Christmas is fast upon us but the NBA is giving us an early treat. This Monday’s NBA slate features a seven-game buffet of savory matchups. Tonight’s menu is headlined the defending champs, the Oklahoma City Thunder hosting the Memphis Grizzlies in OKC. We also will see a re-match of the Eastern Conference Finals from two years ago when the Indiana Pacers square off with the Boston Celtics in Beantown.
You can find our NBA picks for all of tonight’s matchups along with EVERY GAME this season. But for now, here are our expert NBA best bets for Monday, December 22.
Hornets vs Cavaliers best bet: Cavaliers -9 (-110)
Odds available at BetMGM Sportsbook at time of publishing.
The Cleveland Cavaliers remain one of the league’s worst ATS teams at 8–21, which creates value when backing them in the right spots. This matchup qualifies. The Charlotte Hornets struggle defensively, particularly on the perimeter, and lack the offensive firepower to trade scores with Cleveland for four quarters. The Cavaliers’ ability to stretch the floor and control tempo gives them a clear edge. If Cleveland establishes an early lead, this game can quickly get out of hand. Cleveland can easily win this by huge margins, laying the points with them at a discount is the prudent move here.
Read our full Hornets vs Cavaliers prediction
Pacers vs Celtics best bet: Pacers +10 (-110)
Odds available at Dabble Sportsbook at time of publishing.
Backing the Boston Celtics at home feels automatic, especially against a struggling Indiana team. That mindset is exactly why value exists on the other side. The Indiana Pacers are just 6–22 on the season, but that record is fully baked into the number. This line is inflated by Boston’s brand, home-court aura, and public perception rather than pure matchup dynamics. Indiana doesn’t need to win — they simply need to avoid getting blown out. We said it best in our analysis – blowout assumptions are dangerous when lines are this inflated. Any late-game variance, bench minutes, or reduced urgency from Boston opens the door for Indiana to hang around the number. That can easily happen here. Taking the double digit gratuity is the way to approach this tilt.
Read our full Pacers vs Celtics prediction
Mavericks vs Pelicans best bet: Pelicans -1 (-105)
Odds available at DraftKings Sportsbook at time of publishing.
This is easily the most suspicious line on the board, and those are often the ones worth trusting. The New Orleans Pelicans are hardly a market darling, yet they’re favored against a Dallas team that’s been trending upward. The Dallas Mavericks have bigger things on the horizon, with a showdown matchup looming against the Nuggets tomorrow. That makes this match a classic lookahead spot. Situationally, this favors New Orleans, who catch Dallas in a flat position to get caught out. When an unpopular team is quietly favored, it usually signals something deeper. The number suggests New Orleans gets the job done.
Read our full Mavericks vs Pelicans prediction
Jazz vs Nuggets best bet: Under 247.5 (-110)
Odds available at BetMGM Sportsbook at time of publishing.
This total is being driven almost entirely by recent results rather than realistic game flow. The Utah Jazz have gone over in four straight games, each fixture clearing 240 points, pushing this number toward an extreme level. At 247.5, the bar is exceptionally high. The Denver Nuggets have the defensive personnel and discipline to slow Utah’s scoring spurts, forcing tougher possessions. While Denver can score at will, they won’t need to light things up unnecessarily. The Nuggets have a date tomorrow with the Mavs in Dallas and then a Christmas Day marquee against Minnesota, once this game is under control. Denver after all is expected to win comfortably. But with both the spread and total numbers inflated by expectation, the under presents clear value.
Read our full Jazz vs Nuggets prediction
Grizzlies vs Thunder best bet: Grizzlies +16.5 (-110)
Odds available at DraftKings Sportsbook at time of publishing.
There’s no debating what the Oklahoma City Thunder are right now — the team to beat in the NBA. The Thunder are also dominant at home, they haven’t lost yet this year in the Paycom Center. Let us also restate the obvious – OKC will be priced like the NBA’s standard. The Thunder are elite at both ends no doubt but their superiority is exactly why this number has ballooned. Laying over two touchdowns in an NBA game requires perfection, and that’s a dangerous ask regardless of opponent. We understand that the Memphis Grizzlies have not been anything to marvel in this season. But this isn’t about Memphis being comparable; it’s about Oklahoma City being overpriced. To cover this line, the Thunder will have to be near perfect. The Thunder struggled to clear a pole vault priced in a similar range against the Pelicans earlier this season. Memphis is certainly better than the Pels, so why would things be any different here? Grab the points.
Read our full Grizzlies vs Thunder prediction
Magic vs Warriors best bet: Warriors -5 (-110)
Odds available at DraftKings Sportsbook at time of publishing.
The Warriors haven’t covered in four straight games and believe it or not, they are playing losing basketball on the year. Given that Orlando won the recent head-to-head last month by eight, it’s easy to get back on the Magic here with even more points than what they were getting in November (+2.5 by the way). But that’s the trap. The Warriors in San Francisco are never a picnic. This is also the type of spot where things can quickly pivot for the W’s if they notch a win here and follow that up on Christmas Day with a victory against Dallas. Let’s not stand on ceremony either, the Magic nearly got clipped by the Jazz and won by a mere point in their last outing. The Magic gave up nearly 130 points to Utah and let’s not forget that Orlando is a team that relies on their defense first. That makes them a concern here. Why? Because any holes in Orlando’s defensive posture turns the Chase Center into a shooting gallery for Golden State. That in turn gives the Warriors a clear path to win and cover here. Golden State minus the points, please.
Read our full Warriors vs Magic prediction
Pistons vs Trailblazers best bet: Trailblazers +6 (-110)
Odds available at Dabble Sportsbook at time of publishing.
Another fascinating line associated with the best team in the Eastern Conference. Detroit is laying what appears to be a friendly number to the host Portland Trailblazers which will undoubtedly raise eyebrows. The Pistons have won the last four meetings between the two and overall they are an incredible 22-6. The Blazers meanwhile sit four games under .500. But as we know all too well, Portland is a different team in Rip City, as they are nearly .500 on their own court. Portland’s defensive flaws are obvious and Detroit’s offensive potential is abudantly clear. The Pistons have also been winning on both sides of the court. So on paper, everything about this game says Detroit blowout and yet the line is far softer with regard to expectation. That is telling. The oddsmakers are warning us that despite Detroit blowing out Charlotte and catching another menial opponent hereafter, tat perhaps, just maybe, they are walking into a hornet’s nest in the Pacific Northwest tonight. We’ll heed their warning. An upset would not be a shocker but nevertheless we’ll take the points.
Read our full Pistons vs Trailblazers prediction
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