Top NBA Betting Picks of the Week – December 17th Edition

No team in the NBA is hotter right now than the Indiana Pacers, winners of seven straight and eight of ten. That streak has shot them up the Eastern Conference standings to third place, tied with Milwaukee except for percentage points and a half-game ahead of Philadelphia. Cleveland has seen a brief period of resurgence clear out and have dropped two in a row. In the Western Conference, Denver has won eight of ten to move a half-game ahead of Golden State on top of the standings, with Oklahoma City just 1 ½ games back and the LeBron-led Lakers just 2 ½ games out of the top spot. What can we expect to see in the coming week? As far as online betting goes, take a look at our three premiere NBA betting picks for you to consider as Christmas approaches.

Top NBA Betting Picks of the Week – December 17th Edition

🎵MOVING ON UP! The Denver Nuggets climb in this week’s Power Rankings after winning 10 of their last 12 games ⚒️ pic.twitter.com/EnoDFEa4oA

— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) December 17, 2018

Monday, December 17

Philadelphia at San Antonio (8:30pm ET)

The 76ers picked up a convincing 128-105 win in Cleveland on Sunday and now head down to the Lone Star State for the second half of a back-to-back. In their win over the Cavaliers, Philadelphia got 22 points, 11 boards and 14 assists from Ben Simmons, as well as 24 points from Joel Embiid. Jimmy Butler returned from a two-game absence due to a strained groin and put up 19 points in his return, going 6 for 10 and nailing three shots from downtown. The tough road trip continues with a stop in San Antonio on Monday night.  The Spurs saw a four-game winning streak come to an end on Saturday, as they lost at home to Chicago, 98-93. The second half was particularly ugly, as San Antonio was outscored by 24 by a team that has been struggling mightily as of late. LaMarcus Aldridge scored 29 points and pulled down a dozen boards for the Spurs, while DeMar DeRozan chipped in 21 points. It’s hard to say whether the Spurs have the talent to stay with Philadelphia for 48 minutes. NBA Betting Prediction: Philadelphia 108, San Antonio 99

Tuesday, December 18

L.A. Lakers at Brooklyn (7:30pm ET, NBA TV)

The Lakes have split their last four games, most recently taking a 128-110 whipping in Washington as they move through the East. They saw the very best of John Wall during that loss, as he put up 40 points and dished out 14 assists, while LeBron James went just 5 for 16 for 13 points, a season low. Despite the fact that Wall was leading a Washington team riddled with injury, the Wizards showed up to play hard. The Lakers looked a little sleepy the day after LeBron and Lonzo Ball each put up a triple-double the day before in a win over Charlotte. Can the Lakers find an easier path through the Brooklyn defense? Despite sitting at 13-18, the Nets have run off five wins in a row, including a seven-point win over Washington and a 17-point win over Atlanta on Sunday. D’Angelo Russell  put up 32 points for the Nets, along with 18 points from Rondae Hollis-Jefferson. Spencer Dinwiddie scored 15, and Joe Harris put in 16 more as the Nets put together their longest winning streak since the spring of 2015. Brooklyn almost let a 21-point lead slip away before amping up the offense again but pulled away for the win. I don’t se the Lakers keeping up with the high energy Brooklyn has right now. NBA Betting Prediction: Brooklyn 116, Los Angeles 111

Dallas at Denver (9:00pm ET)

Just when you think the Dallas Mavericks are about to reel off a nice streak, they play the lowly Phoenix Suns and fall apart. They lost in Phoenix by 10 on Thursday and then came home to lose to Sacramento at home by seven on Sunday. The Mavericks had put together an 11-game winning streak at home that featured some terrific defense, but then the Kings came in and hung 120 on them, behind 28 points apiece from Buddy Hield, of all people, and De’Aaron Fox. Dirk Nowitzki made his season debut for the Mavericks in the Phoenix game and appeared again against Sacramento, scoring three points in eight minutes. Rookie sensation Luka Doncic put up 28 points and nine assists, and DeAndre Jordan pulled down a season-best 23 boards, but the Mavericks couldn’t buy a three-pointer, going 9 for 35. It doesn’t help that Doncic has to run the point almost by himself, as Dennis Smith Jr. (wrist) and J.J. Barea (ankle) are still on the shelf. Now the Mavericks head to Denver to take on the top team in the West. The Nuggets have won three in a row, including a 95-86 home win over Toronto in a showdown between the best team in each conference. Jamal Murray had 19 points (15 in the fourth period), and Nikola Jokic led the way with 26 to secure the win, as Denver erased a 70-57 third-period deficit with a 23-2 run to spark them to the win. The Nuggets have not led the Western Conference at this point in the season since 1984-85, so there is excitement in the Mile High City. With this many key Mavericks on the shelf, I expect the Nuggets to keep that win streak going. NBA Betting Prediction: Denver 103, Dallas 94