Shoot The Rock! January 28 NBA Edition – Latest Betting News and Tips
We close out the month attempting to figure out the Clippers, who are the hottest club in the Association. Yes, you can say it, the Golden State dynasty is over. There is a crazy angle that should pop up this week, will you bet it? This, plus a look ahead at the televised tilts this week.
The Los Angeles Clippers Are Drawing Attention Again (Now, For the Right Reasons)
The Los Angeles Clippers were coming off a 50-32 regular season, which saw them eliminated in the first round of the playoffs in seven games by Denver.
Expectations were lower this year, with an expected win total of 45.5 to 47.5, depending on the sportsbook and timing of the wager.
If you took the Clips on the UNDER, it sure appeared you had a winner, as the Clippers began horrifically at 6-21. There
was no offensive continuity, and the defense might as well have been five guys in bullfighting outfits, as they just looked around instead of guarding anything.
Neither the coaching staff nor the players can explain exactly what happened, but the red and blue NBA team has done a 180-degree turn with a 15-3 hot streak. The Clippers are within three games of .500 and in the Play-In portion of the postseason.
What the heck happened? It starts with Kawhi Leonard playing brilliantly and staying healthy. James Harden remains an excellent facilitator, and having Leonard opens up the floor for everyone. This has made the half-court game more fluid, with everyone working harder, knowing that if you strive to get open, the ball now finds you.
Defensively, the numbers don’t show much, but there are dramatically fewer drives to the rim and fewer wide-open looks by the opponents.
This season, we’ve witnessed the worst and best of the Clips. However, right now, this is the best team in the NBA, and they are a threat if Kawhi and others don’t get hurt.
Golden State More Than a Long Shot as Title Contenders
In retrospect, the Warriors winning the last of four NBA championships in 2022 came out of nowhere. The year prior, Golden State was a Play-in team. For that season, the key players were healthy as they had been in a couple of seasons, and the moves they made to be younger and more athletic worked perfectly.
In winning that fourth title, the Warriors’ postseason experience was on full display against younger and arguably more talented teams that lacked the usual important playoff experience.
When Golden State traded for a disgruntled Jimmy Butler last year, their thinking was one last shot, even if it felt like a long shot.
The Warriors started this season fast, but quickly thereafter turned into who they are, an elderly squad, with not enough size or young talent to be more than they are. With Butler blowing out his knee, that effectively closes the door on this season and on the Golden State dynasty, which changed the NBA forever.
NBA Bettors, You Should Know This
For any bettor, knowing about a HOT trend is great to possibly back or play against any team. But how do you handle one that is so good it can’t possibly keep going on?
The Memphis Grizzlies are 0-26 ATS after scoring 118 or more points. (Yes, it’s true, not a misprint.) It bears watching this week if it happens again, and if it does, what will you do? Fascinating right?
Best Teams UNDER Teams (as of 1/27/26)
*Indiana 29-18
*San Antonio 29-18
*Toronto 29-19
*Charlotte 28-19
*Phoenix 27-19
Top NBA Games to Watch or Bet the Rest of the Week
Wednesday
ESPN – L.A. Lakers at Cleveland
ESPN – San Antonio at Houston
Cleveland has been a dreadful bet at home or away at 17-30 ATS. Though the Rockets are home, this is a rugged back-to-back scenario.
Thursday
PRIME – Milwaukee at Houston
PRIME – Oklahoma City at Minnesota
Minnesota has recently scuffled, not playing defense. A win over OKC could right the T-Wolves’ ship.
Friday
ESPN – Toronto at Orlando
ESPN – Detroit at Golden State
The ESPN opener is a good mid-level matchup for two clubs trying to move up the Eastern Conference ladder. With the Warriors weakened, will the Pistons be hitting on all cylinders?
Saturday
PRIME – San Antonio at Charlotte
ABC – Dallas at Houston
The earlier affair features two squads that play numerous UNDERs. Will that be the wager to make? These Lone Star State showdowns are often interesting.
Sunday
ESPN – Milwaukee at Boston
NBC – L.A. Lakers at New York
NBC – Oklahoma City at Denver
The Celtics will be big favorites. Will they play focused with an earlier start? NBC will now have NBA Sunday night hoops other than for the Super Bowl next week and offers two solid encounters worth watching.
Get more NBA betting advice from Doug Upstone here and purchase Doug’s Premium picks here.
About Us
T&C
Privacy
Contact
Buy Picks