Top NBA Odds, Picks & Predictions: Thursday (12/7)
There are just two games scheduled for Thursday night in the National Basketball Association’s in-season tournament at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. It’s short and sweet, but we have a couple of options to try and get back into the black, building bankroll for the holidays. Let’s get started.
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Thursday’s Best NBA Bets
Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook | All wagers are for 1 unit
Indiana Pacers at Milwaukee Bucks
The Pacers (11-8) and the Bucks (15-6) meet in Vegas in the East Semifinals of the IST on Thursday night, and the game can be viewed at 5 p.m. ET on ESPN.
The Pacers have been an extremely difficult team to handicap this season. Indiana is coming off a 122-112 home loss against the Boston Celtics on Monday night, and that comes on the heels of a 144-129 win in Miami. Both of those victories were as 4.5-point underdogs. However, the team’s most recent game as a favorite on Nov. 27, Indiana lost outright at home to the Portland Trail Blazers by a 114-110 count while laying 11.5 points.
The key for Indiana seems to be going into a game as an underdog, going 4-1 ATS in the past five instances. However, as a favorite, the Pacers are 1-3 ATS in the past four outings.
These teams faced each other in Indianapolis on Nov. 9, with the Pacers winning 126-124 as a 1-point underdog at Gainbridge Fieldhouse as the Over (239.5) cashed. The Pacers have won two of the previous three meetings outright, while the teams have split 3-3 ATS in the past six meetings in the series. The Over has cashed in six consecutive meetings, too.
The Bucks rolled up big points last time out, winning 146-122 as a 4.5-point favorite on Tuesday, and Milwaukee has averaged 139.0 PPG in the past two outings. The Bucks have won five of the past six game straight up, while going 10-2 SU in the past 12 games, while going 8-3 ATS in the past 11 games overall.
It will be interesting to see how the team’s respond in the field-goal percentage department while being the guinea pigs handling the background at T-Mobile Arena in this opening game of the semifinals. But whenever and wherever these teams meet, plenty of points seem to follow. Even though the number is super inflated, likely based on the trends in this series, go high on the total in this opening game in Vegas.
New Orleans Pelicans at Los Angeles Lakers
The Pelicans (12-10) take on the Lakers (13-9) in the second end of the IST semifinal, with the tip-off tentatively scheduled for 9 p.m. ET, and the game can be viewed on TNT and truTV.
New Orleans has picked up wins in three of the past four games, while going 3-1 ATS during the span. The Pelicans are good for 118 or more points of offense in each of the past four contests, cashing the Over in three of those outings after a 5-0 Under run from Nov. 20-27. Overall, NOLA has managed a 9-3 ATS record across the past 12 games overall, too.
The Pelicans rank seventh in the NBA with 48.1%, while ranking 13th in scoring at 114.6 PPG. And defensively, the Pels are allowing 113.4 PPG, ranking 17th. Offensively, the Lakers have struggled to score overall, posting just 112.2 PPG to rank 20th, and they’re a terrible 3-point shooting team at 33.5%, ranking 29th. However, they’re a very good shooting team at 48.1%, ranking No. 6. Defensively, though, L.A. is so-so, allowing 113.0 PPG to rank 16th, while checking in at 17th with a 36.5% ranking in 3-pointer defensive percentage.
The Lakers picked up a 106-103 victory on Tuesday, cashing as a 1.5-point favorite to bump Kevin Durant out of the IST. The Under has cashed in each of the past two games, while the Lakers are also 3-1 ATS in the past four contests. It’s hard to believe, but Los Angeles has covered in consecutive games for the first time all season, as it is just 10-12 ATS in 22 games overall. L.A. hasn’t covered three in a row since March 29-April 2 last season.
L.A. has won two straight in the series, and three of the past four meetings overall, while the Lakers are also 3-1 ATS. The Over has covered in three of the past four meetings in this series, too. Like the first game, let’s go high on the total.
Bet: Over 229.5 (-110)
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Cameron Lynch is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Cameron, check out his archive and follow him @captron26.