Another winning day in the NBA for Before You Bet followers on Thursday as we hit on 2/3 bets. We’ll be looking to back that up with another strong performance as we preview some of the key matchups in the 10 game slate on Saturday, the 7th of December.
NBA Betting Picks Saturday 7th December
Denver Nuggets at Boston Celtics (12pm AEDT)
The Celtics sit in second place in the Eastern Conference with a 15-5 record and have won their last two games on the trot. They went down to the Nuggets on the road back in November but they are a perfect 8-0 at home and 5-2-1 against the spread.
The Nuggets also sit second in their conference, trailing only the Lakers in the West and maintaining a 14-5 record. They have won seven of their last 10 games and although they have a strong record, they are just 9-9-1 against the spread and 4-3-1 on the road.
The Nuggets have no injury concerns to worry about in this match but the Celtics are still without Gordon Hayward, who isn’t expected to return until around Christmas. The Celtics start as 3.5 point favourites here, which we like considering the Nuggets will be on the second night of a road back to back here. This will be just the third time the Nuggets have played back to back games this year, they are 0-2 with losses to the Mavericks and Pelicans.
Los Angeles Clippers at Milwaukee Bucks (12pm AEDT)
The game of the day sees the Los Angeles Clippers travelling to Milwaukee to take on the Bucks from 12pm. The Bucks have the equal best record in the league at 19-3 and have won their last 13 games on the trot. Giannis Antetokounmpo has been an absolute monster thro ugh the first quarter of the season, averaging 31 points and 13.2 rebounds.
The Clippers are 9-1 in their last 10 games and have wins over the Wizards and Blazers at home in their last two. They’ll have Kawhi Leonard in the line-up Saturday, and with their star forward in the line-up they are 13-3 this season.
The Clippers absolutely pounded the Wizards and Blazers in their last two games, winning by an average margin of 22.5 points but they will start as 3.5 point underdogs on the road. As underdogs this season, they are 0-2 against the spread. We think the Bucks roll at home.
Los Angeles Lakers at Portland Trail Blazers (2.30pm AEDT)
The Lakers have won their last two games and sit atop the Western Conference with a 19-3 record. They could be without Anthony Davis in their road clash against the Blazers on Saturday, with the star forward/centre battling a shoulder injury. In the only game that Davis has missed this season, the Lakers picked up a 26 point win over the Warriors at home.
The Blazers struggled through a tough period in which star point guard Damian Lillard was out with injury. Since his return, however, they have been more impressive. They have won four of their last five games but will face one of their tougher tests of the season on Saturday.
The Lakers start as 3.5 point favourites here and they have been fantastic against the spread this year, maintaining a 13-9 record against the spread and 6-5 on the road. LeBron James is on a bit of a mission at the moment and has a dominant record against the Blazers, averaging 28.4 points and 9.2 rebounds per game across his career. Even if Davis does miss this game, we like the Lakers to cover.
