NBA Expert Tips and Best Bets | Jan 30

The NBA’s Thursday showcase features the best player in the world visiting the biggest stage in the sport. Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets, on the third leg of their five-game road trip, will visit Madison Square Garden to take on the surging New York Knicks.

The Phoenix Suns also host the Minnesota Timberwolves in a key Western Conference matchup between teams vying to get out of Play-In seeding. We’ll cover both games here and set you up with our NBA expert tips and NBA predictions.

Knicks -2.5 |$1.88 @ Playup

The Nuggets arrive in New York having lost both games of their current road trip, getting blown out Monday in Minnesota, then falling to the 20-27 Chicago Bulls.

The Knicks have been red hot lately, enjoying a four-game winning streak and fresh off a blowout of the Memphis Grizzlies, tying them for the fifth-best record in the league.

New York is 3-1 against the spread in their last four home games, while Denver is 3-5 against the spread on the road versus East teams this season.

It’s a big game in New York anytime a superstar visits, so expect the Knicks to prove a point. By at least three.

Over 240.5 |$1.85 @ Betfocus

You can also expect some offensive fireworks in the Garden on Thursday. Both the Nuggets and the Knicks rank middle of the road when it comes to defense in the NBA. However, they rank third and fourth respectively when it comes to total points per game.

The Knicks come in having scored a blistering 143 points each in their last two games. Before starting their current road trip, Denver was averaging over 130 points in their previous four.

When you factor in that the Nuggets have hit the Over in six of their last seven games, and New York in six of their last nine, the play becomes clearer.

Our NBA expert tips to take the Over.

Timberwolves -1.5 |$1.91 Betright

One of the key matchups of the day involves the seventh-seed Timberwolves on the road to take on the eighth-seed Phoenix Suns with only a half-game separating the two in the standings.

Kevin Durant has been listed as questionable for this game with a right thumb issue, while the T-Wolves will be without guard Donte DiVincenzo.

One of those things is not like the other and Durant’s status will have a huge impact on the game’s outcome.  

With Minnesota on a three-game winning streak including a blowout over Denver on Monday, and the Suns struggling against winning teams, our NBA Predictions say take Minnesota to cover.