Best NBA Bets Today | NBA Picks January 26

The NBA's marquee Thursday night kicks off with some exciting and meaningful matchups between 12 of the NBA's most exciting teams!

In the Eastern Conference, the Chicago Bulls are looking to climb up the standings when they take on the Charlotte Hornets. The Cleveland Cavaliers are out West to take on the bottom-feeding Houston Rockets. And in a rematch of one of the league's most exciting rivalries, the Dallas Mavericks face the Phoenix Suns.

Let's check out the bets!

Chicago Bulls @ Charlotte Hornets

When: 7:30 PM EST

Spread: Chicago Bulls -5.5 (-113) @ BetRivers

Both the Chicago Bulls and Charlotte Hornets are looking to get back in the win column when they face off on Thursday night. The Bulls have fallen to 10th in the Eastern Conference with a 22-25 overall record and a 9-15 road record. The Charlotte Hornets are now 14th in the Eastern Conference, owning a 13-36 overall record and a 5-16 home record.

The Bulls are an efficient offensive team, shooting 48.8% from the field (5th in the NBA) and 36.8% from deep (10th in the NBA), but their defense has been lacking through most of the season. They dropped their last game though, as they shot just 48.9% from the field and 20.8% from three-point range. The Hornets may not be skilled as a team, but they set a tremendous pace and love to pressure the ball - averaging a 100.7 pace (9th in the NBA) while forcing 15.2 turnovers per game (8th in the NBA). Charlotte lost in their last game and the Hornets forced 17 turnovers out of the Phoenix Suns, despite allowing their opponents 50% shooting from the field and 55.0% from three on 22 made three-pointers.

We're taking the Bulls in this matchup, as they should have a significant advantage in the paint. Charlotte are one of the worst teams in the NBA at defending inside the arc, so the paint-savvy Bulls should be in their element. The pace of play should be nothing that the Bulls need to worry about.

Cleveland Cavaliers @ Houston Rockets

When: 8:00 PM EST

Spread: Cleveland Cavaliers -7.5 (-110) @ WynnBet

The Cleveland Cavaliers and Houston Rockets could not be on more opposite trends this season. The Cavaliers are currently fifth in the Eastern Conference, owning a 29-20 overall record and an 11-13 road record. The Houston Rockets are last in the Western Conference, owning an 11-37 overall record and a 7-16 home record.

Cleveland are one of the league's most capable defensive teams, holding their opponents to 107.2 points per game (1st in the NBA) on 46.6% from the field but 37.2% from three (27th in the NBA). The Cavaliers are coming off of a narrow loss in their last game due to their three-point defense, which allowed 17 threes on 51.5% efficiency. The Houston Rockets are a scrappy team, averaging 46.6 rebounds per game (4th in the NBA) while allowing just 27.7 two-point field goals per game (5th in the NBA). They found victory in their last game as they forced 19 turnovers and outrebounded their opponents 47 to 41.

The Cavaliers are equipped to deal with the Rockets' offensive versatility and inefficiency. They should be able to control the paint through the play of Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley, and their guards can definitely match Houston's athleticism. We're expecting a route by the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Dallas Mavericks @ Phoenix Suns

When: 10:00 PM EST

Moneyline: Dallas Mavericks (+100) @ DraftKings Sportsbook

The Dallas Mavericks and the Phoenix Suns still have one of the league's most heated rivalries after their 2022 NBA Playoff series. The Dallas Mavericks are currently sixth in the Western Conference with a 25-24 overall record and a 8-15 road record. The Phoenix Suns are just behind them with a 25-24 overall record and an 18-7 home record.

The Phoenix Suns remain one of the league's best defensive teams, allowing just 111.7 points per game (6th in the NBA) while forcing 15.0 turnovers (9th in the NBA) out of their opponents. In their last game, a win over the Charlotte Hornets, the Suns' offense was engaged to the tune of 128 points, 50% shooting from the field and 22 three-pointers on 55% from deep. The Dallas Mavericks are a high-volume three-point shooting team who average 14.7 threes (3rd in the NBA) on 36.1% efficiency (13th in the NBA), despite just 22.1 assists per game (30th in the NBA). The Mavericks are unfortunately coming off of a loss in their last game where they allowed 127 points on 50.6% shooting.

The Phoenix Suns are coming off of a tremendous three-point shooting performance, but that's a defensive area where the Dallas Mavericks excel. With the likes of Devin Booker and DeAndre Ayton unavailable, the scoring pace set by the Mavericks may be hard to compete with. Led by the brilliant Luka Doncic, we see the Mavericks earning a surprise victory.