The NBA regular season resumes with an excellent 6-game slate this Wednesday, so our staff of basketball experts dug into the latest odds and identified all the best betting value on the board for today's matchups.
Our betting experts have looked over the odds and made 5 NBA picks for tonight. Continue below for our NBA best bets and predictions for Wednesday, December 4.
NBA Best Bets, Picks, Predictions for Today
| Game | Time (ET) | Pick |
|---|---|---|
  | 7:30 p.m. | |
  | 7:30 p.m. | |
| 7:30 p.m. | |
  | 7:30 p.m. | |
  | 10:30 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. | ||
NBA Best Bets: Pacers vs. Nets
The Indiana Pacers limp into the Barclays Center to face the Nets today, having lost their last three games. They’ll also be on short rest following a122-111 loss to the Raptors on Tuesday night.
To complicate matters further, the Pacers will also be playing their third game in four days. Thus, fatigue could be an issue for a team ranking 25th defensively with a 116.7 rating.
The Pacers generally leave themselves vulnerable inside the paint, ranking 27th in points allowed (52.3). As a result, there’s some thought that opposing teams are happy to target that area on the floor where Indiana is less aggressive defensively compared to when they’re guarding the perimeter.
If we turn to the Nets, they’re one spot below the Pacers in defensive efficiency, allowing 117.1
points per 100 possessions. Therefore, both teams will give the opposition opportunities to score points, also near the bottom of the league defensively,
This total opened at 226, now up to 226.5 at BetMGM. That number still feels short, as my model has a projection closer to 228.5 points. Lastly, it’s worth noting that the over is on a 4-0 run when the Pacers play on back-to-back nights. I would grab the over up to 228 in this spot.
Pick: Over 225.5 (-110)
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NBA Best Bets: Magic vs. 76ers
If any team deserves a mulligan, it's the Magic, which sandwiched a pair of six game win-and-cover streaks around a loss two weeks ago vs. the Clippers, before finally tasting defeat again last night at MSG in a loss to the Knicks.
Still, Orlando has been one of the success stories of the first month-plus of the NBA season, and mostly enjoyed its five days in The Big Apple, having beaten the Nets twice in Brooklyn before moving to Manhattan last night.
Franz Wagner kept up the heat with another 30 points last night, as the Magic actually did enough to advance the the quarterfinals of the NBA Cup, where the Bucks will await.
The Sixers did just post back-to-back wins for the first time this season, though beating the Pistons and Hornets isn't quite as impressive as beating a team like the Celtics, and while Joel Embiid almost seems like a distraction these days, he is likely to miss again tonight with his knee issues.
Note, the Magic already whipped the Sixers (with Embiid, who scored 20) by a 98-86 count at Kia Center on November 15. Lay the points with Orlando.
Pick: Magic -3.5 (-115)
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NBA Best Bets: Pacers vs. Nets
While I am betting on the Pacers here, this is actually a fade of the Nets. They are without so many of their offensive players, already missing Cam Thomas, and possibly without Cam Johnson and Dorian Finney-Smith.
This is the second night of a road back to back spot for the Pacers, but the loss in night one makes the sense of urgency increase to win game two. I also like Siakam Under 1.5 three-pointers made.
I would play the Pacers to -3.5, and the Siakam line at anything better than -120.
Pick: Pacers -2 (-112)
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NBA Best Bets: Lakers vs. Heat
By Ray Monohan
Miami has value here as they welcome in the Lakers on Wednesday.
These two teams have became very inconsistent out of the gates, but Miami has looked better at home.
The Heat have been one of the better teams in the league too defensively, as they're giving up under 110 points per game. They can lean on that here against the Lakers who have lost all their consistency on the offensive side of the ball.
This will be a game Miami turns defense into offense and finds some easy buckets following turnovers. Grab the home side tonight.
Pick: Heat -2 (-110)
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NBA Best Bets: Timberwolves vs. Clippers
I will ride the hot hand here. Nickeil Alexander-Walker has gone to double figures in four straight games, and nine of his last 11. He's one of Minnesota's most functional offensive creators, who has scored at least 12 in each of his last four.
In two games during the stretch, he only missed one single field goal, so you'd question the sustainability, but he has shot 4 of 10 and 6 of 11 over his last two – not completely abnormal.
He's even had a few games during the 9 of 11 overs where he has shot relatively poor. For example, his performances of 5 for 11 and 3 for 7 during that stretch.
NAW's latest run isn't just outlier shooting, and we have a reasonable body of work to expect this to continue. Plus, the Wolves kind of need it to.
Pick: Nickeil Alexander-Walker Over 7.5 Points (-125)
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