The NBA regular season resumes with an excellent slate this Sunday, with a total of 7 matchups on the docket 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 of 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 Sunday, December 15.
NBA Best Bets, Predictions, Picks: Sunday, December 15
| Game | Time (ET) | Pick |
|---|---|---|
  | 6 p.m. | |
  | 8 p.m. | |
| 6 p.m. | |
  | 7 p.m. | |
  | 8:30 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. Wizards
By Joe Dellera
The Celtics take on the Wizards as 15-point favorites on Sunday. One player I’m targeting is Payton Pritchard.
Pritchard is averaging 18.3 points per game over his last 10 games. He has a 75% hit rate on this prop in Boston’s last 10 games in which they won by double digits, which they shouldn’t have much difficulty doing today.
The Wizards have the second-worst Adjusted Defensive Rating and play at the fourth-fastest Pace in the NBA, so there will be plenty of opportunities for Pritchard.
Couple the matchup with Al Horford missing this game for rest and there will be some extra scoring opportunities. I’ll grab Pritchard to exceed 13.5 points.
Pick: Payton Pritchard Over 13.5 Points (-115)
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Trail Blazers vs. Suns
Running this same prop back from a few days ago.
It's Kevin Durant, it's another bad defense, it's another soft matchup, and it's an over/under that's slightly below where I think it should be.
Durant has gone over in 9 of 14 contests this season, including a 30-piece in 34 minutes last time out. There's hardly ever a bad time for a KD over, and I don't believe this is one of them.
Pick: Kevin Durant Over 23.5 Points (-115)
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Celtics vs. Wizards
By Alex Hinton
This season, Payton Pritchard is averaging 16.5 points per game while shooting 48.8% from the field. He has played so well that he is currently -500 to win Sixth Man of the Year. Pritchard is playing 28.4 minutes per game off the bench this season. In a game in which the Celtics are 17-point favorites, he could be in for an even bigger role tonight.
That should bode well for Pritchard considering that he has scored at least 14 points in three of his last four games against the Wizards. Washington is allowing 121.7 points per game, which is the most in the league. It is also allowing the sixth-most 3s (13.8) per game. Pritchard is making 3.8 3s per game, which is the sixth-most per game in the league.
Overall, Pritchard has scored 14 points in 17-of-25 games this season, including seven of his last eight games. Over his last eight games, he is averaging 20.7 points per game. He has scored 20 points in six of those games and 25 points in three of them. That means, he should he go over this line with relative ease tonight, providing some potential value on plus-money alternate lines as well.
You can back Pritchard to score 20+ points at +280 and 25 points at +800 on DraftKings.
Pick: Payton Pritchard Over 13.5 Points (-115)
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Timberwolves vs. Spurs
By Nick Parsons
Minnesota is 13-11 after a 97-87 win over the Lakers last time out. San Antonio is 13-12 after a 118-116 win at Portland last time out.
Both teams enjoy a few nights off after this with the NBA Cup Final taking center stage early this week, but I can't understate how important I believe home court advantage will prove to be in this spot.
This is a difficult matchup issue for the Wolves with Victor Wembanyama in the middle, and in a contest that I see being decided by whichever team has its hands on the ball last, I'm grabbing the points with the Spurs at home.
Pick: Spurs +4.5 (-110)
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Mavericks vs. Warriors
Steve Kerr doesn't seem to have the answers on his roster to address some of the now-apparent shortcomings. Such as a viable complement to Steph Curry and an alpha dog in the minutes (or games) when Steph takes a rest. Jonathan Kuminga appears to be a real stretch to be considered as an alternative.
That's why trade talk is rampant in the Bay Area (LeBron? Jimmy Butler?), or else this season risks going off the rails following losses in seven of the last nine games for the Warriors, with the offense held beneath 100 points three times in the last four games.
Dallas winds up on a long road trip here, but had won seven straight before losing to the Thunder five nights ago in the NBA Cup. And the Mavs remember how Steph literally stole the game from them on their last visit to Chase Center on Nov. 12 (120-117 Golden State).
I'll lay the points with the Mavericks.
Pick: Mavericks -2.5 (-120)
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