Best NBA Bets Feb. 5: Trends, Predictions & Picks for Tonight

Trade deadline day always turns the board into a minefield. Rotations get weird. Injury reports get louder. And the market has to hang numbers anyway. We’ve got seven games tonight, two back-to-backs (Chicago and Charlotte), and a couple of spreads that look like they’re daring you to blink.

I’m not blinking. We’re 4-2 to start February, so I’m pressing the two spots where the matchup profile and the availability chaos line up clean.

Best Bet: Detroit Pistons -14.5 (3 units)

Where to Watch the Detroit Pistons vs. Washington Wizards Tonight

• • Arena: Little Caesars Arena

• • Location: Detroit, MI

• • Where to Watch: NBA League Pass

• • Date: February 5, 2026

• • Time: 07:00 PM ET

NBA Betting Odds Today: Pistons vs. Wizards Moneyline, Spread & Kalshi Probabilities

Odds as of February 05, 2026, at 11:22 AM ET

This is the kind of number people hate laying. That’s exactly why I’m interested. Detroit is eighth in points per game (117.5) and top-two in defensive rating (109.5, second). Washington is sitting on the other end of the spectrum with 112.1 points per game (27th) and a 121.3 defensive rating (29th). That’s not a small gap. That’s a different sport.

And Washington‘s situation is ugly. Trae Young (knee) is still not suiting up. Tre Johnson (ankle) is out. Cam Whitmore (shoulder) is out for the season. The Wizards also just shipped Khris Middleton, AJ Johnson, Malaki Branham, and Marvin Bagley III to Dallas in the Anthony Davis deal, so they’re fielding a skeleton crew tonight. That’s a lot of creation and scoring missing against a defense that’s first in turnovers forced (17.4), and first in assists allowed (22.9). If the Wizards can’t initiate cleanly, they’re not hanging inside fifteen.

The only real sweat is Detroit’s own availability. Cade Cunningham (wrist) is questionable, and Tobias Harris (hip) is questionable. Kevin Huerter and Dario Saric are also listed as trade pending as Detroit finalizes their deals from the three-team trade with Chicago and Minnesota. I still want the Pistons because the profile doesn’t change. Detroit is third in points allowed (109.9) and first in steals (10.6). That’s how you turn a big spread into a runway.

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Expert Pick: Charlotte Hornets +3.5 (2 units)

Where to Watch the Houston Rockets vs. Charlotte Hornets Tonight

• • Arena: Toyota Center

• • Location: Houston, TX

• • Where to Watch: NBA League Pass

• • Date: February 5, 2026

• • Time: 08:00 PM ET

NBA Betting Odds Today: Rockets vs. Hornets Moneyline, Spread & Kalshi Probabilities

Odds as of February 05, 2026, at 11:22 AM ET

Houston is good. I get it. They’re fifth in offensive rating (118.8) and fifth in defensive rating (113.1). They also rebound like monsters with 49.1 boards per game (first). But the spread is asking them to separate, and that’s where I’m stepping in.

Charlotte has been a covering team in this travel pocket. The Hornets are 6-4 against the spread in their last ten away games, while Houston is 3-7 against the spread in their last ten at home. The market keeps pricing Houston like a clean home favorite, and they keep letting teams hang around.

And Charlotte’s profile travels. They’re third in made threes (15.2) and fifth in rebounds (46.0). That’s how you survive in Houston’s building. You make enough shots to avoid the avalanche, and you don’t get buried on the glass. The Hornets just added Coby White, Mike Conley, and Tyus Jones at the deadline, though those guys may not suit up tonight. Even on a back-to-back, I’ll take the points with the team that’s been getting to the window in this exact split.

The SportsGrid Betting Edge

• • Best Bet (3 units): Detroit Pistons -14.5

• • Expert Pick (2 units): Charlotte Hornets +3.5

Two very different bets. One is a full-on mismatch with Washington missing a chunk of its ball-handling. The other is me fading a home favorite that hasn’t been paying bettors lately. Ride with me or fade me. Either way, pick a side and live with it. Stay ahead of the game and elevate your sports betting experience with SportsGrid.

Data from Blitz. Stats as of February 5.