{"id":646831,"date":"2026-01-04T14:19:54","date_gmt":"2026-01-04T13:19:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/theplayoffs.news\/en\/?p=646831"},"modified":"2026-01-04T14:19:59","modified_gmt":"2026-01-04T13:19:59","slug":"nba-best-bets-today-our-top-picks-for-sunday-january-4","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theplayoffs.news\/en\/nba-best-bets-today-our-top-picks-for-sunday-january-4\/","title":{"rendered":"NBA Best Bets Today- Our Top Picks for Sunday, January 4\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>For Sunday, January 4, fans will get to enjoy an eight game NBA slate, featuring inter-conference and cross-conference matchups. In an afternoon game, the Cleveland Cavaliers will host the Detroit Pistons, followed by the Orlando Magic welcoming the struggling Indiana Pacers. Later in the day, the Miami Heat will be the hosts to the New Orleans Pelicans followed by the table-toppers Oklahoma City Thunder visiting the Phoenix Suns. Several teams have been impacted by key injuries, including the Denver Nuggets missing Nikola Jokic, and more.&nbsp;<\/p><p>Rather than breaking down every game for Sunday, we have selected our NBA best bets today, which include a handful of spreads and totals where we think the line is off. These are the picks we would prioritize in case you are looking to bet a few spots on tonight&rsquo;s card.&nbsp;<\/p><p>If you want full game previews and detailed insights into them, head over to our <a href=\"https:\/\/theplayoffs.news\/en\/prediction\/nba-predictions\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" class=\"trk-cta-link\" data-cta-trk='{\"ctaType\":\"Link\",\"ctaSubType\":\"main\"}'>NBA picks and predictions page<\/a> for today. Otherwise, continue scrolling down for our NBA best bets of the day, followed by a quick breakdown of each play.&nbsp;<\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Our NBA Best Picks of the Day<\/h2><figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><td>Tag<\/td><td>Game&nbsp;<\/td><td>Market and Line&nbsp;<\/td><td>Odds and Book&nbsp;<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Best Bet&nbsp;<\/td><td>Orlando Magic vs Indiana Pacers&nbsp;<\/td><td>Magic -6.5 (spread)<\/td><td><a href=\"https:\/\/theplayoffs.news\/en\/go-FanDuel-sports-us-en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\" class=\"trk-cta-link\" data-cta-trk='{\"ctaType\":\"Link\",\"ctaSubType\":\"main\"}'>-110 at FanDuel&nbsp;<\/a><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Play #2&nbsp;<\/td><td>Phoenix Suns vs Oklahoma City Thunder&nbsp;<\/td><td>Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Over 31.5 Points (player prop)<\/td><td><a href=\"https:\/\/theplayoffs.news\/en\/go-FanDuel-sports-us-en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\" class=\"trk-cta-link\" data-cta-trk='{\"ctaType\":\"Link\",\"ctaSubType\":\"main\"}'>-104 at FanDuel&nbsp;<\/a><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Play #3&nbsp;<\/td><td>Miami Heat vs New Orleans Pelicans&nbsp;<\/td><td>Under 242.5 (total)<\/td><td><a href=\"https:\/\/theplayoffs.news\/en\/go-FanDuel-sports-us-en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\" class=\"trk-cta-link\" data-cta-trk='{\"ctaType\":\"Link\",\"ctaSubType\":\"main\"}'>-114 at FanDuel&nbsp;<\/a><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure><p><em>Odds from FanDuel, accurate as of Sunday, January 4, 2026, 6:42 am ET. Lines may move before tip-off.&nbsp;<\/em><\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Game 1- Best Bet: Magic -6.5 vs Pacers&nbsp;<\/h2><figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><td>Pick Type&nbsp;<\/td><td>Market<\/td><td>Odds and Book&nbsp;<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Best Bet<\/td><td>Magic -6.5 (spread)<\/td><td><a href=\"https:\/\/theplayoffs.news\/en\/go-FanDuel-sports-us-en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\" class=\"trk-cta-link\" data-cta-trk='{\"ctaType\":\"Link\",\"ctaSubType\":\"main\"}'>-110 at FanDuel&nbsp;<\/a><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure><p>Orlando Magic maintains a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/teams\/advanced\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\" class=\"trk-cta-link\" data-cta-trk='{\"ctaType\":\"Link\",\"ctaSubType\":\"main\"}'>solid defense at home<\/a>, and wins big against weaker teams. Indiana Pacers, on the other hand, had shown improvement last month, but ended up falling back to where they started. They are coming off an 11-game losing skid with poor scoring and defense lately.&nbsp;<\/p><p>Sportsbooks have Magic at -6.5, which is short considering the disappointing performance of the reigning NBA finalists. The Magic over well in home spots like this.&nbsp;<\/p><p>The line hasn&rsquo;t caught up well to the Pacers&rsquo; form, and we like Orlando to record a double-digit win.&nbsp;<\/p><p>With the Magic&rsquo;s dominance at home and the Pacers&rsquo; ongoing struggles, we are expecting a comfortable victory by the former and are picking -6.5 as our NBA Best Bet for the day.&nbsp;<\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Game 2- Play#2: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Over 31.5 Points vs Phoenix Suns&nbsp;<\/h2><figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><td>Pick Type&nbsp;<\/td><td>Market&nbsp;<\/td><td>Odds and Book&nbsp;<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Play #2&nbsp;<\/td><td>Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Over 31.5 Points&nbsp;<\/td><td><a href=\"https:\/\/theplayoffs.news\/en\/go-FanDuel-sports-us-en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\" class=\"trk-cta-link\" data-cta-trk='{\"ctaType\":\"Link\",\"ctaSubType\":\"main\"}'>-110 at FanDuel&nbsp;<\/a><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure><p>Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the reigning MVP is the<a href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/nba\/player\/_\/id\/4278073\/shai-gilgeous-alexander\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\" class=\"trk-cta-link\" data-cta-trk='{\"ctaType\":\"Link\",\"ctaSubType\":\"main\"}'> second-leading scorer in the league<\/a>, dropping an average of 32.1 points per game. He is converting 56.1% of his field goals and 42.5% of his three-point goals.&nbsp;<\/p><p>The Phoenix Suns have a lower defensive rating than the Thunder, and Gilgeous-Alexander is entering Sunday&rsquo;s matchup off a three-game 30-point streak.&nbsp;<\/p><p>The projected score looks good considering SGA&rsquo;s form and the Suns&rsquo; defensive rating.&nbsp;<\/p><p>We like SGA to maintain his momentum and score over 32 points tonight.&nbsp;<\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Game 3: Play #3: Heat vs Pelicans Under 242.5&nbsp;<\/h2><figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><td>Pick Type&nbsp;<\/td><td>Market&nbsp;<\/td><td>Odds and Book&nbsp;<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Play #3&nbsp;<\/td><td>Under 242.5 points (total)<\/td><td><a href=\"https:\/\/theplayoffs.news\/en\/go-FanDuel-sports-us-en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\" class=\"trk-cta-link\" data-cta-trk='{\"ctaType\":\"Link\",\"ctaSubType\":\"main\"}'>-114 at FanDuel&nbsp;<\/a><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure><p>Miami Heat maintains the top defensive rating in the league, and while the Pelicans sit lower in the standings. In addition, while the Heat have the third best offense in the league currently, the Pelicans are ranked 21st in the same.&nbsp;<\/p><p>The total 242.5 looks high considering the Heat are a defensively powered team.&nbsp;<\/p><p>We like the under 242.5 to hit as the Heat face the Pelicans.<\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How we are betting on tonight&rsquo;s NBA slate&nbsp;<\/h2><p>Powerful teams have been paired against struggling teams, giving a clear edge to one of them. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is a consistent player, and an under in the third considering a tight defensive battle. We are targeting spread on the stronger side and a total where pace is expected to be balanced out.&nbsp;<\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">NBA Best Bets Recap for January 4&nbsp;<\/h2><ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Best Bet: Magic -6.5 vs Pacers (<a href=\"https:\/\/theplayoffs.news\/en\/go-FanDuel-sports-us-en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\" class=\"trk-cta-link\" data-cta-trk='{\"ctaType\":\"Link\",\"ctaSubType\":\"main\"}'>-110 at FanDuel<\/a>)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Play #2: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Over 31.5 Points vs Phoenix Suns (<a href=\"https:\/\/theplayoffs.news\/en\/go-FanDuel-sports-us-en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\" class=\"trk-cta-link\" data-cta-trk='{\"ctaType\":\"Link\",\"ctaSubType\":\"main\"}'>-110 at FanDuel<\/a>)&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Play #3: Heat vs Pelicans Under 242.5 (<a href=\"https:\/\/theplayoffs.news\/en\/go-FanDuel-sports-us-en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\" class=\"trk-cta-link\" data-cta-trk='{\"ctaType\":\"Link\",\"ctaSubType\":\"main\"}'>-114 at FanDuel<\/a>)&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">More NBA Betting Related Articles&nbsp;<\/h2><ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Today&rsquo;s NBA picks and predictions<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Best NBA betting sites<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"mm-layout mm-layout-type-post mm-layout-slot4\">\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Our NBA Best Bets for Sunday, January 4. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":646835,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_mux_skip_reasons":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,2589],"tags":[865,474,440,1117,124,475],"class_list":["post-646831","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nba","category-nba-predictions","tag-indiana-pacers","tag-miami-heat","tag-new-orleans-pelicans","tag-oklahoma-city-thunder","tag-orlando-magic","tag-phoenix-suns"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>NBA Best Bets Today &ndash; Thunder vs Suns, Magic vs Pacers Picks for Sunday, January 4<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"We have selected our NBA best bets today, which we would prioritize in case you are looking to bet a few spots on tonight&rsquo;s card.&nbsp;\" 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