The NBA regular season continues with a relatively light slate this Sunday, with a total of only 6 matchups on the docket scheduled for today. However, our staff of basketball experts still 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 Sunday, December 29.
NBA Best Bets Today, Predictions, Picks: Sunday, December 29
| Game | Time (ET) | Pick |
|---|---|---|
  | 3:30 p.m. | |
  | 7 p.m. | |
  | 6 p.m. | |
  | 8 p.m. | |
  | 7 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. | ||
Nets vs. Magic
Maybe some light at the end of the tunnel for the injury-ravaged Magic squad.
The good news is that top scorer Paolo Banchero has ramped up his rehab and is getting closer to a return. He's been out since Halloween, having played in only five games, and has been joined on the sidelines by second-top scorer Franz Wagner and key rotation piece Mo Wagner recently.
But Orlando is fighting with an arm tied behind its back these days and struggling to reach 100 points most nights (only two of the last six) while shorthanded.
Meanwhile, the Nets also certainly know about being shorthanded, with top scorer Cam Thomas out since before Thanksgiving, though there's a chance he returns to active duty on Sunday.
How much he can contribute remains to be seen, but it's also worth noting that Brooklyn has already played Orlando three times this season and did not score more than 101 points in any of those contests.
I'll take the Under this afternoon.
Pick: Under 204 (-115)
| | | | |
Heat vs. Rockets
By Joe Dellera
The Rockets take on the Miami Heat on Sunday and I’m looking to sell high on Sengun. Sengun just destroyed the Timberwolves for 38 points, but this matchup is entirely different.
Miami plays a lot of zone defense, and with Bam Adebayo on the interior, it is a particularly brutal matchup for Sengun, who is not exactly a zone-buster.
The only time Sengun ever exceeded this line against Bam was with 22 points on a fairly efficient 9/15 from the field.
Miami has allowed only two centers to score 20 points in the last 20 games, and I don’t expect Sengun to join those ranks.
He is only averaging 19 points per game this season, and has exceeded this mark in just 39% of games.
Considering Miami has a top 10 defense and they play at a bottom-5 Pace, the opportunities will be limited for Sengun.
I’ll grab under 21.5 points.
Pick: Alperen Sengun Under 21.5 Points (-120)
| | | | |
Pacers vs. Celtics
The Pacers had won and covered the spread in five straight games before suffering losses to the Thunder and Celtics this past Thursday and Friday.
However, they simply ran out of gas playing a pair of high-quality opponents without rest, as they lost by a score of 142-105 in Boston on the second leg of the back to back, following a tight 6-point loss to OKC the night before.
Now, the Pacers have some rest to go along with the revenge they will be seeking today. Before that Friday loss to Boston, the Pacers had covered the spread in six of their last seven against the Celtics.
Note this angle too, the Celtics are 1-11 ATS the past dozen times following a victory.
Pick: Pacers +11.5 (-110)
| | | | |
Spurs vs. Timberwolves
With 16 wins, the Spurs are well on pace to top last season’s mark of 22 victories. A victory on Sunday night against the Timberwolves would move San Antonio ahead of Minnesota into the eighth seed in the West.
The Spurs are among the more exciting teams to watch, and Victor Wembanyama is at the center of their success.
While Jeremy Sochan remains part of the Spurs' plans, we’re seeing a slight modification to the forward’s game, considering he’s spending less time on the perimeter attempting 3-pointers. The Baylor product is attempting 1.7 3-pointers per game compared to 3.1 in the previous campaign.
Interestingly, Sochan is attempting more field goals (10.8 vs. 10.5), but now a higher majority of his shots are coming from inside the arc.
Sochan has never been a great 3-point shooter. His career-best was 30.8% last year, but that number is down to 24% this season. Based on his numbers this year, the implied probability that he will not successfully convert a 3-point opportunity is roughly 70%.
And when you factor in the Timberwolves' perimeter defense, which ranks third in opponent 3-point attempts (35.7) and field goals allowed(12.8), there’s inherent value in Sochan staying under his prop of 0.5 three-pointers tonight.
Pick: Jeremy Sochan Under 0.5 Three-Pointers (-135)
| | | | |
Grizzlies vs. Thunder
The two best teams in the Western Conference face off on Sunday night. But unfortunately, this matchup will be missing a few key players.
Chet Holmgren is still out for the Thunder and Ja Morant suffered a shoulder sprain in the Grizzlies' last game, so we won't get much of an idea of how these teams fare against one another at full strength.
One thing is for certain, though: Scotty Pippen Jr will play a lot of minutes for Memphis tonight.
With Morant and Marcus Smart sidelined, Pippen will be the only viable point guard at the Grizzlies' disposal, as Luke Kennard and John Konchar are not adequate facilitators by any stretch of the imagination.
Pippen has averaged 8.8 assists per game in his past four outings without Morant, covering this line comfortably in three of those games. In the one game that he didn't cover this line during that stretch, he was on a heater, knocking down nine of his 12 field goal attempts. Understandable.
Pippen won't have much success scoring in isolation against the physical, long, and quick perimeter players for OKC, so distributing will be his best asset on the floor. Look for him to dish early and often.
Pick: Scotty Pippen Jr. 8+ Assists (+230)
| | | | |
