The National Basketball Association (NBA) has four total games on the schedule today, including a doubleheader on NBA and Peacock. The first nationally-televised game features the Philadelphia 76ers and Memphis Grizzlies meeting at 8:00 p.m. ET, while the Detroit Pistons and Los Angeles Lakers meet at 10:30 p.m. ET in the second end of the double dip. Let’s build our bankroll with our best NBA picks & predictions for Tuesday, December 30th.
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Tuesday’s Best NBA Picks & Predictions
Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook | All bets are for 1 unit
Detroit Pistons (-142) at Los Angeles Lakers (+120) | O/U 232.5 (-110/-110)
The Pistons (24-8) and the Lakers (20-10) meet at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles at 10:30 p.m. ET in the first game of the NBC/Peacock double dip.
Detroit wraps up a five-game road trip, and the Pistons are running on fumes. After winning the first two games of the journey in Portland and Sacramento, it suffered a stunning 131-129 loss at Utah as an 8-point favorite, and a 112-99 debacle of a loss against the Clippers as a 1-point underdog on Sunday, as the under (227.5) came through.
The Pistons have lost back-to-back games for just the second time this season. They have not lost three in a row at any point this season. Detroit is 0-3-1 against the spread (ATS) across the past four outings, while going a dismal 4-11-1 ATS across the previous 16 outings. The under is 5-2 in the past seven games.
Looking to the Lakers, they halted a three-game skid with an emphatic 125-101 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Sunday, covering as a 12-point favorite as the under (231.5) cashed. That also halted a 0-3 ATS slide. The under is 3-1 in the past four outings.
Last season, the Pistons swept the season series, including a pair of covers in both meetings, with the over (221.5) hitting on December 23rd, 2024, at Crypto.com Arena.
Looking at the injury report, Pistons swingman Caris LeVert is battling a sore left knee and is considered doubtful. For the Lakers, a trio of Rui Hachimura (calf), Austin Reaves (calf) and Gabe Vincent (back) are each listed as out.
Let’s back the Pistons to get the job done. They’ve yet to lose three in a row this season, and it’s unlikely to be the erratic Lakers handing them that third straight defeat.
Picks: Pistons -2.5 (-112) & Under 232.5 Points (-110)
Sacramento Kings (+330) at Los Angeles Clippers (-420) | O/U 220.5 (-112/-108)
The Kings (8-24) and the Clippers (10-21) square off at 10:30 p.m. ET down the road from Crypto.com Arena at the Intuit Dome. These two teams haven’t exactly lived up to expectations, but have an opportunity at a rare win.
The Clippers swept the season series, while splitting 2-2 ATS. The under was 3-1 in those games, too, and the under is 6-1 across the past seven installments.
Sacramento was clubbed 125-101 by the Lakers last time out on Sunday, failing as a 12-point underdog in L.A. That actually halted a 5-0 ATS run for the Kings. Sacramento had won two of the previous three games outright. The under has cashed in back-to-back games for the Kings.
Looking at the home side, the Clippers surprised the Pistons 112-99 last time out as a 1-point favorite, and the under (227.5) cashed. Los Angeles has won a season-best four in a row, while also covering the past four games. The Clippers are 6-2 ATS in the past eight games, while the under is 7-3 across the past 10 outings.
Let’s stick with the red-hot Clippers, and we’ll go low on the total, too, as that’s hot for both sides.
Picks: Clippers -10 (-114) & Under 220.5 Points (-108)
Joe Williams is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Joe, check out his archive and follow him @winwithjoe