Quality over quantity — you’ve heard the old adage. Such a saying applies to tonight’s NBA menu. This Monday’s schedule features a 3-game taster headlined by an NBA Cup rematch between the Phoenix Suns and Minnesota Timberwolves. Also featured are the San Antonio Spurs traveling to the New Orleans Pelicans, while the Indiana Pacers host the Sacramento Kings.
You can find out 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 every game on Monday, December 8.
Kings vs Pacers best bet: Over 233.5 (-110)
Odds available at Bet365 Sportsbook at time of publishing.
What we have here are 2 free-rolling and free-wheeling teams with losing records looking to get a win against a beatable opponent. Instead of looking for absolutes such as spotting points with an ailing Indiana side or taking the Kings to win outright in what is prognosticated to be a tight game with a 4-point line, we can go where there is the most upside: the Over.
Neither team is known for its defensive posture and both sides will be looking to make the most of it. Add in that the line as mentioned calls for a competitive affair and this has all the makings of a contest that can see scoring at a premium. Both teams average giving up more than 120 points per contest. All we need is average defensive showings by both the Kings and Pacers to clear the present number posted. Let’s grab the over.
Suns vs Timberwolves best bet: Timberwolves -9.5 (-110)
Odds available at DraftKings Sportsbook at time of publishing.
This line sticks out like a sore thumb. These 2 sides met just weeks ago in Phoenix in an NBA Cup matchup, with the Suns taking back 4.5 points at the tip. The Suns would eventually win the game outright in a 114-113 thriller. Now the T-Wolves get Phoenix again, but they are spotting double the points. Interesting…. We can break this down with metrics or analytics, but that would be unnecessary because the number says it all.
The last result between these 2 teams compared to the presently posted price is counterintuitive — it is designed to attract action on the Suns. So far the market has bitten down; Phoenix has become quite the trendy underdog and we remind everyone that, incidentally, the Suns opened as a double-digit underdog. What are the oddsmakers telling us? That a different result is on the horizon, a different iteration of Minnesota is taking the hardwood this evening and the Suns are the bait of the day. I’m laying the points.
Read our full Suns vs Timberwolves prediction
Spurs vs Pelicans best bet: Spurs -9.5 (-110)
Odds available at FanDuel Sportsbook at time of publishing.
Here is an interesting fact about this series from a trends perspective: San Antonio has won 5 of the last 7 head-to-head meetings, but the Pelicans are 4-2-1 against the spread over this span. This paints a picture that the Spurs are routinely overvalued against the Pels while having the consistency and wherewithal to notch wins. It is worth mentioning, though, that in most of these instances New Orleans was actually the favorite since those results were compiled before San Antonio had enjoyed its recent resurgence.
These 2 teams met just a month ago in San Antonio; the Pelicans fell by 7 despite being 11-point underdogs. Now the Spurs are laying nearly double-digits on the road in the Big Easy — that is a vote of confidence in the Spurs. We understand why. The Pelicans have won just 3 games this year and we are not going to sell you the story of home-court advantage here. San Antonio is frankly the superior side in all phases. The Spurs lost by double-digits 3 days ago at Cleveland, but this is a spot for them to get back on track. I’m trusting them to do so. Let’s give the points.
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