{"id":392323,"date":"2026-01-14T10:03:14","date_gmt":"2026-01-14T15:03:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cms.northstargaming.ca\/admin\/nsgcms\/?p=392323"},"modified":"2026-01-14T10:03:15","modified_gmt":"2026-01-14T15:03:15","slug":"nba-prop-picks-and-predictions-january-14-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cms.northstargaming.ca\/admin\/nsgcms\/nba-prop-picks-and-predictions-january-14-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Best NBA prop picks Jan. 14: Bet on Markkanen, Flagg to produce on Wednesday night"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Lauri Markkanen faces one of his former teams on Wednesday night, and I think his points prop is a smash play.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tonight’s NBA props narrative:<\/strong> Markkanen and the Utah Jazz are on the road against the Chicago Bulls in a game that should turn into a track meet. Look for the power forward to produce in what continues to be a career year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Check out my top NBA prop picks for Jan. 14, featuring Cooper Flagg and Bub Carrington.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

-> Join NorthStar Bets & start betting on the NBA<\/a>!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

NBA prop picks Jan. 14<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Best bet: Markkanen over 26.5 points (-107)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I don’t understand why this line sits where it does, but I’ll gladly jump on the over at a nice price. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Markkanen is averaging 27.9 points this season, and he’ll be in a high-paced scoring environment tonight that should allow him to push for an above-average total.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Bulls host Markkanen’s Jazz for a matchup with the highest over\/under on the night’s seven-game slate (243 points). Both squads play at a top-five pace and have a bottom-five defensive rating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When these teams last met in November, they combined for 254 points in regulation. The final score was 150-147 for Utah in double overtime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oh, and Markkanen dropped 47 points in that barn-burner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

-> Bet on Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen vs. Bulls<\/a>!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

To sum it up, Markkanen is in a matchup tonight that should produce a mountain of points based on the teams’ tendencies, defensive shortcomings, and recent precedent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And he can cash this bet without even reaching his season scoring average. So yeah, I’m all over that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since the start of December, Markkanen has cashed this bet in 10 of 14 games while posting 50.7\/38.3\/85.6 shooting splits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Key stat<\/strong>: Markkanen is 4-1 vs. this scoring prop in his past five games against the Bulls (dating back to the 2022-23 season, when he joined the Jazz).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Embed: #122775<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Best NBA picks<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Flagg 6+ assists (+143):<\/strong> You can get Flagg over 4.5 assists at -148, which is fine, but I’m cutting out the juice and aiming a bit higher tonight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ryan Nembhard, the Dallas Mavericks’ assist leader, has come off the bench in four of his past five games. That has left Flagg with a greater opportunity to facilitate in the starting rotation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In those four recent games with Nembhard playing as a reserve, Flagg has 25 total assists and is 3-1 vs. this milestone prop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

-> Full betting markets for Wednesday’s NBA slate<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Flagg will face the Nikola Jokic-less Denver Nuggets, and I think he can do his part as a passer. The Nuggets allow the eighth-most assists per game in the NBA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When Flagg last faced the Nuggets on Dec. 23, he finished with nine assists \u2014 his second-highest total of the season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

NBA player prop predictions<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Carrington over 1.5 threes (<\/strong><\/strong>-129)<\/strong>: Here’s an odd stat: Carrington has a better shooting percentage from 3-point range (42.1%) than he has overall (40.5%).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I’d like to see a bit more 3-point volume from the second-year player, but at a line this low, he’s worth a play on Wednesday night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n