Expert NBA Picks and Player Props: Best NBA Bets Today Jan. 1
New Year’s Day brings a smaller NBA board, but there’s still plenty of value to be found as the league turns the page to 2026. With teams coming off different levels of rest after the holiday grind, this is a good slate to sift through the best NBA bets today on sports betting apps and dial in some focused plays today rather than spreading action thin across a dozen games.
Here are three game lines, four player props, and one three-leg parlay that stand out on Thursday’s slate as some of the best NBA picks today, leveraging the latest sportsbook promotions.
Game Lines
Houston Rockets -11.5 (-110) vs Brooklyn Nets
🏀 Odds via BetMGM 📈
Houston has turned into one of the most punishing defensive teams in the league, and that style tends to overwhelm weaker offenses like Brooklyn over four quarters. With the Rockets’ young core pushing the pace and getting to the free-throw line regularly, this shapes up as a spot where Houston can create separation early, then lean on its depth to keep the margin comfortably beyond double digits.
Boston Celtics -9.5 (-110) vs Sacramento Kings
🏀 Odds via bet365 📈
Boston continues to profile as an elite team by net rating thanks to a relentless, switchable defense and a halfcourt offense that sprays threes around multiple star creators. Sacramento can score in bunches, but the Kings’ defense still leaks open threes and downhill drives, which is a dangerous recipe against a Celtics group that rarely takes possessions off and often steps on the gas in nationally visible games like this.
Utah Jazz +12.5 (-110) vs LA Clippers
🏀 Odds via Caesars Sportsbook 📈
The Clippers deserve to be heavy favorites at home, yet this number gives Utah a fair bit of breathing room. The Jazz can spread the floor with shooters, and Lauri Markkanen’s inside-out scoring keeps defenses honest, which helps them hang around even when they’re outgunned talent-wise. As long as Utah avoids a disastrous quarter, their ability to trade threes and get to the line should keep this within the large number.
Player Props
Alperen Sengun over 6.5 assists (+120)
🏀 Odds via bet365 📈
Alperen Sengun has blossomed into one of the best passing bigs in the NBA, routinely operating as a hub at the elbows and from the post where he can find cutters and spot-up shooters. Against a Brooklyn defense that frequently sends extra help to the paint, Sengun should see plenty of collapsing defenders, opening up kickout and dump-off opportunities that make seven or more dimes very attainable.
Kel’el Ware over 1.5 made threes (+140)
🏀 Odds via BetMGM 📈
Kel’el Ware’s value has risen thanks to his combination of size and legitimate perimeter touch, and teams are increasingly using him as a pick-and-pop threat rather than a traditional interior big. In this matchup with Detroit’s defense, which often concedes above-the-break looks to stretch bigs, two made threes is well within reach if Ware maintains his recent volume from beyond the arc.
Quentin Grimes over 9.5 points (+100)
🏀 Odds via Caesars Sportsbook 📈
Quentin Grimes has settled into a role where his minutes are secure when he defends and spaces the floor, and Philadelphia has leaned on his shooting to open driving lanes for their stars. Dallas’ defense can lose track of movement shooters when it loads up on the ball, so a few early threes or back-cut finishes could put Grimes in double figures without requiring a huge usage spike against his former team.
Lauri Markkanen over 6.5 rebounds (-125)
🏀 Odds via bet365 📈
Lauri Markkanen isn’t just a scoring forward — his size and activity on the glass consistently show up, particularly in games where the Jazz face a high-volume jump-shooting opponent. The Clippers take plenty of threes and mid-range jumpers, which usually means longer rebounds that Markkanen can track down, giving him a strong path to seven or more boards if he logs his usual 30-plus minutes.
Today’s Best Parlay
🏀 Combined Parlay Odds: +524 (via BetMGM) 📈
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Leg 1: Amen Thompson over 5.5 assists (-108)
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Leg 2: Keyonte George over 6.5 assists (+110)
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Leg 3: Russell Westbrook over 6.5 assists (-185)
Amen Thompson has emerged as a downhill playmaker who constantly puts pressure on the rim, forcing rotations that lead to easy dump-offs and corner threes for Houston’s offense. Keyonte George is functioning as a primary creator for Utah, and his blend of drive-and-kick reads plus pick-and-roll chemistry with his bigs gives him multiple avenues to clear seven dimes if the game stays competitive. Russell Westbrook has embraced a true floor-general role for Sacramento, pushing in transition and organizing the halfcourt sets, so we’re betting on his assist total rising with the team’s offensive success. Put together, those three overs form one of the more intriguing NBA parlay picks today for bettors chasing plus-money upside on New Year’s Day.
Up To $1500 in Bonus Bets Paid Back if your First Bet Does Not Win As the calendar flips to 2026, this tighter Thursday slate still offers plenty of angles for those searching for the best NBA bets today, from sides and totals to carefully chosen NBA player props today. As always, keep an eye on late injury reports, starting lineups, and any minutes-limit news, then shop around sports betting apps to lock in the best numbers before tip-off.
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All Odds as of 6:00 a.m. ET on Jan. 1
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