The 2024-25 NBA season is in full swing. I’ll be giving out NBA best bets and player props here as often as possible, and I’ll also occasionally write up features on big news that shakes up the league. So, make sure you check out my work throughout the season. With that out of the way, let’s get into some NBA best bets and NBA player props for Sunday, January 12th. Also, make sure you check out the picks page (linked right below) before games tip off. I occasionally add picks throughout the day.

MORE: Check out our Pro Picks page for everything our experts have on January 12th

NBA Best Bets Today – January 12th

Sacramento Kings at Chicago Bulls – 3:30 pm ET

It would be nice to see Coby White active for this game, as the flamethrower is listed as questionable for this one. However, even if he does have to sit, I still like Chicago’s chances of giving Sacramento a game. This is a prime letdown spot for the Kings, who went into TD Garden and upset the Celtics on Friday night. I know Sacramento has won six games in a row, but teams do tend to get an emotional boost after big coaching changes. And that’s especially true with a guy like Doug Christie now leading the team. He bleeds Kings colors and his players want to play hard for him. But a Friday night game to an early Sunday game is a quick, difficult turnaround. And while Sacramento is scorching hot, Chicago has won five of its last seven. That stretch includes wins over Milwaukee, New York and San Antonio.

This Bulls team definitely wants to sell some pieces at the deadline, but they’re a rock-solid group as of right now. That’s especially true on offense, as Chicago is 13th in adjusted offensive rating (112.7). I just think this is a game in which both teams will get good looks, but home-court advantage should be enough for the Bulls to get a few extra stops. And Nikola Vucevic has a big size advantage over Domantas Sabonis, so I like him to dominate this game from the inside-out. It’s also worth noting that Chicago is 13-10-1 against the spread and 13-11 straight-up as a home underdog of 6 or less over the last two years. I’m playing the Bulls to stay within the number, but I’m also taking the moneyline.

Bet: Bulls +4.5 (-115 – 2 units) & Bulls ML (+145)

NBA Player Props Today – January 12th

Denver Nuggets at Dallas Mavericks – 3:00 pm ET

Spencer Dinwiddie is averaging 18.0 points, 6.5 assists and 5.5 rebounds per game over the last two games. The big guard played 35 minutes in both of those games, and it’s clear that Jason Kidd is putting a lot of trust in the 31-year-old to run the show without Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic. Well, those two are out again for the Mavericks, so Dinwiddie should once again have a massive on-ball role against the Nuggets. Of course, Denver has a great shot at winning this game, and the team is up to eighth in the NBA in adjusted net rating (+3.8). However, the Nuggets are still just 16th in adjusted defensive rating (113.1), and they’re weakest when defending opposing guards. So, if Dinwiddie is knocking down jumpers, there’s no reason he can’t go way Over this mark. He should do a ton of damage as a scorer, and he’s a good enough passer and rebounder to get it home from there.

Bet: Dinwiddie Over 24.5 Points + Rebounds + Assists (-106 – 1.5 units)

Additional Plays

This is where I’ll include any late added plays, teasers/parlays or in-season futures. Come back before tip if you don’t want to miss anything. It’s always possible I’ll add something to my card.

PARLAY: Bucks Alt +10.5 vs. Knicks & Suns ML vs. Hornets (-115 – 2 units) – My “this isn’t what handicappers really do” play of the day is a parlay with Milwaukee to cover an alternate spread of +10.5 and Phoenix to get revenge on Charlotte. The Knicks just haven’t looked good lately, as they have lost four of their last five games and are coming off a 25-point loss to the Thunder. Meanwhile, the Bucks have won three in a row. Given the way New York is defending right now, I’m just not sure the team can be trusted to guard Giannis Antetokounmpo. He should absolutely dominate this game. And if the Knicks have to collapse or bring help, we know the Bucks have the shooters required to give them fits. Milwaukee should also be solid enough defensively to avoid getting torched by New York. As for the other game, it’s just hard to imagine the Suns losing to the Hornets twice in five days. Since moving Bradley Beal and Jusuf Nurkic out of the starting lineup, Phoenix has a net rating of +3.9. The team has been above-average on both ends of the floor, and the lone exception in terms of performances is the Charlotte loss. The Suns didn’t take that game seriously enough, but that won’t happen again. Phoenix can get back to .500 with a victory tonight, and the team plays a soft schedule over the next few weeks. This can be the start of a stretch that gets the Suns back in the postseason picture.

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2024-25 NBA Record: 162-162-1 (-2.36 units)