NBA Best Bets | Thursday, Dec. 7
The semifinals of the NBA In-Season Tournament are set for Thursday night, and we've got you covered with a trio of NBA best bets and expert picks for Pacers vs. Bucks and Pelicans vs. Lakers on Thursday Dec. 7. Click on the team logos for any of the matchups below to navigate to a specific bet discussed in this article.
| Game | Time (ET) | Pick |
|---|---|---|
  | 5:00 p.m. | |
  | 9:00 p.m. | |
| 9:00 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. | ||
Pacers vs. Bucks
The Pacers give up a massive number in the paint and that’s where the Greek Freak lives and breathes. Yes, 33 is a big number, but it’s that high for a reason.
Antetokounmpo is averaging 38 points against the Pacers in the past eight matchups and has cleared this line in all but two games in that period, and in nine of his past 15 overall.
This is a prime ladder spot. I’ll just take the bottom rung, but wouldn’t blame you for taking this up to 40 points.
Pick: Giannis Antetokoumpo Over 33.5 Points (-125)
| | |
Pelicans vs. Lakers
By Joe Dellera
Trey Murphy continues to excel in his return and has seen his minutes drastically increase from 22 in his first game to 30 in the last against the Kings.
This points line of 13.5 is still too low.
Murphy is a sniper that also is not afraid to put the ball on the floor and drive to the rack. He has exceeded 12.5 points in 26 of his last 30 games and when he’s played 20+ minutes he is averaging 15.3 points per game over the last two seasons.
Murphy still is taking the majority of his shots from deep, and that continues to be a shot that the Lakers allow.
In this game with a trip to the In-Season Tournament Finals on the line, I expect Murphy to be dialed in with a high minutes floor.
Pick: Trey Murphy Over 13.5 Points (-125)
Use the Action Network’s DraftKings promo code to get a signup bonus when betting the NBA in-season tournament.
| | |
Pelicans vs. Lakers
The New Orleans Pelicans expected Trey Murphy III to have a breakout season, delayed due to injury, but it seems the time has finally dawned.
The 2021 No. 17 overall pick made his season debut against the San Antonio Spurs on December 1, who generously allowed him to get 18 points in just over 22 minutes of play on an efficient 7-for-13 shooting. In his second effort, he put up 16 on 6-of-13 against the Sacramento Kings in Tuesday's knockout stage win, which took 29+ minutes.
Murphy will be a big part of what the Pels do against the Lakers, and since his return, he's getting them up. The Lakers allowed the sixth most three-point attempts per 100 possessions at 37.4, which is where Murphy's taken 18 of his 26 field goals so far (making seven) since returning to action.
He should get over 13.5 points if the shooting is decent enough, and the team is expecting him to average beyond that, so this prop will likely start heading to the mid-teens if we get a third consecutive over.
Pick: Trey Murphy Over 13.5 Points (-125)
| | |
