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NBA Betting Odds, Picks & Predictions: Sunday (12/18)

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Sunday provides us with a 7-game schedule of NBA action. Here are my best bets for Sunday 12/18.

(All odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)

Brooklyn Nets at Detroit Pistons

It’s been no secret that the Pistons have been one of the worst teams in the league this year. A mix of youth and injury led them to play in quite a few non-competitive games early in the year. Recently though, some lineup shuffling has sparked a pickup in play. Detroit has implemented rookie Jalen Duren in the starting lineup and the infusion of size and athleticism has made an immediate impact.

The Nets have been on fire recently but they find themselves on the fourth and final leg of a road trip and that’s always a tough situation no matter how well you’ve been playing. Tired legs on a road trip can lead to issues on the boards and other effort aspects of the game. Typically rebounding is one thing the Nets struggle with the most, ranking 24th and 28th in offensive and defensive rebounding rate, respectively.

This young Pistons team can take advantage of an older Nets team that doesn’t dominate the inside. They’ve been a better team as of late and +7.5 is just a tad bit too much on the spread in this spot.

Pick: Pistons +7.5 (-110)

Golden State Warriors at Toronto Raptors

Even with a healthy lineup, the Warriors have been awful on the road this season. They’re 3-13 ATS on the road, with an unfathomable 2-14 SU record. The defense has just not traveled this season and with Steph Curry out for an extended time and Draymond Green’s health uncertain headed into Sunday, I don’t see these numbers getting any better.

Toronto isn’t as bad as their 13-16 record indicates. They’ve had a lot of injury concerns themselves, but Fred VanVleet and Pascal Siakam are back in the lineup and they’re the key cogs to get this offense going. Regardless of whether they’ve been in the lineup, however, Toronto has been the best team in the league at taking care of the ball with a league-best turnover rate. This will limit the Warriors’ ability to get out in transition and force them to run the offense without Curry running the point. They’re capable, but are they capable enough?

The Toronto defense could also find themselves with an advantage as they create the most turnovers, with a league-best turnover rate on that side of the ball. This could spell trouble for a Warriors team that was already 28th in offensive turnover rate before the Curry injury.

The Raptors are in a great spot here to take advantage of a Warrior team that is going to be reeling a bit as they try to figure out their offense without Curry in the lineup. This number is just too low right now and the Raptors should be favored by more than 5.5 at home.

Pick: Raptors -5.5 (-110)

Charlotte Hornets at Denver Nuggets

The Hornets start a road trip on Sunday, traveling to Denver to take on the Nuggets. I expect a lot of scoring in this matchup. The Hornets have been an over-factory on the road this season, going 10-4 to the over so far. This should come as no surprise as regardless of whether they’re home or away they have the 28th-ranked adjusted defensive rating.

The Nuggets pose a large threat to Charlotte’s defense as they boast the third-best adjusted offensive rating. Mix this with playing in altitude on the first game of a road trip and you have a recipe for another over.

On the other side of the ball, the Hornets have struggled a bit offensively as well and that’s shown in their 29th-ranked adjusted offense, but with LaMelo Ball back in the lineup, it adds another playmaker and scorer to the lineup as well as adding a little pace. This is a good recipe for an over against a Denver defense that has struggled a bit on the season. If the Hornets can push the pace they give themselves a chance to score a lot of points just like many of the Nuggets’ opponents have lately.

The total currently sits at 237.5 and there’s a good chance this game goes well over. I’ll take the 237.5 as one of my best bets for Sunday.

Pick: Total o237.5 (-110)

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