Friday Jan 2nd NBA Picks: Three Bets to Play Tonight

The Friday NBA card features 10 games, highlighted by a late-night Western Conference showdown in San Francisco. The Thunder seek their 30th victory of the season, facing the Warriors at Chase Center, who are 0-2 against Oklahoma City.

We’ll break down three plays for the Friday action. Remember to monitor the odds throughout the day, as the sides and totals market is constantly changing.

Here are the free NBA picks for Friday, January 2.

Best NBA plays today - Odds Courtesy of DraftKings

• Nets (-1.5) at Wizards
• Magic (-5.5) at Bulls
• Hornets (+5.5) at Bucks

Nets (-1.5) at Wizards - 7:00 p.m. ET

The Wizards have played better recently, winning three of their last four games following a 5-23 start. Washington surprised Milwaukee as 10.5-point road underdogs, 114-113 on Wednesday with a late jumper from C.J. McCollum. However, the Wizards have won consecutive games only once this season.

The Nets travel to D.C. with no rest after getting routed by the Rockets, 120-96 on Thursday. Brooklyn has won its past two road games, knocking off Philadelphia and Minnesota as heavy underdogs. The Nets seek their first win on a back-to-back this season, going 0-5 in their first five opportunities.

Brooklyn defeated Washington in the first matchup at Capital One Arena, 129-106 as 3-point underdogs on November 16.

Magic (-5.5) at Bulls - 8:00 p.m. ET

Orlando and Chicago are meeting for the third time this season, as teams split the first two matchups at Kia Center. The Bulls covered as an underdog each time as Chicago is receiving points again here at United Center.

The Magic staved off the Pacers, 112-110, but failed to cover as 4.5-point favorites. Orlando fell to 2-7 against the spread in its last nine games, including four ATS defeats in the favorite role.

Chicago improved to 6-2 in the past eight games following a 134-118 home triumph over New Orleans on Wednesday. However, each of the last two losses came as a home underdog against Milwaukee and Minnesota and this line tells us Orlando is worth a strong look here.

Hornets (+5.5) at Bucks - 8:00 p.m. ET

The Hornets head to Milwaukee looking to bounce back following a pair of home losses to the Bucks and Warriors. Milwaukee defeated Charlotte, 123-113 as 3-point road favorites on Monday, highlighted by hitting 16 shots from 3-point range.

Charlotte owns a solid 4-1 ATS mark in its last five road games, as it seeks its second victory in four tries against Milwaukee. Since late November, the Hornets are 4-0 off back-to-back losses, including three outright wins in the underdog role.

The Bucks were shocked in the final seconds by the Wizards on Wednesday, falling to 8-9 at Fiserv Forum. Milwaukee heads out west for a four-game swing after tonight’s contest, but the Bucks have stumbled to an 0-4 mark in their last four at home prior to a multi-game road trip.