Dr A's Best NBA Picks & Props for Tuesday Dec 13

Welcome to my first official column as a member of the OddsCrowd team! While my focus for the past 20 years at NBC Sports had been NBA basketball, I’ll be covering a little bit of everything here, mainly from a gambling perspective. Please follow us on Twitter @OddsCrowd & @docktora!

NBA Games of the Night

There are only five NBA games on the slate tonight but three of them should be doozies with the 19-7 Bucks hosting the 14-13 Warriors, The red-hot 18-8 Pelicans visiting 15-14 Utah and a classic between the 21-7 Celtics at the 11-15 Lakers.

Golden State Warriors @ Milwaukee Bucks -4

Golden State Warriors @ Milwaukee Bucks

The Warriors are +4 on the road and are coming in kind of hot after a win over the Celtics on Saturday and a one-point loss at Utah on Wednesday. They’ve had plenty of rest so all the big names should be playing tonight. The Bucks had won four straight until a weird loss to Houston on Sunday and somehow managed to beat Dallas on Friday night despite Giannis Antetokounmpo fouling out and Luka Doncic playing like a madman. Houston snapped a four-game winning streak by the Bucks and Giannis and company should come into this one well rested. I like the Bucks at home -4. 

Pick: Bucks -4

New Orleans Pelicans @ Utah Jazz

Don’t look now but the Pelicans are now in first place in the West and while we’re going to talk about them giving up -2 on the road tonight, let’s not forget about Zion Williamson, who is suddenly appearing in MVP talk now that the Pelicans are rolling. Jayson Tatum is still the MVP favorite at +260 despite the Celtics looking lost in their last two games, while Luka is sitting at +280. And quietly sitting there in the 12th spot at +4000 is Zion. If you’re looking to hit a potential homerun now is the time to buy Zion for MVP. If the Pelicans keep winning he’s going to quickly climb the board and get into Tatum/Luka range. As for the game, the Pels are hot after winning nine of their last 10 games and seven in a row, including back-to-back games against the Suns. Zion has been on a tear, scoring between 25 and 35 points in six straight games and they’ve been doing all of this without Brandon Ingram (toe) who is out again tonight. Meanwhile, the Jazz have cooled off and lost three of their last four which includes an ugly loss to the Timberwolves. I’m rolling with the hot hand of Zion and taking the Pelicans -2. 

Pick: Pelicans -2

Boston Celtics @ Los Angeles Lakers

The Lakers (+3.5) have been a disaster for most of the season but did get a win over the Pistons on Sunday after losing three straight. Both LeBron James and Anthony Davis should play tonight but it shouldn’t really matter against the mighty Celtics. However, the Celtics are not having a good road trip after getting thumped by the Warriors on Saturday and then blown out by the Clippers on Monday night. They’re going to be tired playing a back-to-back tonight and are in the final game of a rough six-game West Coast road trip. While I don’t feel all that confident that the Lakers will actually be able to pull this off the Celtics are tired and reeling right now. But you have to think this will be a ‘get right’ game for Boston and I’ll be looking for a bounce-back performance after two very disappointing losses. Give me the Celtics -3.5.

Pick: Celtics -4

NBA Props

Zion Williamson over 27.5 points

Lauri Markkanen over 21.5 points

LeBron James over 5.5 assists