NBA Best Bets for January 22: The Timberwolves and Mavericks Resume Their Rivalry
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Spread Astaire
- January 22, 2025
Top NBA Pick: Minnesota Timberwolves -1.5 (-110) at BetOnline (visit our BetOnline Review)
The NBA season continues and we have plenty of interesting matchups for this evening’s basketball action.
We have two marquee games on the schedule. First, the Minnesota Timberwolves will take on the Dallas Mavericks. These two can resume the rivalry they formed during the playoffs last season. Then the Golden State Warriors take on the Sacramento Kings. Who will crown themselves the best team in Northern California with a win?
Let’s take a look at these two nationally televised games to find winning NBA picks at the top-rated sportsbooks.
Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Dallas Mavericks
Wednesday, January 22, 2025 – 07:30 PM ET at American Airlines Center
Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves had a breakout season last year but fell short in the Western Conference Finals against the Dallas Mavericks. Now the Timberwolves have a chance to make a statement and bounce back against Dallas tonight.
Depleted but Dangerous
The Mavericks are struggling with injuries right now and the Timberwolves should be able to attack a depleted roster.
That being said, Dallas figured out plenty of ways to attack the Wolves’ stellar defense last season and will be using some of those same plays tonight. This is a fascinating matchup and even though they are not at full strength, the Dallas Mavericks have a great chance to get the win regardless.
The Minnesota Timberwolves have one of the best scorers in the league in Anthony Edwards but their team success is predicated on their defense. The Timberwolves are 5th in the NBA in points allowed, only allowing 108 points per game. This is much more impressive than Dallas, who is average on defense. Dallas is 13th in the league at 111.8 points allowed per game.
Bounce-Back Battle
The Timberwolves will be looking to build momentum with this game.
They have lost three of their last five games, although all the games except for one have been against good competition. The Timberwolves did get a win over the New York Knicks last Friday night but since then they have fallen to the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Memphis Grizzlies.
The Timberwolves will definitely be looking to tonight’s outing as a chance to make a statement and get their season back on track.
Inconsistent Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks have struggled as of late as well, losing four of their last five games. Their one win last Friday night was against the Oklahoma City Thunder, which shows that they still can defeat elite teams when they are playing well. However, as their loss in Charlotte on Monday night attests, they are also vulnerable to losing to bad teams.
The two main people missing from the lineup tonight for Dallas will be Luka Doncic for sure and possibly Dereck Lively. Lively is important to the team and is actually a game-time decision but he’s missed a lot of games lately. I would not be surprised to see Lively sit even though this is a big game for both teams.
The Pick
I think the injuries on the Mavericks will be too much for them to overcome against a motivated Minnesota team.
Although Minnesota has not been playing their best recently, we know they will be going all out for this important matchup. Because they lost to Dallas in the playoffs last season, this matchup will probably mean more to the Timberwolves than it will to the Mavericks.
Give me a healthy, motivated Timberwolves team against the limping Mavericks. Take Minnesota -1.5.
NBA Pick: Minnesota Timberwolves -1.5 (-110) at BetOnline
Golden State Warriors vs. Sacramento Kings
Wednesday, January 22, 2025 – 10:00 PM ET at Golden 1 Center
Although both teams are located in Northern California, this isn’t as big of a regional rivalry as one would expect. The reason? Because both teams have never been good at the same time. This has changed as of late as recently Sacramento has returned to respectability behind the star combination of De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis.
The Kings and Warriors played in the playoffs two seasons ago and the Warriors won an exciting battle in seven games. Then, last season, the Warriors eliminated the Kings in the Play In. So, while these two teams do not have much animosity towards each other now, maybe a rivalry is brewing if both teams can stay good.
Royal Turnaround
The Sacramento Kings were mired in a disappointing season when they made the bold move to fire their head coach Mike Brown and replace him with former player Doug Christie.
Although I personally disagreed with the move, it seems to have had some success because the Kings are 9-1 since making the move, including a 23-point win over the Washington Wizards on Sunday night. Although I thought Mike Brown did a good job with the Kings, obviously the players are more receptive to Doug Christie’s messaging.
This coaching change could have saved the season for the Kings.
Golden Struggles
After a hot start, the flaws in the Golden State Warriors roster have been exposed. Injuries to key players such as De’Anthony Melton have really hurt the Warriors’ ability to defend.
The Warriors are getting old and slow. They lack athleticism at certain positions and are a small team. This means they need to work extra hard to get victories every night. As this season has continued, this is taking a toll on the players’ bodies. The Warriors have to be perfect against bigger teams night in and night out. This has worn the team down. As a result, the Warriors have not been playing well lately and have lost three of their last five games.
Momentum Clash
In this game, we have one team that is hot and one team that is not:
- The Kings are 9-1 over their last 10 games while the Warriors are only 5-5.
- The Kings have a net rating of +2.8 this year whereas the Warriors’ net rating is -0.4.
- The Warriors have traditionally done well against the Kings and will use tonight’s game as an opportunity to get back on track.
The Pick
Even though the Warriors are struggling with injuries I still think this line is too big for two teams that have been competitive in recent years.
The Warriors consistently do well against the Kings because of their ability to score against the Kings’ weak defensive backcourt. Dennis Schroeder and Stephen Curry should both have big games. The Kings are also small so they cannot beat the Warriors inside like some other teams like to do.
Although I would not be surprised to see the Kings win, I think this will be a close game. Take the Golden State Warriors +8.
NBA Pick: Golden State Warriors +8 (-110) at BetOnline
*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.
