NBA Betting Guide: Lines, Trends & Picks For Thursday, Dec. 15

Today's NBA Betting Lines, Odds & Picks

Today's NBA slate is kind of ugly, but thankfully our BetQL NBA model was able to point in the right direction on a few of these games.

One trend to note is that the BetQL NBA model is on fire, going 533-358 (60%) on all picks rated ⭐⭐ and higher in the past 30 days for a total return of $2,526 on $100 bets! Take advantage of BetQL's free trial and see all of today's best NBA bets, plus what the model is projecting for this week's NFL, NHL, and NCAA football and basketball games! Start your free trial today!

Bucks at Grizzlies Prediction

The Milwaukee Bucks (19-7 SU, 15-10-1 ATS, 11-15 O/U) hit the road for a quick one-game road trip against the Memphis Grizzlies (18-8 SU, 13-11-2 ATS, 12-13-1 O/U) on Thursday night.

The NBA is really testing my patience these days with all the injury reports! As of now, the Grizzlies' list is completely clean -- other than Desmond Bane, who has been out for a few weeks -- and I’m going to trust that it stays that way. The same can't be said for the Bucks. Jrue Holiday is listed as questionable with an illness and I would imagine he sits this game. Without Holiday on the floor, I lean towards the home team. Memphis has played four straight home games, so this is a fairly comfy spot for them, while Milwaukee will be crossing time zones for the second time this week. Matchup-wise, the Grizzlies are a better rebounding team than the Bucks, which isn’t something that many teams can say. I like Jaren Jackson Jr. and Steven Adams to give Milwaukee trouble down low and for Memphis to cover at home. 

My pick: Grizzlies -2

Heat at Rockets Prediction

The Miami Heat (13-15 SU, 9-18-1 ATS, 13-14-1 O/U) will play their second game in as many nights as they face the Houston Rockets (9-17 SU, 14-11-1 ATS, 12-14 O/U) on Thursday.

The Heat are coming off a narrow, two-point win over the Thunder last night. Although Miami has won their last two games, they’ve been struggling lately are don’t look like a team that I want to back, especially on the second game of a back-to-back. The Heat are just 1-4 ATS on no days rest, while Houston is 4-2 ATS with the rest advantage and 7-3-1 ATS as home underdogs. That said, I like the over in this game best. Houston should be able to speed this game up with Miami playing its third game in four nights. Plus, our BetQL model likes this angle too (⭐⭐⭐⭐ value)!

My pick: Heat vs. Rockets Over 218.5

Pelicans at Jazz Prediction

The New Orleans Pelicans (18-9 SU, 15-12 ATS, 14-13 O/U) and Utah Jazz (16-14 SU, 17-12-1 ATS, 15-15 O/U) meet for the second game of a two-game mini-series in Salt Lake City.

Willie Green is one of the front runners for Coach of the Year this season, and for good reason. He's great at making adjustments from game to game, which is exactly what I think he'll do tonight. The Pelicans lost to the Jazz on Tuesday night and they get another shot at them tonight. New Orleans was outrebounded in that game, 59-43, and lost the battle of points in the paint. While there was a lot that Utah did really well, there were also plenty of areas where the Pelicans just didn't play up to their standards. They also only shot 14.8% from 3. It's hard to win games when you shoot that poorly. If Zion Williamson and Co. can fix those things in this game, the outcome will look much different. New Orleans has also been really good after an ATS loss, going 5-1 ATS in those scenarios.

My pick: Pelicans -1

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Take advantage of BetQL's free trial and see all of today's best NBA bets, including player props, plus what the model is projecting for every NFL, NHL and NCAA football and basketball game this week! Start your free trial today!