Another week of NBA betting action is in the books as we approach Christmas. Most teams have already played 30 games and we are getting a pretty good feel for a lot of these teams. We know that the Wizards can’t be trusted to cover spreads but they have been a very solid play for those who like betting on games to go over the total. The Sacramento Kings have been the league’s most profitable ATS bet so far at 18-10. Let’s take a look at the best bets for the upcoming week of NBA betting.
Philadelphia 76ers at San Antonio Spurs -Monday, December 17th
Philadelphia looks to gain ground on Toronto while staying ahead of the Celtics in the Atlantic Division when they take on the Spurs. The Sixers are just one of three teams to have reached the 20-win plateau and they have won seven of their last ten games. The Spurs have also been playing well. They had a four-game winning streak snapped but have still won and covered in four of their last five games. They have also won and covered five of their last six home games.
Philly has been very good on the road lately with four wins in their last five away from home and they have covered six of their last seven spreads against the Spurs. San Antonio has held their last four opponents to under 100 points which bodes well for them.
My Pick: San Antonio ATS
Related: NBA Betting Guide
Cleveland Cavaliers at Indiana Pacers-Tuesday, December 18th
I’m not picking this game because it is going to be overly entertaining. Instead, this game provides an excellent betting opportunity because of what these teams are doing against the spread. Cleveland’s 14-16 ATS record doesn’t really stand out, but they have covered just twice in their last seven games and four times in their last dozen games. They have also picked up a mere two wins in 13 road games.
The Pacers are on a bit of a roll having won seven straight and they have covered five of their last six. However, Indiana has not been able to cover large spreads. Rather, both of these teams are in a good situation to produce an under.
My Pick: Under
Phoenix Suns at Boston Celtics-Wednesday, December 19th
The Phoenix Suns have been the worst team against the spread so far this year, despite covering three of their last four games. They are routinely scoring fewer than 100 points while their average points against is 112.7. They have lost and failed to cover in their last five road games and they have just three covers in their 14 road games this season.
Boston has been playing very well of late. They just had an eight-game winning streak broken but they have still covered nine of their last eleven games, including four straight wins and covers at home. Boston is 8-4 ATS at home this year.
My Pick: Boston Celtics ATS
New Orleans Pelicans at Los Angeles Lakers-Friday, December 21st
The New Orleans Pelicans continue to define mediocrity having alternated wins and losses both SU and ATS over their last 10 games. They are scoring points like crazy but they are also giving up a lot of points. New Orleans has covered four of their last 13 road games, including two of their last three, and they are still in the thick of things in an underachieving Southwest Division.
Meanwhile, the Lakers have been surprising a lot of people, although they have dropped two of their last three and are 7-3 in their last 10. One area where the Lakers have not been excelling in is covering spreads. They have failed to cover in three of their last four games. Nonetheless, the Lakers have been money at home lately. They have won nine of their last ten at home and covered six of their last eight in front of the home crowd.
My Pick: Los Angeles Lakers ATS
Dallas Mavericks at Golden State Warriors-Saturday, December 22nd
The Mavericks are tied with Memphis atop the Southwest division but they have stumbled a bit since winning eight of 10. They have now lost two in a row, including an embarrassing loss to the Suns. Dallas has had plenty of trouble on the road where they are just 2-10 SU and 5-7 ATS. They have failed to cover the spread in their last three road games and in four of their last five.
The Warriors have improved significantly over the past couple of weeks with five wins in their last six outings. While they have won six of their last eight at home, the Warriors have covered just once in their last seven home games. Interestingly enough, Dallas has covered in seven of their last nine trips to Golden State.
My Pick: Dallas Mavericks ATS
