twitter.com/ki7Ck6ZkmA

— Jacob Goldstein (@JacobEGoldstein) January 22, 2018

Monday, January 22

Philadelphia at Memphis (8:00pm ET, CSN)

When Joel Embiid and the 76ers are on, they are one of the scariest teams in the East. They have won seven of eight, and some of their victims in that streak include San Antonio, Toronto and Boston (on the road), as well as a 116-94 beating of Milwaukee on Saturday night. They started out against Milwaukee with a 37-point first quarter and permitted just 14 in the fourth period, turning a fairly close game into a rout. Embiid had 29 points and nine boards against the Bucks, and Ben Simmons chipped in 16 points and nine helpers. They travel to take on a Memphis team that is 13 games under .500 on the season — but just two game under at home. The Grizzlies had put together a three-game winning streak until they headed down to New Orleans on Saturday night and took a seven-point loss at the hands of the Pelicans. Dillon Brooks put up 22 and Ben McLemore added 21 for Memphis in their win over Sacramento back on Friday night. If the Sixers pound the ball inside, though, Memphis will be in for a long night. NBA Betting Prediction: Philadelphia 108, Memphis 104

Tuesday, January 23

Cleveland at San Antonio (8:00pm ET, TNT)

The Cleveland Cavaliers are in a defensive free-fall right now. Losers of five of their last six, they are surrendering an average of 121.3 points per game over that stretch, including a 148-124 home loss to Oklahoma City on Saturday night. The loss to the Thunder was so bad that coach Tyronn Lue decided not to show his team game film on Sunday as the team came back together to practice ahead of their trip to San Antonio. Lue does not plan to make any sort of lineup changes for now — but this is a team that isn’t getting stops and the effort malaise has worked its way through just about the whole roster. The Spurs are going through growing pains too, as point guard Tony Parker has moved to the bench behind Dejounte Murray. The Spurs have dropped three of four, including a nine-point home loss to the Indiana Pacers on Sunday. San Antonio has lost to the Lakers by twelve and the dreadful Hawks by three in the last couple of weeks, but they are missing Rudy Gay (right heel bursitis) and Kawhi Leonard (return from injury management). However, I think that Gregg Popovich will have enough tricks in his bag to get enough points to top Cleveland at home. NBA Betting Prediction: San Antonio 110, Cleveland 106

Thursday, January 25

Minnesota at Golden State (10:30pm ET, TNT)

Minnesota had seen a five-game winning streak end ignominiously in Orlando, with a 108-102 loss, and then they took a 116-98 beating from Houston. On Saturday night, though, the Timberwolves returned home to face the Toronto Raptors, and they responded nicely, coming back to win, 115-109, behind 29 points from Andrew Wiggins and 22 points (all after halftime) from Karl-Anthony Towns. The Timberwolves have moved to third in the West and get to take on the team at the top on Thursday night when they head to Golden State. Golden State lost in Houston on Saturday, ending a four-game winning streak that saw them knock off Milwaukee, Toronto, Cleveland and Chicago on the road, but they still sit atop the Western Conference standings and return home to welcome the Knicks on Tuesday night before facing the Timberwolves on Thursday. That loss should snap the Warriors out of any sort of complacency, and with another contender coming to town, I like Curry, Durant & Co. to use their outside speed and shooting to counteract Minnesota’s advantage inside. NBA Betting Prediction: Golden State 116, Minnesota 110