Top NBA Betting Picks of the Week – December 31st Edition

Don’t look now, but the Milwaukee Bucks and the Indiana Pacers are chasing down the Toronto Raptors in the Eastern Conference standings, as both teams have won eight of ten, and the Bucks have moved into a tie with Toronto atop the East while the Pacers are just 1 ½ games behind. The Knicks and Cavaliers are the two coldest teams in the conference, with seven-game and six-game losing streaks, respectively, settling them to the bottom two slots in the standings. In the Western Conference, Houston has won nine of ten to move up to fifth place in the conference, currently on a four-game winning streak. We have three primo NBA betting picks from the Association as we head into the new year.

Top NBA Betting Picks of the Week – December 31st Edition

2018-19 NBA Power Rankings: Rockets, Pacers shine in Week 12 – National Basketball Association News – https://t.co/SZ4Cc2AeSh pic.twitter.com/gT6lLUhnSq

— NBA News Now (@NBANewsNow247) December 31, 2018

Monday, December 31

Memphis at Houston (7:00pm ET)

Memphis ended a five-game skid with wins over Cleveland and the Lakers but then dropped a nine-point loss at home against Boston on Saturday night. Now they head to the Lone Star State to take on a streaking Houston Rockets team. The Grizzlies continue to hold forward Chandler Parsons out despite what he claims is a medically cleared knee, and the Grizzlies could have used him against Boston as they gave up a 19-point lead in the second half to lose, 112-103. Memphis missed 15 of its first 16 shots in the fourth quarter, making it easier for the Celtics to mount a rally. Houston’s four-game winning streak has seen them take down San Antonio, Boston, Oklahoma City and New Orleans, the last of which came on the road on Friday night behind 41 points from James Harden. That effort made the bearded guard the first player since Oscar Robertson to put up at least 35 points and five assists in seven straight games. He went 7 for 16 from downtown and went 14 for 14 from the free throw line. Harden isn’t the only Rocket putting up big numbers lately, as Clint Capela has averaged 15 boards per game over the last nine contests. NBA Betting Prediction: Houston 109, Memphis 103

Dallas at Oklahoma City (8:00pm ET)

The Dallas Mavericks continue to get terrific play from rookie Luka Doncic — but they also continue to lose close games, as they have dropped six in a row and seven of eight, including a loss to New Orleans in the back end of a home-and-home on Friday night. On Monday, they head to Oklahoma City on the back end of a home-and-home that will take place on consecutive nights, and they will struggle to keep up with one of the West’s contenders in either matchup. IN the loss to New Orleans, the Mavericks watched Pelican great Anthony Davis put up 48 points, a season best. Doncic put up 34 points, going 7 for 10 from downtown, and Harrison Barnes ended up 21 points. Getting Dennis Smith Jr. (wrist) back helps Dallas, but can they keep up with the Thunder? Oklahoma City ended a two-game skid with a 16-point win against Phoenix on Friday despite missing Paul George (quad contusion). Russell Westbrook put up 40 points, including 15 in the last 6:30 of the game, and Dennis Schroder scored 20 points, 14 in the fourth period. The Thunder also got 18 from Abdel Nader. They currently sit in second place in the West and have  a lot of offensive weapons for the Mavericks to deal with. NBA Betting Prediction: Oklahoma City 111, Dallas 103

Tuesday, January 1

Philadelphia at L.A. Clippers (10:30pm ET)

Philadelphia opened their West Coast road trip with a 17-point win in Utah on Thursday night, and they face Portland on Sunday night before heading to L.A. to face the Clippers on Tuesday. In their win over the Jazz, Joel Embiid put up 23 points, 15 boards and five blocks, and Ben Simmons had his fifth triple-double of the year, scoring 13 points, pulling down 14 rebounds and handing out a dozen assists. J.J. Redick added 24 points with his outside shooting. Embiid leads the NBA with 31 double-doubles now. On the defensive end, the 76ers held Utah to just 38 percent shooting. The Clippers have split their last four games, losing on Saturday at home to San Antonio, 122-111. In that setback, the Clippers gave up a 39-19 third quarter after the game was tied at halftime. Danilo Gallinari scored 21 points and grabbed nine boards to lead the Clippers, along with Montrezl Harrell, who also had 21 points. Lou Williams came off the bench to score 16. Can the Clippers bounce back from a game in which they were outworked on all levels? NBA Betting Prediction: Los Angeles 110, Philadelphia 106