With the new year, there are new hopes and dreams for everyone, including basketball players.  More than a few are wishing 2020 brings a lot more prosperity on the court than they saw as the final months of 2019 faded away, and tonight could set the pace for the next series of games for many of them as we look at our picks for Jan 6.

Daily Picks Jan 6

The Philadelphia 76ers have lost four straight games and are hoping that tonight’s contest against the Oklahoma City Thunder will be the turning point.  The good news is that the 76ers are 16-2 at home and, since the game is at the Wells Fargo Center, the team has a slight lead.  They’re also getting a slight advantage since the Thunder are going to play without Nerlens Noel, who was sidelined due to an ankle injury over the weekend.

The Thunder have won five games in a row and nine out of their last ten.  They’re also 5-0 against the spread (ATS) in their last five games.  Going into tonight’s game, OKC is favored to win by 7 and have everything they need to make it happen, which is one of our best picks for Jan 6.  With the league’s third-best scoring defense on the road, Philadelphia is going to have to wait at least one more game to break its losing streak.

Nuggets vs Wizards

The Denver Nuggets are hoping to recover against an embarrassing loss from this past Saturday against the Washington Wizards.  They have to take on the Atlanta Hawks tonight in Atlanta, and have the advantage.  They’re 2-1 in their last three and the Hawks are looking at several key injuries that could keep Damian Jones, Evan Turner and Cam Reddish out.  The Nuggets can count on Nikola Jokić with some help from Jamal Murray and Gary Harris.

The Nuggets are looking at -7.5 for the spread and this is going to be worth a little bit of money.  They may not have the best record ATS, at 6-8-2 on the road, but tonight’s strong performance is going to make the difference.  The Over at 220.5 is worth even more money, especially since Denver has gone over five times in a row in its most recent games.

Nets vs Magic

The Brooklyn Nets are 0-5 as they look to turn things around when they take on the Orlando Magic tonight.  They have a good chance of doing it, especially since they’re fourth in the league on points in the paint, and the Magic hasn’t been consistent defending on the inside.  The Nets are also second in rebounds per game, which is going to come in handy on the floor.

Brooklyn should be able to take the road win tonight, even though Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant are still out due to injuries.  Take the Nets on the moneyline (+170) and the NFL spread (+4.5) and enjoy the winnings.

Pelicans vs Jazz

Tonight will also find the New Orleans Pelicans taking on the Utah Jazz in a home game that should be exciting from start to finish.  In both teams’ most recent games, the Pels are six for seven – and eight for ten – and the Jazz are ten for 11.  The Jazz has one of the top defenses in the league and the Pelicans are just barely behind them, breaking into the top ten, as well.

The last time these two teams met, the Jazz was able to take the win, 128-120.  That victory came thanks to an explosion by Donovan Mitchell that saw him rack up 37 points.  Despite showing a slightly superior performance by the team, though, the Jazz are actually the underdogs heading into tonight’s contest.  New Orleans has been given three points against them and the team has to be taken seriously.  In addition to their winning streak, the Pelicans are also 5-0-1 ATS and are ready to make the Jazz sing the Blues.

That’s us for the picks for Jan 6. Good luck and see you tomorrow!