Image credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

NBA Best Best Today- Our Top Picks for Friday, January 9

Our NBA Best Bets for Friday, January 9, 2026.

Image credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

Friday’s NBA slate has a total of ten games scheduled, kicking off the weekend on the perfect note. The day features matchups between the Toronto Raptors and the Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Clippers at the Brooklyn Nets, the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Memphis Grizzlies, and so much more. Injuries and pace differences between teams create value in lines.

Here, we have picked our NBA best bets today, rather than breaking down every game. These picks consist of one spread, one total and one player prop, where the line seems off. These are the plays we would prioritize while looking for only a few spots to bet on tonight’s card.

In case you are looking for full game previews, we recommend you to visit our NBA picks and predictions page for tonight. Otherwise, continue scrolling down for our favorite NBA best bets of the day accompanied by a quick breakdown for each play.

Our NBA Best Picks of the Day

Tag	Game	Market and Line	Odds and Book
Best Bet	Boston Celtics vs Toronto Raptors	Celtics -8.5 (spread)	-110 at FanDuel
Play #2	Brooklyn Nets vs LA Clippers	Under 215.5 (total)	-110 at FanDuel
Play #3	Los Angeles Lakers vs Milwaukee Bucks	Luka Doncic Over 34.4 points (player prop)	-114 at FanDuel

Odds accurate as of Friday, January 9, 2026 at 6 am ET. Lines may move before the tip off.

Game 1- Best Bet: Boston Celtics -8.5 vs Toronto Raptors

Pick Type	Market	Odds and Book
Best Bet	Celtics -8.5 (spread)	-110 at FanDuel

Boston Celtics are a strong team, with home dominance and elite defense. The Raptors, on the other hand, are struggling on the road with a weaker defense than Boston and a mid-rack offense, despite being on a three-game winning streak.

The Celtics aret at -8.5, which seems accurate given their home dominance yet the Raptors’ winning momentum. The line has caught up well with Boston’s favorable conditions, and the Raptors’ curvy record on the road.

Considering all the factors, we are laying the Celtics -8.5 as our NBA Best Bet of the day.

Game 2- Play #2: Brooklyn Nets vs LA Clippers Under 215.5

Pick type	Market	Odds and Book
Play #2	Under 215.5 points (total)	-110 at FanDuel

Both Brooklyn Nets and the Los Angeles Clippers have been playing solid defense this season, seeded in the top rack in terms of points allowed. In fact, they also play slow, generally leading to lower totals. In addition to it, their recent games haven’t also been high-scoring games.

The total at 215.5 looks high for this matchup considering their defensive focus as well as slow pace.

We like the total to be under 215.5 points as the Clippers lock horns with the Nets.

Game 3- Play #3: Luka Doncic Over 34.4 points vs Milwaukee Bucks

Pick Type	Market	Odds and Book
Play #3	Luka Doncic Over 34.4 points (player prop)	-114 at FanDuel

Luka Doncic is the leading scorer in the current NBA season, dropping an average of around 34 points per game. He is on a seven-game 30+ point streak. Considering that the defense of both teams doesn’t vary much as well as the Lakers have home-court advantage, we expect Doncic to drop 35 points or more against the Bucks on Friday.

How We Are Betting Tonight’s NBA Slate

For Friday, homecourt advantages and defensive edge plays key role. The Celtics cover big against the Raptors, while the Nets and the Clippers produce a low-scoring matchup, owing to their pace and defense. Luka Doncic dropping another big night is on the cards, due to his momentum and familiarity with the court.

NBA Best Bets Recap for January 9

Best Bet: Celtics -8.5 vs Raptors -110 at FanDuel
Play #2: Brooklyn Nets vs LA Clippers Under 215.5 -110 at FanDuel
Play #3 Luka Doncic Over 34.4 points -114 at FanDuel