Top 3 NBA Betting Picks for Wednesday, December 22nd (2021)

With one postponement last night and nearly every team in the league dealing with some sort of COVID protocol issue, all things are still a go tonight in the NBA. With things changing at a lightning-fast pace, let’s take a look at three spots I have my eye on for tonight’s slate.

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1. Celtics -5.5 | -110 at DraftKings Sportsbook

The injury report for some of these games has just become laughable at this point, as the Cavaliers and Celtics come into Wednesday with no less than 13 players sidelined due to COVID protocols. A closer look, however, shows a Cleveland team without its key players in Jarrett Allen, Evan Mobley, and Isaac Okoro.

While the Celtics have a host of their own starters in protocols, including Al Horford and Grant Williams, they still have their two center-pieces in Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum. In what will be a game of largely unrecognizable players, I like for the Celtics to run away with this one late.

2. Rockets +10.5|  -110 at DraftKings Sportsbook

Already out Khris Middleton with a hyperextended knee, the Bucks now come into this one still without Giannis Antetokounmpo, Donte DiVincenzo, Bobby Portis, and Wesley Matthews; all of whom are in COVID protocols. Having lost two in a row without them, the Bucks will need to scrape together a gritty performance in this one to stop the slide. There is hope Middleton will be able to return, but it’s not clear how healthy he will be.

The Rockets come into this one having lost five of seven, but this slide is following a seven-game win streak that was one of the more surprising runs this season. Almost completely healthy and as of now with zero players in protocols, I like for the Rockets to manage to keep this one close throughout.

 3. Nuggets -6  | -110 at DraftKings Sportsbook

Two of the more relatively unscathed teams in the league tonight will go at it in OKC, as the Nuggets and Thunder have just one combined player in protocols as of Wednesday morning. For the visiting Nuggets, they come into this one following a rare four days of rest, having defeated Atlanta 133-114 on Friday night.

The Thunder have placed twice in that span, picking up two wins, both as outright underdogs. Facing two teams decimated by protocols, however, look for a different result tonight against a largely healthy Nuggets team.

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