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Top NBA Odds, Picks & Predictions: Thursday (12/28)

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We have eight games on the slate for Thursday in the National Basketball Association, and you can view the skidding Detroit Pistons against the Boston Celtics at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBA TV, with the Miami Heat and the Golden State Warriors battling at 10 p.m. ET, also on NBA TV. Seven of the eight games have an 8 p.m. ET tip-off or later.

Let’s get started with today’s NBA best bets.

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Thursday’s Best NBA Bets

Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook | All wagers are for 1 unit

Indiana Pacers at Chicago Bulls

The Pacers (15-15) travel to meet the Bulls (14-18) at United Center in Chicago on Thursday night. The Bulls won the first meeting in Indianapolis back on Oct. 30 by a 112-105 score as a 3.5-point underdog while the Under (229.5) cashed as well.

However, Indiana has won three of the past four meetings, while also going 3-1 against the spread (ATS) during the span. The Pacers picked up a 123-117 win as a 2.5-point underdog on the road against the Houston Rockets on Dec. 26, snapping a 0-4 SU/ATS road skid dating back to Dec. 11 in Detroit, against a Pistons team everybody beats.

The Bulls picked up a 118-113 win as a 2.5-point underdog last time out while going 5-2 SU and 6-1 ATS across the past seven outings. In addition, after starting 5-13-1 ATS in the first 19 games, including the first meeting against Indiana in late October, the Bulls have been red-hot with 11 covers in the past 13 games.

While Chicago has been hot, C Nikola Vucevic (groin) is sidelined, and he’ll be out until at least mid-January. The Bulls will miss his 16.7 PPG, team-leading 10.7 RPG and 3.4 APG. Look for the Pacers to rebound the basketball with little resistance while avenging the early-season loss to Chicago.

Bets: Pacers -1.5 (-110)

Memphis Grizzlies at Denver Nuggets

The Grizzlies (10-19) head into this game against the defending champion Nuggets (22-10) with a four-game win and cover streak. The impressive run coincides with the return of Ja Morant from his 25-game suspension.

These teams met back on Oct. 27 in Memphis, with the Nuggets coming away with a 108-104 victory to cover a 5.5-point number as the Under (222) cashed. Denver has won four of the past five meetings in this series while holding a slight 3-2 ATS edge in that span. However, Memphis has actually split the past eight meetings 4-4 SU, while holding a slight 5-3 ATS advantage in the stretch. This is actually the highest number since Memphis was a 7.5-point underdog back on April 19, 2021, in Denver, with the Nuggets holding on 139-137 in OT while the Grizzlies covered.

Keep riding that Ja wave until it crashes. Memphis might not win a fifth consecutive game, but four buckets is quite a bit for the Nuggs to cover against a red-hot team. Denver is just 2-4 ATS in the past six home games.

Bet: Grizzlies +7 (-110)

Charlotte Hornets at Los Angeles Lakers

The Hornets (7-21) make the second stop of a six-game road trip at Crypto.com Arena against the Lakers (17-15). Charlotte has actually won two of the past three meetings, including a 134-130 win in Los Angeles on Dec. 23, 2022.

Charlotte is on an eight-game losing skid, although it is a respectable 5-4 ATS in the past nine contests overall, including 2-0 ATS in the past two as a double-digit favorite. On the flip side, the Lakers are 0-5 ATS in the past five games as a favorite, while going 5-8 ATS this season in 13 tries at home.

The Lakers are also listing PF Anthony Davis (ankle) and SF LeBron James (knee) with questionable tags, so watch that closely. If one or both are sidelined, bang the Hornets rather aggressively. If both players are in the starting five, Charlotte is still worth playing, just go a little lighter, with a half-unit wager at most.

Bet: Hornets +13 (-110)

Make sure to check out our other best bets for Thursday:

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Cameron Lynch is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Cameron, check out his archive and follow him @captron26.

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