Best Sports Betting Picks Today: NBA, College Basketball, NHL Predictions for January 22nd

Sports bettors yearning to burn the midnight oil shouldn’t fret about the Australian Open’s temporary hiatus.

While the tourney technically will return stateside with the women’s singles semifinals in the wee hours Thursday, there’s a healthy slate of West Coast NBA, NHL, and college hoops to keep one moving ‘til then.

Today’s betting slate extends to games only as far as the Mountain Time Zone, but it starts late enough where you might chase it with a quick replay ahead of Sabalenka-Badosa. There’s always the catnap option, too.

TIMBERWOLVES AT MAVERICKS

Will the real Rudy Gobert please stand up—or, better yet, rise up and grab the ball that just caromed off the rim?

Timberwolves coach Chris Finch challenged his big man ahead of tonight’s game in Big D after Gobert contributed just four points and four boards in Monday’s two-point loss at Memphis.

“We need (Gobert) to rebound at a high level,” Finch said. “Two defensive rebounds is not enough.”

Gobert is averaging 10.3 rebounds for Minnesota. It’s his lowest output since he averaged 9.5 in his second NBA season (2014-15), but he has posted double-figure rebounding averages in every campaign since.

His 14-point, 10-rebound double-double helped the Wolves edge the Mavs on this same floor on Christmas Day. Gobert grabbed eight boards in a home loss to Dallas on Oct. 29.

Expect Gobert to return to form here. Dallas has lost four of five amid injuries in the frontcourt. Luka Doncic remains out with a left calf strain, and Dereck Lively II is questionable with a sprained right ankle that has sidelined him for the past three games.

Rudy Gobert 10-plus rebounds, -200 (BetMGM)

GEORGIA AT ARKANSAS

Imagine a melancholy John Calipari tearing rose petals and watching them tumble.

The first tug is a sad one, of course, given Arkansas’ 0-5 start in SEC play.

With the next pull comes optimism: The Razorbacks have won 10 of 13 against tonight’s foe, Georgia, including the last seven inside Bud Walton Arena.

But then the conference assessment the veteran coach recently delivered comes back to Calipari: “The whole league is physical, and they’ve all got good players and good coaches. This is a hard league. We’re going to have to figure stuff out.”

Arkansas gets it right tonight. Georgia (14-4, 2-3) has defeated ranked opponents Kentucky and Oklahoma in a vaunted SEC, yes, but the letdown from Saturday’s narrow loss to No. 1 Auburn lingers to start a busy road stretch.

It probably won’t be pretty—Arkansas shoots just 25.2 percent from 3-point land in conference games—but look for Adou Thiero, Boogie Fland and Co. to get it done.

“This team hasn’t stopped fighting,” Calipari said.

Arkansas on the moneyline, +105 (BetMGM)

WINNIPEG JETS AT COLORADO AVALANCHE

Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon leads the NHL in scoring with 18 goals and 56 assists for 74 points. He boasts just one point against Winnipeg, though, an assist during a 5-2 home romp on New Year’s Eve.

The Avalanche feasted on Jets backup goalie Eric Comrie that day after a pair of previous shutouts by Winnipeg’s Connor Hellebuyck. It’s uncertain whether Hellebuyck gets the call again tonight after he yielded four goals to Utah in a loss Monday night.

No matter the netminder, here’s to an offensive trend continuing. MacKinnon, who had the lone goal in Monday’s 3-1 loss to Minnesota, has six points in his past four games and is facing a struggling foe.

Nathan MacKinnon over 1.5 points, -105 (BetMGM)