NBA action continues Saturday with a seven-game slate, headlined by the Warriors hosting the Timberwolves in the western conference. Meanwhile, the Sixers could almost be at full strength when they host a struggling Pacers in the eastern conference.
Here are our three best bets for Saturday’s NBA games, with odds thanks to Dabble!
NBA Betting Tips: Saturday, December 13th 2025
Indiana Pacers at Philadelphia 76ers (11:00am AEDT)
The Philadelphia 76ers (13-10) are expected to have Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid available when they host the Indiana Pacers (6-18). Maxey has taken responsibility in leading this team this season with averages of 31.5 points, 7.2 assists and 1.7 steals per game. Embiid is playing on restricted minutes (25.1 per game) as he averages 18.2 points per game. He is averaging a career-low 5.6 rebounds and injuries continue to hurt the former MVP’s career.
For the Pacers, it has been a shocking turnaround from last season, where they took the OKC Thunder to seven games in the NBA Finals. This season, they are 14th in the east, and the loss of Tyrese Haliburton due to an Achilles injury cannot be understated. Throw in Myles Turner in Milwaukee and the Pacers have looked poor offensively – they rank 29th in points per game at 111.3. They are the most inefficient scoring team, ranking last at 43.4% from the field.
The Sixers boast far too much offensive firepower for the Pacers with Maxey likely to score well. Rookie VJ Edgecombe has shown good promise so far, averaging 14.4 points per game and shooting 37.6% from deep. Surprised the line is -7.5 and think the Sixers can win this by double figures.
76ers -7.5
$1.91 (2 Units)
Chicago Bulls at Charlotte Hornets (11:00am AEDT)
An eastern conference battle between two potential lottery teams in the Chicago Bulls (9-14) and Charlotte Hornets (7-17). The Hornets are 5-7 at home as they host the Bulls who are a bad road team at 3-9. Throw in the fact that the Bulls have lost seven games in a row and it’s a little surprising to see them as favourites – LaMelo Ball is out which may be the reason, but the Hornets still boast some players that can lead them to victory.
The Hornets are a top five team for free throw shooting percentage, and will be hoping Miles Bridges, Brandon Miller and rookie Kon Knueppel can get to the line. This game may come down to which teams have the least defensive lapses, as both sides are prone to giving up easy buckets. The Bulls lack rim protection with center Nikola Vucevic averaging just 0.3 blocks per game.
Despite Ball being out, the Hornets can rely on the team’s leading scorer Bridges, as well as Miller and Knueppel to get their fair share of points against the Bulls. As an underdog, the Hornets appeal to cover the line.
Hornets +2.5
$1.92 (1.5 Units)
Minnesota Timberwolves at Golden State Warriors (2:00pm AEDT)
The best game for Saturday should be the Golden State Warriors (13-12) hosting the Minnesota Timberwolves (15-9) as Steph Curry and Anthony Edwards battle for supremacy. Both stars are averaging similar numbers so far this season with Edwards scoring 28.7 points per game and Curry with 27.9 points. The Wolves suffered a surprising 108-105 loss to the Phoenix Suns in their previous match and the Suns then got destroyed by the Thunder.
For the Warriors, they will be without Draymond Green as they seek a third-straight win after victories over the Chicago Bulls and Cleveland Cavaliers. The win over the Cavs was impressive considering Curry and Jimmy Butler didn’t play. The role players for the Warriors got some much-needed minutes and they should be ready to go against the Wolves if their number is called.
The Warriors are still a formidable team at home with a 7-3 record and confidence should be high with back-to-back wins. Green is a big loss for them defensively, so it will require some good team defense to try and disrupt Edwards, Julius Randle and co. The team’s accuracy from deep will be the key, especially from Curry – they need to try and draw fouls as the Warriors are one of the best teams at the free throw line, ranking fifth in the league, and will make the Wolves pay if they get enough trips to the charity stripe.
Warriors -4.5
$1.90 (1.5 Units)
