Top NBA Betting Odds, Picks & Predictions: Thursday (12/29)
Below are our top odds, picks and predictions for Thursday's NBA games.
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(Odds courtesy DraftKings)
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Top NBA Betting Odds, Picks & Predictions: Thursday (12/29)
Oklahoma City Thunder at Charlotte Hornets (-1 | O/U 238.5)
The Hornets return home after having completed a six-game, out-of-conference road trip. That stretch of games saw them play reasonably well. On the trip, the Hornets worked to reintegrate both Lamelo Ball and Gordon Hayward into the rotation. Their presence on the court resulted in elevated play. In their past six games, the Hornets’ Net Rating ticked up six spots from their season-long ranking of 28th.
The Hornets have been (and are) one of the NBA’s worst teams, but the Thunder aren’t great either. OKC will be managing injuries to a pair of their best players. Bet the Hornets in their return home.
Bet: Hornets -1 (-110)
Los Angeles Clippers at Boston Celtics (-5.5 | O/U 227.5)
The Clippers are healthy and playing some of their best basketball of the season. Still, it’s tough not to endorse the Celtics at home. Boston is 14-5 ATS at home. Three of those losses came within a five-day span in mid-December. Since then, the Celtics have once again found their footing, winning their last three games outright by an average margin of 19 points.
It’s not so simple to project this recent success onto this game, but this line is too short. The Celtics are first in the NBA in both Net Rating and Adjusted Net Rating. Though the Clippers have played better lately, the Celtics’ body of work is exceptional.
Bet: Celtics -6 (-110)
Bonus Bet: We like the Under here with the Clippers, as we so often do. Streaks suggest otherwise, as both teams tend to the Over in this spot (Celtics at home, Clippers on the Road). We expect resistance on the defensive end by the Clippers if they aim to keep things close, and they play with nearly the slowest pace in the NBA on offense. The return of Robert Williams for the Celtics is a welcome one as we hope for a low-scoring Celtics’ victory.
Bet: Under 227.5 (-110)
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