Top 3 NBA Betting Picks for Thursday, December 30th (2021)
After a jam-packed Wednesday slate, the NBA returns with just eight teams in action and four games to choose from. Let’s take a look at tonight’s board and find the value remaining.
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1. Cavaliers +3.5| -110 at DraftKings Sportsbook
It’s once again a whose who of who is out in this one, as both team’s leading scorers are sidelined due to COVID. For the visiting Cavaliers, things are much worse, as point man Ricky Rubio was lost for the season Tuesday with a knee injury.
On the other side of this matchup, the Wizards played their last game with eight players in protocol, including three of their best scorers in Bradley Beal, Montrezl Harrell, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.
While protocol continues to decimate both rosters, the Cavaliers will still have Evan Mobley and Kevin Love, which should be enough to take down a depleted Wizards roster.
2. Nets -5 | -110 at DraftKings Sportsbook
Kevin Durant returns tonight from a two-week absence from the team as he dealt with COVID. While he was gone James Harden stepped up to the plate in a big way after overcoming COVID issues of his own, as the shooting guard is now averaging 25.3 points per game in the month of December.
For the visiting 76ers, an early December slump has been followed by three wins in four games. Joel Embiid continues to carry this team. In his latest outing, Embiid scored 36 points and collected 11 boards in what was his sixth straight away game with 30 or more points.
In this one, however, I like a surging Harden and a rested Durant to be too much for a 76ers team who don’t likely have an answer for either.
3. Nuggets +4.5 | -115 at DraftKings Sportsbook
In what will be the second game between these two in three days, the Warriors will be looking to avenge their worst offensive outing of the season, scoring just 86 points in the Tuesday night loss. Now heading to Denver, a notoriously difficult place to play, things won’t get any easier.
Like most teams in the league, both are dealing with COVID issues, but the Warriors are more concerning as their defensive presence in Draymond Green and James Wiseman remain sidelined. I look for Nikola Jokic to have another big one here and for the Nuggets to keep this one close at home.
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