Best NBA Bets Today | NBA Picks February 9

The NBA is putting on a limited Thursday night schedule, but it should be full of action!

Opening the night is an exciting matchup between the upstart Orlando Magic and the West-leading Denver Nuggets. The Chicago Bulls and Brooklyn Nets face off in a match with implications on the Eastern Conference standings. And the Milwaukee Bucks take on a Los Angeles Lakers team who are in a transition period.

Let's check out the bets!

Denver Nuggets @ Orlando Magic

When: 7:00 PM EST

Spread: Denver Nuggets -7.0 (-110) @ Caesars Sportsbook

Two teams on contrasting ends of differing conferences, the Denver Nuggets and the Orlando Magic face off! The Denver Nuggets are still first in the Western Conference, owning a 39-16 overall record and an 18-9 road record. The Orlando Magic are currently 13th in the East with a 22-33 overall record and a 13-14 home record.

The Denver Nuggets operate one of the NBA's premiere offences, averaging 117.4 points (6th in the NBA) and 28.9 assists (2nd in the NBA) on 51.1% from the field and 39.7% from the three-point range. They're coming off of an impressive offensive performance where they scored 146 points on 62.4% from the field and 48.1% from three while collecting 44 assists! The Magic will try to hold the Nuggets down with their length, as they limit teams to just 35.0% from three (7th in the NBA) and 42.1 rebounds per game (6th in the NBA). The Magic, unfortunately, enter this game off the back of a loss where their offence generated just 98 points on 46.8% from the field and 24.0% from three.

The Nuggets are the clear and easy choice in this matchup and Orlando's injuries to their frontline will only make them weaker. Expect the Magic's offence to struggle against the Nuggets, who are set to score bunches against Orlando's middling defence.

Chicago Bulls @ Brooklyn Nets

When: 7:30 PM EST

Moneyline: Chicago Bulls (+128) @ Unibet NJ

The Chicago Bulls and Brooklyn Nets are two teams who may be competing for position in the Eastern Conference playoff race this spring. The Bulls are currently ninth in the Eastern Conference with a 26-28 overall record and a 10-17 road record. After a wild trade deadline day, the Nets are still fifth in the East with a 32-22 overall record and a 16-10 home record.

Chicago are an efficient scoring team, averaging 114.3 points per game (7th in the NBA) on 49.0% from the field (5th in the NBA) while committing just 13.8 turnovers per game (9th in the NBA). They're coming off an 89-104 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies in their last game, as their limited rosters could only muster up 89 points on 36.8% from the field and 20.0% from deep. A newly formed Brooklyn Nets team will now take them on behind the stellar play of Cam Thomas. While they've gone 1-2 over that span of time, the Nets are scorching offensively - averaging 117.7 points on 49.0% from the field and 42.4% from three-point range.

It's difficult to back the Nets, especially now that they'll be looking forward to a future without Kevin Durant on top of losing Kyrie Irving as well. Chicago may be shorthanded, but they have an overall balance that should overcome a transitionary Nets team.

Milwaukee Bucks @ Los Angeles Lakers

When: 10:00 PM EST

Spread: Milwaukee Bucks -5.5 (-110) @ BetRivers

The Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers are two teams aiming to get themselves back into championship contention. The Bucks are currently second in the Eastern Conference with a 37-17 overall record and a 14-12 road record. The Lakers have fallen to 13th in the Western Conference, owning a 25-30 overall record and a 13-13 home record.

The Milwaukee Bucks continue to be one of the league's best defensive teams, holding their opponents to 111.8 points per game (7th in the NBA) on 45.3% from the field (2nd in the NBA) and 34.6% from three-point range (3rd in the NBA). They're coming off of a victory in their last game where they scored 127 points on 54.0% from the field while converting on 16 three-point field goals. The Los Angeles Lakers are expected to have a limited roster for this matchup, but they still play at a pace that allows them 117.3 points per game (7th in the NBA) on 48.2% from the field. Despite LeBron James earning the NBA's scoring record in his last game, the Lakers still lost 130-133 as they allowed their opponents to shoot 52.1% from the field and 50.0% from three-point range.

Take the Bucks in this matchup. As if the sides weren't balanced enough, the Lakers' recent trade moves have left them limited on short notice. The Bucks should dominate the paint and the perimeter on the offensive end.