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NBA Daily Tip Sheet – Thursday’s Triple Threat

Michael Crosson
Michael Crosson Sports Betting Expert
4 minute read

There's many ways to bet on the NBA, and some of the most popular ones include taking a side, a full-game total, or a player prop. So, this is what we like to call our Daily Triple Threat. Our three best bets in the aforementioned categories for NBA matchups on Thursday, January 5. Best of luck!

NBA Best Bets for Thursday, January 5

  • Celtics-Mavericks Under 232 (-110)
  • Markelle Fultz (ORL) Over 4.5 Rebounds (+120)
  • Utah Jazz -6.5 (-110) @ HOU
Updated on 05/10/2024
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Celtics-Mavericks Under 232

The Celtics have been playing lightning fast the last couple weeks, which was somewhat inevitable, considering Boston’s latest string of matchups have primarily come against squads that love to run-and-gun, with six of their last eight opponents ranking in the Bottom Half of the league in defensive rating, and three of their last seven ranking Top 10 in pace.

So, it’s no surprise that the total for this contest is stationed above OU 230, however, I believe that number is way too high for a matchup against a Mavericks squad that’s posted averages of less than 113 PPG at both ends of the floor this season.

The Mavericks can stand toe-to-toe in a shootout with anybody in the league, and they often do, highlighted by three of their last four victories coming in matchups in which they scored 120+ points in.

However, given the option, Dallas prefers to slow things down and let Luka Doncic work his magic within a half-court set, highlighted by the Mavericks ranking dead-last in the league in both pace and field goals attempted per game on the season (95.8 PACE, 84 FGA).

The Celtics seem much more comfortable raising the tempo and partaking in trackmeets than they were in previous seasons. And rightfully so, as Boston currently leads the league in both points scored and offensive rating (119 PPG, 117.9 ORtg). 

But whenever things start to head south for this Celtics squad, they typically slow things down and lean on their defense to help iron things out. And after posting ugly losses to Denver and Oklahoma City their last two trips out, that’s exactly what I expect them to do in a tough road matchup against Dallas tonight.

Take the Under!
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Markelle Fultz (ORL) Over 4.5 Rebounds

Markelle Fultz has had a disappointing career since being selected by Philadelphia with the first overall pick in the 2017 draft. However, he’s finally found a somewhat meaningful role with this Magic squad, having started the last 17 games for Orlando. 

And now, I think it’s time to warm back up to Fultz for the player that he’s become, as opposed to the player that most people thought he would be.

Markelle can certainly score when called upon, but he’s not really much of a scorer, if you will. Fultz has now scored 12+ points in eight of Orlando’s last 14 games, which is solid stuff.

But he’s perfectly comfortable taking a backseat to others in that department, considering he also fell short of the 10-point mark in five of those affairs.

Even when he’s not scoring, though, Fultz typically stays busy as the true point guard on the floor, currently averaging 5.2 assists and 4.2 rebounds across his 17 starts on the season.

However, he’s been particularly busy on the glass recently, considering Fultz enters Thursday having secured 5+ rebounds in seven of his last ten games, with six of those performances ringing in at 6+ boards.

So, I’ll back that trend to continue against a Grizzlies squad that ranks Top 10 in the league in pace.

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Utah Jazz -6.5 (-110) @ HOU

The Jazz posted an impressive 10-3 run to open the season. However, since their solid start, Utah has looked like nothing more than a bottom-dweller in the Western Conference.

The Jazz now enter Thursday’s contest following losses in 18 of their last 27 games, which has already caused them to stoop below the .500 mark, and down to 10th in the Western Conference standings with a record of 19-21 on the season.

However, Utah’s offense still continues to flourish, highlighted by the Jazz ranking Top 5 in the league in both scoring and offensive rating (117 PPG, 116.2 ORtg). But at the other end of the floor, Utah ranks 23rd in points allowed and 27th in defensive rating, which tends to get them in trouble whenever their offense isn’t quite on its A-Game.

Fortunately, though, Utah probably won’t need to be on its A-Game in Thursday’s matchup against the Rockets, who have now lost 10 of their last 11 games, with six of those losses coming by double-digits.

The Jazz’ triumphant start to the season was a total fluke, however, they’re still much better than this Houston squad that currently ranks 29th in the league in offensive rating and 28th in defensive rating. So, I’ll lay the points with Utah here.

Bet On Utah!
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Michael's Triple Threat Tracker: 5-1 (+336)

  • Celtics-Mavericks Under 232 (-110)
  • Markelle Fultz (ORL) Over 4.5 Rebounds (+120)
  • Utah Jazz -6.5 (-110) @ HOU

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Michael Crosson

Michael Crosson

Michael Crosson began his time at VegasInsider as a freelance NBA writer back in 2019 while he continued to study Psychology and Biology at James Madison University. Following his graduation in 2021, Michael joined the team full-time, and he's been with VI ever since. Michael still writes NBA, NFL, and MLB for VI, as well as gambling industry news. He's also become a crucial part of our editorial production team. More from Michael Crosson
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