NBA Predictions for January 18, 2022

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NBA Predictions for January 15, 2022

There are 10 games across the NBA tonight and just one on prime time. The Lakers and Nuggets will grab the lone spot on NBA TV and continue to battle for playoff positing in the West. Check out my best bets for a few of these games right on USA Wager.

Hawks vs Knicks

The Hawks and Knicks play in Atlanta, as both teams are having very down years compared to what they did in the playoffs last year. They just completed a trade sending Cam Reddish to New York for Kevin Knox, which doesn’t mean much as both players are still figuring it out.

The Hawks are absolutely out of it right now and have lost 4 consecutive games; granted, they’ve been tough teams they’ve lost to. Trae Young has put up stellar numbers in his 4th year but hasn’t gotten too much health aside from John Collins.

New York has been much better recently, winning their latest two contests. They were able to rout the Mavericks on national TV on Wednesday, and RJ Barrett led the team in scoring with 32 points. Julius Randle slashed 17 points, 12 boards, and 8 dimes in the win.

I like the Hawks to win big at home here, and they start to get back on track as the season moves on. Atlanta has had some solid opponents, and it always feels like Trae Young shows out against the Knicks. Bet the Hawks at home!

NBA Prediction by Drew Knuppel: Hawks -2.5

Heat vs 76ers

The Heat and 76ers compete in the city of Miami, with both teams on fire lately. Both squads are 8-2 in their past 10 games, but Miami has won their past 4. Philly has 8 of their past 9 but will have a tough matchup with this Heat team.

Miami rolled the Hawks twice this week, and Jimmy Butler returned to the lineup last night. Tyler Herro has been phenomenal all season, and he had another 24 point performance. Kyle Lowry has been a great facilitator and should continue that against the 76ers.

Philly beat up the Celtics last night as well and had a very good scoring balance with four guys with 17 or more points. Embiid should honestly be in the MVP conversation with his performances, and he is leading the 76ers to wins consistently.

This game is going to come down to the end, and I’m excited to see the end result. The Heat are at home, which gives them a huge advantage as they’ve won 8 straight there. Take the Heat tonight to stay hot and stop the surging Sixers!

NBA Prediction by Drew Knuppel: Heat -2.5

Nuggets vs Lakers

The Lakers will travel to Denver and take on the Nuggets. The Lake Show hasn’t been all sunshine and rainbows to start the year as they sit in 7th in the West.

The Nuggets have also been without key pieces all year, but the brilliance of the Nikola Jokic has propelled them to a 21-19 record. The Joker is arguably having a better season than he did last year, which is very scary because he was the MVP.

LeBron has had to do similar heroics for L.A. to win games. He is averaging a smidge over 29 points a game and has just been an incredible force all year. Russel Westbrook has been awful and scored less than 10 points over the past 3 games.

This game will come down to who gets the most help from the role players, and I see Denver getting that. Aaron Gordon and Will Barton are going to step up and play well to give the Nuggets the win at home. Bet on Denver!

NBA Prediction by Drew Knuppel: Nuggets -4.5

Mavericks vs Magic

The Mavericks and Magic are the late game of the evening, and it will be closer than you think. The Magic just got off of a ten-game skid last night, beating the Hornets by 7, and will have a ton of energy to keep the momentum going.

The Mavericks are also coming off of a huge victory against the Grizzlies on the road, but Luka Doncic looked banged up by the end of the game. Also, the Mavs shooters shot extremely well last night, and I don’t see them keeping up that pace.

Orlando has almost all their young guys back, and the tandem of Jalen Suggs and Cole Anthony is very, very solid. The Wagner brothers have also played terrific all year, and I really think Orlando stays hot and makes this a game.

The Mavs don’t ever seem to play well off of back-to-backs, and I feel like Luka isn’t going to get the help he did last night. Look for Anthony and Suggs to carve up Dallas’s poor defense and lead the Magic to a potential win on the road.