The NBA regular season rolls on with a fully loaded slate this Monday, with a total of 14 matchups on the docket scheduled for today. So, our staff of basketball experts dug into the latest odds and identified all the best betting value on the board for tonight's contests.
Our betting experts have looked over the odds and made 5 NBA picks for today's matchups. Continue below for our NBA best bets and predictions for Monday, December 23.
NBA Best Bets Today, Predictions, Picks: Monday, December 23
| Game | Time (ET) | Pick |
|---|---|---|
  | 7 p.m. | |
  | 7:30 p.m. | |
  | 8 p.m. | |
  | 10 p.m. | |
  | 10 p.m. | |
Specific betting recommendations come from the sportsbook offering preferred odds as of writing. Always shop for the best price using our NBA Odds page, which automatically surfaces the best lines for every game. | ||
Celtics vs. Magic
By Joe Dellera
Jayson Tatum and the Celtics take on the Orlando Magic tonight, who just cannot seem to get any injury luck on their side. Their injuries leave Boston as a heavy favorite here and there is some blowout potential.
Tatum has been on a recent hot streak in the rebounding department, with double digit boards in six straight games, but he still is averaging just 9.3 per game on the season.
Tatum has struggled to rebound the basketball against the Magic in historically. He has stayed under this number in eight straight games against Orlando, and even though he hasn’t played them this year, he has been kept off the glass.
Furthermore, Orlando has the sixth-best Rebounding % in the league and play at a bottom-4 Pace.
I expect the rebound opportunities to be limited for Tatum tonight. I’ll grab Tatum under 9.5 rebounds in a spot where we very may well see his minutes cut short in a blowout.
Pick: Jayson Tatum Under 9.5 Rebounds (-130)
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Nets vs. Heat
Jimmy Butler's scoring line is already at 17.5 in some spots, which I'm okay with, but I played it at 16.5.
He mysteriously started a game against the Oklahoma City Thunder and left after what looked to be another ankle injury, but apparently, it was an illness.
Then, he missed last game against the Magic, where the Heat led by 22 after three quarters and inexplicably collapsed in the fourth in historic fashion, being outscored 37-8 en route to an embarrassing loss.
The Jimmy Butler I know would set the tone early, especially given the spot against the Nets, who are still feisty but have lost two of their last eight, and appear to be going sideways.
Butler has scored 17+ points in six of the last seven games that he's finished. He got to 18+ in four of those six.
This isn't a referendum on where I think Miami goes from here, this isn't about that — that's a macro-topic for a different time that I'm willing to have — but assuming we have Butler ready to go, I think he clears this line in a potential bounce back spot at home for the Heat.
Pick: Jimmy Butler Over 16.5 Points (-125)
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Wizards vs. Thunder
By Alex Hinton
This summer, the Thunder traded for Alex Caruso to bolster an already stingy perimeter defense. The early returns have gone well, as he has just received a four-year, $81-million extension.
Caruso is part of a Thunder defense that leads the league with 12.1 steals and 18.4 turnovers forced per game.
Caruso has recorded at least one steal in 15 consecutive games. He has cleared this line in eight of his last 10 games, including the last five games. He also has had at least two steals in six of his last seven games against Washington.
That is a trend I would expect to continue tonight considering that Washington is committing the third-most turnovers at 15.8 turnovers per game.
Washington's leading scorer, Jordan Poole, has a 28.5% usage rate and is averaging 3.5 turnovers per game. Guards Malcolm Brogdon and Bub Carrington are averaging almost two turnovers per game as well.
When Caruso enters the game, he likely be guarding one of them. Whether it is playing the passing lanes or defending on-ball, I like his chances of getting two steals once again tonight.
Pick: Alex Caruso Over 1.5 Steals (-125)
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Pacers vs. Warriors
By Nick Parsons
The Nuggets are now 15-11 following their 132-129 overtime win at New Orleans last night. Fatigue will clearly be a factor here for the Denver.
Denver has seen the total go under the number in seven of the last 10 instances after playing to three or more straight overs in a row.
Phoenix is 14-13 after back-to-back losses. The Suns are coming off the 133-125 home loss to Detroit, but note that Phoenix has seen the total go under in three of its last four games when coming off a SU/ATS home loss as a favorite.
If both teams put an added emphasis at the defensive end as I anticipate, the under should be a solid bet in tonight's matchup.
Pick: Under 231.5 (-115)
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Pistons vs. Lakers
This is a rematch from November 4, which was a game the Pistons won handily by a score of 115-103, easily withstanding a 37-point assault from Anthony Davis, partly because the Lakers' bench contributed almost nothing (10 points) in the loss.
Speaking of AD, he and LeBron, as routine, appear on the daily injury report, but continue to play. Yet, we wonder if the Lakers have been slowing down the pace just a bit more lately to accommodate the maladies of their stars.
The Lake Show has now seen the total go under the number five straight games, and 11 of their last 13 entering Monday night.
Detroit form hasn't been too bad lately, as the Pistons have been alternating wins and losses the past two weeks, which is much better than what they were doing a year ago.
Although, if the Lakers want to dial back the pace, Detroit's recent over-trend likely won't surface tonight. I'll take the under.
Pick: Under 224.5 (-110)
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