The first week of December is over and the NBA season has been heating up but it is still the Golden State Warriors setting the pace, as they remain undefeated at an incredible record of 22-0 to start the season. Read on as we offer NBA betting tips for December 10 games including the ESPN televised match up between the San Antonio Spurs and Toronto Raptors.
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San Antonio Spurs vs Toronto Raptors (Thursday 11.30am AEDT - Live on ESPN Aus)
The Spurs have been a dominant force for over a decade and they are continuing to do their thing under the best coach in the league Greg Popovic. The side is 1st in defence, 3rd in team assists and 4th in rebounding – the three areas that are arguably the most important whilst they are also averaging just under 100 points per game. Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobli and Kawhi Leonard all sat out in their last match against the 76ers and the team was still able to come away with a 119-68 victory.
The Raptors are continuing to move up in the East and a huge comeback victory against the Hawks was the highlight for them last week. However, the side has been dealt a massive blow with their starting small forward DeMarre Carrol being sidelined indefinitely. They lost at home twice last week, once to the Nuggets and in the other they pushed the Golden State Warriors to the final minute before falling short.
The injury to Carrol will be a loss as he would have been up against Leonard and with the Spurs being the fresher side and having lost only four games this season, you can’t best against this complete Spurs side.
TIP: Spurs 1-10 @ $2.75 with William Hill
Chicago Bulls at Boston Celtics (Thursday 11am AEDT)
The Bulls capitulated in the fourth quarter and blew a 16-point lead to lose by two at home to the Phoenix Suns and they were able to have a day off to recover from the loss. Their offence has been the biggest issue this season despite bringing in a new head coach who was supposed to bring an offensive mindset to the team. They are ranked 21st in points scored per game whilst their defence and rebounding is allowing them to pick up victories as they are first in boards and tied for 7th in points allowed per game. Doug McDermott has seen more minutes over the week and he scored double digits in three straight games whilst also shooting 47% from behind the arc this season – if his minutes continue to increase and his production remains the same it could be a huge positive for the Bulls side.
Meanwhile, the Celtics have been able to overcome their early troubles without Marcus Smart on the court and instead on the sidelines through injury. The side picked up an 18 point victory against the Struggling Pelicans as point guard Isaiah Thomas continues to lead this team forward. They have a stronger offence then the Bulls whilst their defence is the same, however rebounding could be an issue for the side and if they can’t grab their defensive boards the second possessions for the Bulls could be a killer for the home team.
TIP: Bulls @ $2.29 with Palmerbet
Memphis Grizzlies at Detroit Pistons (Thursday 11.30am AEDT)
The Grizzlies have been picking up hard fought victories and their only losses in their last 12 games came against the Spurs and Hawks. However, their biggest issue is that their offence is struggling whilst their defence is worse than ever and the side is also struggling to dominate the boards as they are the second worst in the league.
Meanwhile, the Pistons picked up four wins in a row at home last week with Reggie Jackson continuing his impressive season averaging 27ppg and 8.8apg over the four game span. It will be a huge match up between Andre Drummond and Marc Gasol but with the Pistons being 8-2 at home we will stick with them in this one.
TIP: Pistons -3 @ $1.91 with Sportsbet
Los Angeles Clippers at Milwaukee Bucks (Thursday 12pm AEDT)
The Clippers have struggled on the road this season but they were able to fight it out for a close victory in Minnesota against the Timberwolves. The win came without strong performances from Blake Griffin or Chris Paul who returned from injury after missing two straight matches. The side got big production from DeAndre Jordon and he will need to continue to develop his game for this side to be true title contenders. Their bench has disappointed this season after receiving preseason hype, however Jamal Crawford dropped 32 points in a game last week.
The Bucks will be up against it in this one as they are struggling to find their offensive game this season as they are ranked second last in points per game whilst they are last in rebounds. They are also allowing over 100 points per game and the offensive style of the Clippers will prove too much for them.
TIP: Clippers -6.5 @ $1.99 with Crownbet
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Take note: Any of the tips in this article are simply the author’s opinion, so bet at your own risk and always gamble responsibly. Also be sure to check out the Before You Bet Twitter Page for all our thoughts in the lead up to bets! Happy punting!
