Top NBA Betting Picks for the Week – December 11th Edition

The Boston Celtics still sit on top of the Eastern Conference standings in the NBA, having won 7 of 10 and posting a 23-5 record. Toronto has won eight of ten and six in a row to shoot up to second place, a ½ game behind Cleveland but ahead on percentage points and with three games in hand. The Cavaliers have won nine of ten, but they still have the young Milwaukee Bucks on their heels. The 76ers remain in the playoff conversation but have dropped four in a row, showing some of those growing pains. In the Western Conference, Houston has a nine-game winning streak going but are still just a ½-game up on Golden State, which has a six-game winning streak of their own despite missing Stephen Curry (sprained ankle). The San Antonio Spurs and the Minnesota Timberwolves round out the top four. Let’s take a look at your best NBA betting picks for this week in the Association.

Top NBA Betting Picks for the Week – December 11th Edition

2017-18 #NBA Player Power Rankings: December edition 📈 https://t.co/QG5tyuRCpi pic.twitter.com/KqDwL78Ah6

— theScore (@theScore) December 11, 2017

Monday, December 11

New Orleans at Houston (8:00pm ET, NBA TV)

New Orleans is sitting at 14-13 and in seventh in the West right now. They head to Houston to take on the class of the conference and have won three of their last five. On Sunday night, they came back from an eight-point deficit in the fourth period to knock down Philadelphia, 131-124, behind Jrue Holiday’s 34 points (19 in the last quarter). The Pelicans have scored 478 points in their last four games, but they have only won two of them, as they have real issues on the defensive end of the floor. They head to Houston to take on a Rockets team returning home from a three-game road swing against the Lakers, Jazz and Trail Blazers, winning by an average of 13.6 points per game. The arrival of Chris Paul has galvanized the team on both ends of the floor, as Houston continues to show a commitment to defense that had been missing the past two seasons. NBA Betting Prediction: Houston 118, New Orleans 109

Tuesday, December 12

Philadelphia at Minnesota (9:30pm ET, ESPN)

Times have gotten tough for The Process, as the team has dropped four in a row and five of their last six. Some of their losses have come to tough teams (at Cleveland, at Boston) but some of them have been mystifying (at home against the Suns and Lakers). Young teams have growing pains, and the Sixers are going through them right now for sure. Joel Embiid had to miss the Pelicans game with back stiffness and remains questionable for the game in Minnesota. The Timberwolves have won three of four, including a pair of wins over the Clippers (home and away) and a home win over Dallas. In the win over the Mavericks, Jimmy Butler scored 10 points in the fourth quarter alone (out of 22 overall) to help seal the win, and Karl-Anthony Towns added 28. They are working hard on balance and distribution; against the Clippers they had 29 assists as a team. Check the injury reports on Embiid before you lock in your wager, but without Embiid I don’t see Philadelphia winning. NBA Betting Prediction (without Embiid): Minnesota 101, Philadelphia 96

Wednesday, December 13

Oklahoma City at Indiana (7:00pm ET, ESPN)

It’s hard to imagine that a team with Russell Westbrook, Paul George and Carmelo Anthony would miss the playoffs, but if the season ended today, that’s exactly what would happen as the Oklahoma City Thunder sit in ninth place in the West, a game below .500. They did beat Memphis on Saturday night, as a triple double from Russell Westbrook (including the game-winning free throws in overtime) pushed the Thunder to a big road win. Also, they have won three of four, but the loss in that mix (a home loss to Brooklyn) was particularly disappointing. They also beat San Antonio and Minnesota at home during that stretch. They travel to Indiana to take on a Pacer team that is fifth in the East and rides a four-game winning streak. Taking down Denver in overtime on Sunday behind 47 points from Victor Oladipo, and they also beat Cleveland at home last week. Both of these teams look to be on a bit of a surge, but the Pacers look stronger right now. NBA Betting Prediction: Indiana 111, Oklahoma City 107