Free NBA Picks Today for Monday, January 4th, 2021

Free NBA Picks Today for Monday, January 4th, 2021
Mon 4th January 2021

Our NBA picks is levelling up as we are now picking the money line, spread and games totals markets for every game, every night!

There are nine games tonight and we are confident in our NBA picks, including some underdogs causing upsets on the road. Check out our full picks for every game below.

Cleveland Cavaliers @ Orlando Magic – 7PM ET

Two Eastern Conference teams with a 4-2 record going head to head to kick off the week. The Cleveland Cavaliers travel down to Orlando after a five point come from behind victory over the Hawks in Atlanta. The Magic on the other hand just suffered a nine point home loss to the Thunder, their second straight loss after starting 4-0. 

Evan Fournier missed the game with back spasms and his shooting and play making ability was missed, however Nikola Vucevic continued his hot form with 30 points and 13 rebounds while Terrance Ross embraced his increased opportunity with 26 points off the bench. 

After being down by 12 at halftime, the Cavaliers kept the Hawks to just 35 second half points, scoring 52 of their own. Collin Sexton once again led the team in scoring with an efficient 27 points while Andre Drummond had another double-double despite playing just 20 minutes. 

Fournier is still a game time decision for this one and whether he is in or out will actually have a big impact on the outcome of this game, but we are backing Cleveland to cause another road upset. 

NBA Pick – Cleveland Cavaliers (+180)
NBA Spread – Cleveland Cavaliers +5.0 (-110)
Game Totals Pick – Over 215.5 Total Points (-115)

Charlotte Hornets @ Philadelphia 76ers – 7PM ET

A rematch of Saturday night sees the Hornets attempt to get a different result in Philadelphia, after going down by 15 points in the first leg. 

Terry Rozier once again exploded for Charlotte scoring 35 points on 12/18 shooting including seven threes, while Gordon Hayward and LaMelo Ball combined for 33 points, 11 assists and 8 steals. The issue for Charlotte however is they allowed Philly to score 127 points. 

Tobias Harris led six Philadelphia players to score at least 13 points with 24 while shooting 64.3% and adding 9 boards, 6 assists, 4 steals and 3 blocks in a perfect all around game. Ben Simmons had his first triple double of the season while Joel Embiid fought off back tightness to contribute 19 points and 14 rebounds in the win. 

Given the two teams just played each other, we are expecting a bit more focus on the defensive end however Philly should be winning this one comfortably at home. 

NBA Pick – Philadelphia 76ers (-460)
NBA Spread – Charlotte Hornets +9.5 (-110)
Game Totals Pick – Under 219 Total Points (-105)

New York Knicks @ Atlanta Hawks – 7:30PM ET

After causing an upset in Indiana, the New York Knicks are looking to keep the momentum when they head down to Atlanta to take on the Hawks. 

Atlanta had their own upset on Saturday night, however it was the Cavaliers upsetting them by five points. The Hawks only managed 15 points in the second half of their game which was the backend of a back-to-back set and you could tell that fatigue had set in.

De’Andre Hunter led the team in scoring for the second straight night with 17 points, while Clint Capela exploded for 16 points, 16 boards, 3 steals and 2 blocks. 

RJ Barrett found his shooting stroke again to lead the Knicks to victory with 25 points on 53.5% shooting with four threes. Julius Randle and Elfrid Payton continued to do a bit of everything for the Knicks, with Randle having 12, 11 and 8 while Payton had 19, 8 and 5.

The young Knicks lineup showed poise and composure down the stretch with scores being tied with one quarter remaining. Their defense in the last four and a half minutes was great, keeping the Pacers to just six points in that time. 

We are expecting the Hawks to bounce back with a win in a high scoring affair and look for Trae Young to have a big game. 

NBA Pick – Atlanta Hawks (-245)
NBA Spread – Atlanta Hawks -6.0 (-110)
Game Totals Pick – Over 222 Total Points (-115)

Oklahoma City Thunder @ Miami Heat – 7:30PM ET

The Oklahoma City Thunder caused a massive upset on Saturday night when they went on the road and defeated the Orlando Magic by nine points. They now travel even further south to take on the Miami Heat. This one has some extra feeling in it as well due to the Thunder owning Miami’s first round pick in this year’s draft. 

Darius Bazley led the Thunder in scoring with 19 points on 70% shooting and 12 rebounds while George Hill continues to thrive in a starting role with 18 points and 5 assists. The big thing for OKC was keeping the Magic to just 99 points, 19 points less than when the two sides met a week ago. 

They’ll be looking to stay defensive against the Heat who have had two days off after managing just 83 points in a loss to the Mavericks. Jimmy Butler returned from a two game absence to score just two points on 0/6 shooting with Bam Adebayo being the lead man with 19 points, 11 boards and 4 steals. Miami never looked good in Dallas and will be hoping to bounce back on their home floor. 

Miami have started the season very inconsistently but Erik Spoelstra knows how to get his team going and will have them raring to go for this one at home. 

NBA Pick – Miami Heat (-351)
NBA Spread – Miami Heat -8.0 (-110)
Game Totals Pick – Under 213 Total Points (-105)

Boston Celtics @ Toronto Raptors – 7:30PM ET

A rematch of an incredible seven game series from last year’s Eastern Conference SemiFinals sees Boston and Toronto go head to head in Tampa Bay. 

Boston had a tough two game set against the Detroit Pistons, losing the first and then winning the second by just two points. Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum once again led the way for the men in green with Brown scoring 31 points on 13/16 shooting while Tatum did a bit of everything with 24 points, 8 boards, 12 assists, 2 blocks and no turnovers. They finally had some help in this one with Marcus Smart and Tristan Thompson both having double-doubles in the win. 

They now face a Toronto Raptors side that looks slightly different to when they last played. Serge Ibaka and Marc Gasol are no longer patrolling the paint and Boston should be looking to capatilize. Toronto is coming off their second loss to the New Orleans Pelicans, losing on Saturday night by four points. Fred VanVleet continued his great shooting season with 27 points while Kyle Lowry chipped in with 16 points, 6 rebounds and 8 assists. 

This is a classic Atlantic division rivalry that always has close games, but Toronto hasn’t shown enough to trust them in the early stages of the season. We are stoked to be getting points with Boston, cause we think they will win outright. 

NBA Pick – Boston Celtics (+126)
NBA Spread – Boston Celtics +3.0 (-110)
Game Totals Pick – Under 219 Total Points (-105)

Dallas Mavericks @ Houston Rockets – 8PM ET

The first all Texas rivalry matchup of the season when Dallas travels to Houston tonight. 

Dallas is one the second night of a back-to-back after facing the Bulls in Chicago. Luka Doncic missed the game and you could tell that he wasn’t playing in the 10 point loss. 

Jalen Brunson stepped up in Doncic’s absence to start and drop 31 points, five rebounds and seven assists, but Dallas’ defense let them down. The Mavs allowed Zach LaVine to have 39 points and the Bulls to score 118 and that doesn’t bode well for a matchup with James Harden and the Rockets. 

Houston look revitalized with their new pieces, winning two on the trot since the return of half their team from COVID-19 isolation. John Wall has played exceptionally in his first two games, averaging 25 points, five rebounds and 7.5 assists while Christian Wood continues to break out after another double-double on Saturday with 20 points, 15 rebounds and 4 blocks. 

What was important for Houston is they beat the Kings without James Harden playing and with him back in the lineup facing a tired Dallas team, the Rockets should dominate this matchup. 

NBA Pick – Houston Rockets (-116)
NBA Spread – Houston Rockets -1.0 (-110)
Game Totals Pick – Over 230 Total Points (-115)

Detroit Pistons @ Milwaukee Bucks – 8PM ET

The Milwaukee Bucks have had two nights off after their massive 30 point victory over the Bulls on Friday night. They now host a Detroit side who had two very competitive games against the Celtics, winning the first before losing the second by two points yesterday afternoon. 

Jerami Grant has now had five straight games scoring over 20 points and is the clear leader over the side, but they have still only won one game. Six players scored at least 13 points in the two-point loss yesterday and they shot 12 more free throws but lost the rebound count by eight and now face one of the best rebounding teams in the comp. 

Milwaukee have just a 3-3 record, alternating wins and losses through their first six games. Their win over Chicago has to fill them with a fair amount of confidence heading into another Central Division matchup. Giannis Antetokounmpo was near his best with 29 points, 12 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks in the win where seven Bucks players scored in double figures. 

Given they won their last game, the formline says the Milwaukee should lose this one, but two nights rest against a team on the second leg of a back-to-back should mean that the Bucks and their fast paced game style should be able to run over the top of Detroit in this one. 

NBA Pick – Milwaukee Bucks (-1200)
NBA Spread – Detroit Pistons +14.5 (-110)
Game Totals Pick – Over 227.5 Total Points (-110)

Indiana Pacers @ New Orleans Pelicans – 8PM ET

After being upset by the Knicks at home, the Indiana Pacers are looking to get back on track against the Pelicans in New Orleans. 

The Pels are coming off a four point victory over the Raptors, the second time they have beaten them this season, where Brandon Ingram was the leading scorer with 31 points, Steven Adams had a 13 point, 10 rebound double-double and Eric Bledsoe had a 19 point, 10 assist double-double. 

New Orleans shot an incredible 47 free throws and had 12 more rebounds in the contest and will be looking to continue to play with their tough edge and fast pace against the Pacers. 

Domantas Sabonis was held to just 13 points in the loss, with Malcolm Brogdon scoring 33 points to lead Indiana. The Pacers will be kicking themselves after heading into the last quarter tied up and unable to overcome the young and inexperienced Knicks down the stretch. 

This is a perfect opportunity to right their wrongs against another young side, as the Pelicans have been quite inconsistent to start the year. The Pacers are the dogs on the road in this one but we are backing them to get back to their early season form. 

NBA Pick – Indiana Pacers (+100)
NBA Spread – Indiana Pacers +1.5 (-110)
Game Totals Pick – Under 218 Total Points (-105)

Sacramento Kings @ Golden State Warriors – 10PM ET

Well what a performance that was by Steph Curry last night, 62 points on 58.1% shooting with 8 threes and 19 free throw attempts. The one man show was enough to help Golden State get a 15 point win, their third of the season. 

While the performance was great, they still gave up 122 points in a fast paced game and are now having to back it up against Sacramento tonight. 

The Kings have just had a double set of their own, losing both games to the Houston Rockets. In Saturday’s loss, all five Sacramento starters scored in double figures led by De’Aaron Fox’s 23 points but the bench only combined for 12 points, which is nowhere near enough. 

There are some secondary storylines with Marvin Bagley’s dad tweeting that the team should trade him before De’Aaron Fox’s dad shared a similar message on his own profile, so it will be interesting to see how both play and how Luke Walton uses them. 

Sacramento started the season off very nicely with two wins over Denver and a win over Phoenix and they should be too strong for the Warriors. 

NBA Pick – Sacramento Kings (-140)
NBA Spread – Sacramento Kings +2.5 (-110)
Game Totals Pick – Under 232 Total Points (-105)

If you are need more news, information and predictions, head over to our NBA hub page for all your basketball needs.

*Odds and spreads correct at time of publication, courtesy of PointsBet and FanDuel

Tim is a keen follower of all American sports, in particular the NBA and NFL. He has followed both sports for over a decade and would happily sit down and watch every game, regardless of who is playing! No matter the sport, whether it be NFL and NBA or even MLB, NHL, UFC and all sports, Tim covers it from every angle, staying in the loop to bring you the most up-to-date information and the best picks and predictions on the market.