Skip to main content

Best Bets Today: Top Picks, Predictions from Friday's Sports Slate

Sportsbook Review

January 27, 2023 2:18 PM EST • 3 min 27 sec read.

We've shopped the odds and lines at our best sportsbooks in search of today's best bets for Friday, Jan. 27. Our top picks include offerings from the NBA, NHL, tennis, and college basketball.

A busy sports weekend awaits, but the last night of the work week also provides plenty of actionable sports options.

Read on for today's best bets for Friday, Jan. 27, based on the odds from our best sportsbooks.

Friday's best bets

  • NBA: Jimmy Butler 4+ assists & 1+ steal (-120 via DraftKings Sportsbook) vs. Magic ⭐⭐⭐⭐
  • College basketball: Saint Louis-Davidson Over 144 (-110 via Caesars) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
  • NHL: Patrik Laine anytime goal (+165 via Caesars) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
  • Tennis: Elena Rybakina to beat Aryna Sabalenka (+120 via BetMGM) ⭐⭐⭐

Friday's NBA best bet

Jimmy Butler 4+ assists & 1+ steal (-120 via DraftKings) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

You’ll have to use the same-game parlay option on DraftKings to play this prop. There’s value in buying this correlated Jimmy Butler impact game. He has cashed on this play in 12 of his 23 games this season when both Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo play, but in this game that we like to stay competitive for four quarters, it’s a perfect matchup as well.

Over their last seven games, the Orlando Magic have been pretty much 100% healthy, but in that span they have allowed the fourth-most assists to small forwards (ninth-most assists overall) and third-most steals to small forwards (fifth-most steals overall).

NBA best bets made by Ahaan Rungta. Also see our Grizzlies vs. Timberwolves picks.

Check out all of our NBA best bets, and our 2023 NBA Finals odds and 2023 NBA MVP odds.

Friday's college basketball best bet

Saint Louis-Davidson Over 144 (-110 via Caesars) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Saint Louis is off to a 14-6 start and is 6-1 in league play, but that success is tied more to its offense than defense. The Billikens put two of the A-10’s worst defenders on the floor at any time in Gibson Jimerson and Javonte Perkins.

However, this is a four-stay play because the team makes up for those defensive deficiencies with the league’s second-best offense in terms of adjusted efficiency and the best effective field-goal percentage, 2-point shooting percentage (56.9%), and assist-to-field goals made rate (61.8%). Meanwhile, Saint Louis’ defense ranks 349th in turnover rate (14.8%), which is dangerous against a Davidson offense that relies so much on off-the-ball movement under Matt McKillop.

Over backers should head to Caesars, the only sportsbook at 144. Others are as high as 145.5.

College basketball best bets made by Mike Spector.

Check out all of our top college basketball picks, as well as our 2023 March Madness odds and 2023 Wooden Award odds.

Friday's NHL best bet

Patrik Laine anytime goal (+165 via Caesars) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

When Columbus Blue Jackets forward Patrik Laine is feeling it, he's one of the NHL's premier goal-scorers. That feeling comes and goes, but the 6-foot-5 sniper is in a good place right now.

In his past 10 games, Laine had five goals and 13 points, with 47 shots on goal. He's only recorded a goal in three of those 10 matchups, but that shot rate, from a player with Laine’s release, is a strong predictor of future goals.

Playing against the Vancouver Canucks is also a strong predictor of future goals. Vancouver has a league-worst .876 save percentage and it doesn't matter much if it's Collin Delia or Spencer Martin in net, Laine can beat both of them.

Caesars offers the best payout for an anytime Laine goal at +165, better than FanDuel (+156), and miles above what DraftKings and BetMGM offer (+135).

NHL best bets made by Scott Cullen.

Check out all of our NHL best bets.

Friday's tennis best bet

Rybakina to beat Sabalenka (+120 via BetMGM) ⭐⭐⭐

There is no denying Sabalenka’s dominant start to this season with 10 consecutive straight-set victories. But the path that Rybakina had to navigate to reach this point is remarkable, beating three former Grand Slam winners (No. 1 Swiatek, No. 17 Jelena Ostapenko, and No. 24 Victoria Azarenka) and 2022 Australian Open runner-up Danielle Collins in four consecutive matches. That form is likely why oddsmakers do not seem to mind Sabalenka’s 3-0 head-to-head record against Rybakina, making this as more-or-less a coin-flip match.

Sabalenka has a power advantage over most of her opponents on tour. Still, Rybakina is also known for her powerful groundstrokes, even if her ball tends to be flatter and has less spin than Sabalenka’s.

Sabalenka has been broken just six times throughout this tournament, but Rybakina’s serve has been an equally dominant weapon, even if she is giving more opponents looks at breakpoints (25 through six matches). Rybakina served 26 aces in the previous three matches (including a tournament-high 11 in the quarterfinals against Ostapenko), and 36% of her first serves against the No. 1 player in the world went unreturned.

Rybakina has conquered this stage once before, and that Grand Slam final experience will pay huge dividends against an opponent appearing in their first major final.

Elena Rybakina vs. Aryna Sabalenka picks made by Mike Spector.

Check our More Sports picks.

Here are our best sportsbooks:

(21+. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER)
* Bonuses not applicable in Ontario.

Related Pages

Written By:
Sportsbook Review
Free sports picks from SBR's experts. Get the latest analysis, odds and predictions on the top industry events. Home of the #SBRPros! SBR - trusted by sports bettors for over 20 years.