The exciting NBA season continues on Tuesday, the 17th of December with a seven-game slate on the cards. There are plenty of intriguing games among them that should make for another exciting day of action. As usual, we have a full preview and betting tips for the key games of the day below.
NBA Betting Tips Tuesday 17th December
Washington Wizards @ Detroit Pistons
11:10am AEDT
The Wizards come into this off a 17-point loss last time out against the Grizzlies. Bradley Beal was good with 29 points and 10 rebounds but had little to no help from his teammates. That loss was their fourth in a row, which has taken their overall record to 7-17 for the season.
The Pistons look to have found some form after a sluggish start to the season. They’ve won five of their last seven and come into this off a very impressive eight-point win in Houston last time out. Derrick Rose led the way with 20 points and 12 assists off the bench, helping the Pistons to their 11th win against 15 losses this season.
This isn’t the sexiest of matchups on the slate but it’s one that we see some good value in. The Pistons are expected to welcome back Andre Drummond to the line-up, which will just about see them with a full-strength team for the first time this season. Even if he doesn’t return, we still have them being too strong at home for the Wizards.
Cleveland Cavaliers @ Toronto Raptors
11:40am AEDT
The Cavaliers were impressive winners against the Spurs two games ago when they got up by eight points on the road. They couldn’t back it up however, falling to the Bucks comfortably by 17 points last start. It’s been a tough season for the Cavs thus far who currently sit in 13th spot on the East with a 6-20 record.
The Raptors have dealt with a really tricky schedule fairly well over the past couple of weeks. They’ve faced the Heat, Rockets, 76ers, Clippers in their last six and were competitive for the most part. Last time out the Raptors defeated the Nets at home by eight points, which took their season record to a promising 17-8.
Aside from their win against the Spurs, the Cavs have been extremely poor of late. They look like they’ve already thrown the cue in the rack and we expect the Raptors to take full advantage of them in this matchup. This has blowout written all over it.
Toronto Raptors -12.5
$1.91
Dallas Mavericks @ Milwaukee Bucks
12:10pm AEDT
Hearts were in mouths all around the world when Luka Doncic went down with what looked like a nasty ankle injury against the Heat last time out. Thankfully, it’s nothing serious and he’ll probably be back on the court in a week or two. The Mavs showed a lot of ticker to come back in said game against the Heat, eventually going down by four points in OT.
The Bucks are the form team of the competition and come into this game against the Mavs on a huge 18-game winning streak. Giannis and co. are flying and look to be the team to beat in a competitive Eastern Conference this season. They’re currently top of their conference with a 24-3 record, which is equal for best record in the league along with the Lakers.
Doncic will be out for the first time this season and that will obviously hurt the Mavs, however, we still expect them to be competitive enough to cover the spread. Jalen Brunson will take charge of point guard duties and he’s proven to be a reliable distributor, while Tim Hardaway and Kristaps Porzingis can help carry the scoring load. We expect the Bucks to win, but for the Mavs to be right there with them.
Dallas Mavericks +11
$1.91
