NBA Best Bets: Top 2 Betting Picks for Thursday, January 22

We’re back on the right track. The Knicks destroyed Brooklyn 120-66, and the Cavs beat the Hornets by 7 on the road. Our monthly record is now 25-16 (61%), and the momentum feels right again.

Eight NBA games are on the board tonight, and I’m not forcing action across the whole menu. I’m sticking to what’s been working: pick the cleanest two against-the-spread edges, size them up, and let the rest of the slate fight without us.

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Orlando Magic -6.0 (3 units)

Where to Watch the Orlando Magic vs. Charlotte Hornets Tonight?

Arena: Kia Center
Location: Orlando, FL
Where to Watch: NBA League Pass
Date: January 22, 2026
Time: 7:00 PM ET

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

Team	Spread	Moneyline	Implied Prob.	Kalshi Chance
Charlotte Hornets	+6.0 (-111)	+197	33.7%
Orlando Magic	-6.0 (-110)	-241	70.7%

Odds as of January 22, 2026, at 8:31 AM ET

This is a schedule-and-history hammer spot, and I’m not overthinking it. Charlotte is on zero days rest and the back end of a back-to-back, traveling 463.1 miles into Orlando. Orlando, meanwhile, has three days’ rest. That’s the whole handicap foundation. Then you stack the matchup history: over the last ten head-to-head meetings, Orlando is 8-2 straight up and 8-2 against the spread in this series data set. That’s not a “trend," that’s a pattern. And yes, Orlando’s recent against-the-spread form is ugly (3-7 ATS last ten), but this is precisely why I like the number: the market is pricing Orlando like a team you can’t trust, while the situational edge is screaming. Charlotte’s been better against the spread lately (6-4 ATS last ten), but I’m fading that into the fatigue spot. Give me the rested home team laying a clean -6.0.

Portland Trail Blazers -1.5 (3 units)

Where to Watch the Portland Trail Blazers vs. Miami Heat Tonight?

Arena: Moda Center
Location: Portland, OR
Where to Watch: NBA League Pass
Date: January 22, 2026
Time: 10:00 PM ET

NBA Betting Odds Today: Trail Blazers vs. Heat Moneyline, Spread & Kalshi Probabilities

Team	Spread	Moneyline	Implied Prob.	Kalshi Chance
Miami Heat	+1.5 (-110)	-102	50.5%	48%
Portland Trail Blazers	-1.5 (-110)	-119	54.3%	52%

Odds as of January 22, 2026, at 8:31 AM ET

I’m riding Portland until the market forces me off. The Trail Blazers are 8-2 straight up and 8-2 against the spread in their last ten, and that’s the kind of profile I’m willing to pay a small tax for. The spot also lines up: Miami is in Game 3 of 5 on a road trip and is playing three games in the last four days. Portland has three days’ rest and is at home, even if they’re technically on the front end of a back-to-back. Portland has names on the report as well, but the market is still hanging Portland as the favorite, and the recent results have backed it up. Kalshi is basically calling this a coin flip (Portland 52%), and I’m fine being the one who says the team that’s been covering at an 80% clip deserves to be trusted at -1.5.