Best NBA Bets Today | NBA Picks January 9

The NBA kicks off its Monday night schedule with six exciting games! We take a look at three interesting matches and wagers.

The shorthanded New Orleans Pelicans face off against the Washington Wizards to open the evening's schedule. The Chicago Bulls looks to push their win streak to four games when they take on the Boston Celtics. And the Los Angeles Lakers hope to earn an upset over the top-ranked Denver Nuggets!

Let's check out the bets!

New Orleans Pelicans @ Washington Wizards

When: 7:00 PM EST

Spread: Washington Wizards -2.0 (-110) @ Unibet NJ

The Washington Wizards and New Orleans Pelicans will face off in hopes of getting back on the winning trend. Washington are currently on a two-game losing streak, now sitting 11th in the East with a 17-23 record. The Pelicans have struggled with injury, falling to third in the West with a 24-16 overall record.

New Orleans have struggled defensively over their last two games. They've allowed 117.5 points per game on 49.7% from the field and 45.2% from three-point range - despite still forcing 14.5 turnovers per game. For Washington, their offense has failed to meet the mark in their last two games. The Wizards have shot just 45.5% from the field and 29.4% from three-point range on 7.5 makes, this is on top of them committing 15.0 turnovers per game.

The Pelicans are missing their usual strength in the paint and their current players haven't done enough to make up the difference as of late. Despite New Orleans' aggressive defensive style, the Wizards should have the offensive versatility to get back on track. Between Washington's scoring ability and New Orleans' offensive fall-off, the Wizards are the pick.

Chicago Bulls @ Boston Celtics

When: 7:30 PM EST

Moneyline: Chicago Bulls (+278) @ Caesars Sportsbook

Both the Chicago Bulls and Boston Celtics want to continue their recently improved form when they take each other on. The Celtics are still first in the NBA but want to improve their 28-12 record in the Eastern Conference. The Bulls have found some inspiration in recent games, going 7-3 in their last 10 games and now sitting ninth in the East with a 19-21 record.

The Bulls have tightened up their two-way play over their recent 7-3 run, scoring on 51.1% from the field and 40.9% from three-point range - a surprise to many. But their defense has made the biggest strides as of late, as they've held teams to 46.8% from the field and 35.8% from three, despite losing the rebounding battle by 1.3 on average. The Boston Celtics will hope they can improve on their recent offensive form, as they've still scored 117.9 points per game but on just 46.0% from the field and 33.5% from three-point range.

Something about the Bulls has given the Celtics issues this season, having gone 2-1 against them so far. It starts in the middle, where the Bulls have found success through DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic's rim-scoring ability. While the return of Robert Williams may change that, their inside-out threat should help them maintain their success.

Los Angeles Lakers @ Denver Nuggets

When: 9:00 PM EST

Spread: Denver Nuggets -8.5 (-110) @ WynnBet

In a matchup between the top and near-bottom of the Western Conference, the Denver Nuggets face off against the Los Angeles Lakers. Denver are currently tied for first in the Western Conference with a 26-13 record and a 16-3 home record. Los Angeles find themselves 11th in the Western Conference with a 19-21 overall record and a 9-13 road record.

Denver are one of the league's most efficient offensive teams. They average 116.7 points per game (7th in the NBA) on 50.9% from the field (2nd in the NBA) and 40.1% from three (1st in the NBA), mostly due to their incredible passing game which earns them 28.7 assists per game (2nd in the NBA). On the other hand, the Los Angeles Lakers focus more on getting their points in transition. The Lakers average 16.7 fast break points per game (4th in the NBA) and 116.9 points per game (5th in the NBA), on 48.7% shooting from the field.

When it comes to scoring, the Lakers can keep up with most teams in the NBA - it's their defense that struggles against the better teams. Denver's efficiency and individual talent are likely to win them the day, even if the Lakers can keep up with their scoring pace.