We hit on two of our three best tips on Thursday, continuing our solid form in the 2018-19 NBA season. The Wizards were able to cruise past their -5 line, John Collins smashed his 15.5 points line, although the 76ers were unable to cover their +6 spread. We now shift our focus to the big 10-game slate on Saturday and provide previews for our best betting tips. Good luck to everyone following!
NBA Betting Tips December 8th
Philadelphia 76ers at Detroit Pistons (11:00am AEDT)
The Philadelphia 76ers got off to a hot start against the Raptors in their last match-up, but eventually fell to them by 11 points on the road. Despite the loss, they’re still in third position in the Eastern Conference standings with a solid 17-9 record. The Sixers have had their struggles on the road this season, but they’ve improved in that aspect over the last month and will go into the game against the Pistons full of confidence after beating them comfortably in their most recent meeting.
The Pistons continue to be a solid team in the East and have worked their way to a solid 13-9 record, which at the moment is good enough for a top four spot in the conference standings. Blake Griffin and Andre Drummond continue to be prolific in the front court, but the Pistons have really struggled to get consistent contributions elsewhere.
The 76ers let us down on Thursday when they fell to the Raptors by double-digits, but we’re prepared to forgive them and back them in against a much weaker opposition today in the Pistons. Joel Embiid has had Andre Drummond’s measure in the past, so much so that he claims he has ‘real estate in his head’. We expect Embiid, Butler and Simmons to be too strong in this Eastern Conference rivalry.
Sacramento Kings at Cleveland Cavaliers (11:30am AEDT)
The Kings have been one of the surprise packets this season and don’t look like slowing down anytime yet. They’re coming off an emphatic win over the poor Suns team, where they led by an astonishing 27 points at quarter time (36-9). That win took their season tally above .500 to 12-11, which has them in ninth position in the Western Conference standings.
The Cavaliers have been putting up decent fights in their past couple of games, but still haven’t been getting any results for their efforts. They’ve got a dismal 5-19 record on the season, which has them in third last position in the Eastern Conference standings. There’s been a few bright spots for the Cavs, with Collin Sexton showing that he’s a star in the making.
We’re surprised to see this one priced at nearly even odds considering their respective form and records. The Kings have playoff aspirations and will be doing everything they can to beat the Cavaliers on Saturday. We think they get the job done comfortably.
Golden State Warriors at Milwaukee Bucks (1:30pm AEDT)
The Warriors have looked a much better side with Steph Curry back in the team and are coming off a decent win against the Cavaliers last time out. They’ve now improved their record to 17-9 and are knocking on the door of top spot in the Western Conference standings. Curry hasn’t missed a beat since returning from injury. He’s averaging around 30 points a game for the season and is shooting a mind-blowing 50.3% from beyond-the-arc.
The Bucks bounced back from their shock loss against the Knicks to obliterate the Pistons in their last time out. They’ve been a little shaky with form lately but are still hanging on to second position in the Eastern Conference standings with a 16-7 record. Giannis continues to put up ridiculous stat lines and at this rate is sure to be in the MVP conversation come seasons end.
The Bucks absolutely punished the Warriors in their most recent duel and while we don’t think it will be another blow out, we do believe the Bucks will make it 2/2 and a sweep of the season series. They have the game plan and the personnel to cause the Warriors problems and we think they’re great value here.
