NBA Best Bets & Player Props December 23: Victor Wembanyama To Crash The Boards
The Sacramento Kings absolutely destroyed the Phoenix Suns yesterday and in doing so, Domantas Sabonis only recorded three rebounds in the second half. Not to worry, as the column once again ‘Meat Loafed’ it, winning two of three. When the winners are double unit wagers, the earnings are twice as nice. Almost two units were gained yesterday, and the goal is to keep the betting momentum going with a loaded NBA Saturday lineup of thirteen games. The first game today is a nationally televised game on NBATV with a 12:30 PM ET tipoff as Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks host Damian Lillard and the Milwaukee Bucks. The best bet features a double unit wager on this matchup. At 7:10 PM ET the Orlando Magic play the Indiana Pacers in a battle of top eight Eastern Conference teams. Fantasy Alarm takes a look at a Tyrese Haliburton line that seems off the mark. There are also several teams playing in back-to-back games tonight, the Dallas Mavericks are one of them. Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs play against the Mavericks, and there is a prop bet that receives a double unit wager in this game.
BET OF THE NIGHT: MILWAUKEE BUCKS ML; TWO UNITS (-130 DraftKings Sportsbook)
As mentioned in this column before, the great Hubie Brown stated, ‘The most difficult game in a stretch of road games is the first home game’. The New York Knicks are finishing up a tough road stretch in which they won three of five games, and granted their last road game was at Brooklynn and similar to a home game… except it was not against the Milwaukee Bucks and it was not at Madison Square Garden. Giannis Antetokounmpo is probable for the match and will be a problem for the New York Knicks. The Bucks will have all of their starters active and rested for this match, and score 124.4 points per game, almost ten more than the Knicks. Oddly enough these two will play again on Christmas Day, which is the NBA’s longest standing tradition. It will be the 76th year the NBA has played a Christmas game, and it has been an unofficial ‘beginning of the season’ prior to this year and the In-Season Tournament. Tonight look for Damian Lillard, Khris Middleton, Giannis the Great, Brook Lopez, and Malik Beasley to be too much offense for the New York Knicks to keep up with. Double unit afternoon delight.
VICTOR WEMBANYAMA OVER 11.5 REBOUNDS; TWO UNITS (-130 BetMGM)
The Dallas Mavericks are playing in back-to-back games, will be without starters, and are a continual bankroll builder for Fantasy Alarm NBA Best Bets. They are simply an awful rebounding team, allowing the third most rebounds to opposing teams in the Association. The San Antonio Spurs allow the fourth most, but the Mavericks currently have six players still listed as out or day-to-day. Even with that, they still have a large spread in their favor, -7. Dereck Lively is the Mavericks only good rebounder, and although Victor Wembanyama only had five rebounds against the Chicago Bulls in his last game, he has recorded double-digit totals in every other game this month. He has gone over this line in all but two games this month, and the Mavericks will not have an ability to keep Victor Webanyama away from the defensive glass. This game could be really close, and V. Wembanyama could play more minutes to help earn the twelve needed rebounds. Put two units on the rookie to rebound against their Southwest Division rival.
TYRESE HALIBURTON - UNDER 27.5 POINTS (-115 DraftKings Sportsbook)
Tyrese Haliburton could be the starting point guard for the Eastern Conference in the All-Star game, he is playing that great this season. However since the In Season Tournament, his points have been on a drastic decline. He is also questionable to play tonight with an ankle sprain, but he did play over thirty-seven minutes against the Memphis Grizzlies two days ago. Should he play tonight he could be on limited minutes or taken out in a blowout. Since beating Milwaukee in the In-Season Tournament, he has one game over twenty points and zero above twenty-three. The Orlando Magic allow the seventh fewest points to point guards, and have the length to give T. Haliburton difficulties scoring. The assumption is that he plays tonight, and if he does this line seems like a done deal. If he does not play we will get our money back, so no loss.
Remember to check out Fantasy Alarm for all your NBA fantasy needs. Basketball stats, rankings, DFS picks, tools to help with roster decisions, and the NBA DFS show with Jon and James.
Thank you for reading.
Bet Smart, Be Lucky - Iggy
*All Bets to be placed at 1 unit unless specified otherwise
Player News
Haywood Highsmith (knee) will be sidelined for 8-10 weeks after undergoing surgery.
According to the Heat, Highsmith suffered a torn right meniscus while training in his hometown of Baltimore. With the team’s timeline, the wing may be available in time for the start of the regular season, but that isn’t guaranteed. Highsmith has not been a consistently impactful fantasy asset with the Heat, but he’s been able to earn rotation minutes.
Maxwell Lewis agreed to a contract with Turkish club Tofaş.
Lewis, the 40th overall pick in the 2023 draft, played for the Lakers and Nets last season. In 28 combined appearances, 21 for the Nets, he averaged 4.1 points and 2.0 rebounds in 11.7 minutes. Lewis most recently played for the Mavericks in summer league action.
The Celtics signed head coach Joe Mazzulla to a multi-year contract extension.
After three successful seasons as the Celtics’ head coach, Mazzulla has been rewarded with a multi-year extension. While his job was not in any danger, the coach receives added security ahead of what’s expected to be a “bridge year” for the Celtics as they await Jayson Tatum’s return from a ruptured Achilles tendon. In three seasons at the helm, Mazzulla, who began as the interim head coach after Ime Udoka’s suspension ahead of the 2022-23 season, has led the Celtics to 182 regular-season wins and the 2024 NBA title.
NBA insider Marc Stein reports Cole Swider is closing in on a deal with Turkish club Anadolu Efes.
While Swider has seen action in the NBA each of the last three seasons, most of his playing time has come at the G League level. The 6-foot-9 forward appeared in 10 games with the Pistons and Raptors last season, averaging 5.9 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.5 three-pointers in 16.9 minutes. Swider went on to play well for the Lakers’ Summer League team in Las Vegas, raising his profile, especially with overseas clubs.
HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto reports the Wizards signed Anthony Gill to a one-year deal.
Waived by the Wizards in late June, Gill will return to the franchise on a one-year deal that’s likely worth the league minimum. While the veteran forward has rarely been part of the rotation during his time in Washington, he’s been a valuable voice in the locker room for the rebuilding franchise. Look for Gill to take on a similar role in 2025-26.
Spurs re-signed Harrison Ingram and Riley Minix to two-way contracts.
Both players will spend another year on a two-way contract. Ingram made five appearances in the NBA last season, while Minix only played in one game. Both 2024 second-round picks will likely spend most of next season in the G League once again.