NBA Best Bets Today, 12/31: Picks, Predictions & Player Props - New Years Eve
The Fantasy Alarm Betting Bungalow is once again spotless. Yesterday was a day the #FAmily was celebrating with fantasy football championships, best ball cashouts, and of course a fabulous job by NBA Best Bets. Three for three as the brooms were sweeping out the confetti as it was falling down.
Nikola Jokic did exactly as we predicted and now, we are wishing we put the full unit on the +300 same game parlay. We punished the sportsbooks for giving us back-to-back low spread totals on the Cavaliers, and The Well provided another cold drink of water. The day of NBA best bets ended with a +3.18-unit profit, what more could you ask for?
NBA Picks, Predictions & Best Bets Today, 12/31
The Betting Bungalow is no different than any other partying joint. It’s so nice, we want to do the same thing twice.
Yesterday’s NBA picks are old news, and the quest today is to party again with successful predictions. Everyone parties on New Year’s Eve, and we are going to make it a money-making party at the Bungalow.
Clippers vs. Spurs Prediction: Los Angeles +4.5 (-110 on Bet365) *Bet of the Night
The Los Angeles Clippers play at the Frost Bank Center against the San Antonio Spurs, in what should be a close game. The Clippers enter as +4.5 point underdogs, and that is not adding up as they are expected to have a healthy starting lineup.
Sure, the Spurs are playing great basketball and have the best player on the court, Victor Wembanyama. But is it enough to overcome a hot Clippers team? Los Angeles has won three games in a row and come in with a much better defense. They allow 107.3 points per game, while San Antonio allows 112.0.
James Harden will be difficult for the Spurs backcourt and will have a huge size advantage over former teammate Chris Paul. San Antonio is much improved from Wembanyama’s rookie season, and they are a good offensive team. However, the Clippers are a more well-rounded, experienced team with a championship coach. Expect them to cover the spread on the road tonight.
Cavaliers vs. Lakers Prediction: Lebron James Over 1.5 Threes Made (-130 on Bet365)
LeBron James first game as a forty-year-old, and it’s against his hometown team, the Cleveland Cavaliers. This should be a thrilling game as the Los Angeles Lakers host the best team in the Association.
James is known as a powerful force that slams down jams. However he is also seventh all-time in threes made, and the Lakers will need several threes in order to compete with the Cavaliers. Cleveland averages 122.4 points per game while the Lakers average 112. More offense will be needed from a team that lacks three-point scorers.
James has made 2 threes in each of his last two games and has a 35.7% this season. He has covered this prediction in four of his last six games and the expectation is James to ball out in his first game as a 40-year-old. Put a unit on the greatest of all-time to sink two from deep tonight.
NBA Player Props & Other Picks Today, 12/31
There is one nationally televised game, and it happens to be a good one too.
The Minnesota Timberwolves and Oklahoma City Thunder collide in a talented showdown at 8:00 PM ET on NBATV.
Timberwolves vs. Thunder Prediction: Anthony Edwards Under 23.5 Points (-115 on Bet365)
The Oklahoma City Thunder are destroying their competition, and like a cat are playing with their food at times. However, they are running into a dog today, Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves. Both of these teams were playoff juggernauts and should be in the playoffs at season’s end.
As of now the Thunder are -6.5 point favorites, and are playing like the better team. They are holding opponents to 103.3 points per game and doing it with ease. That is why today’s bet is focused on Edwards’ under.
He has scored 23 or less points in four of his last six games and will be playing against elite perimeter defenders. Edwards has also improved his assists numbers with three games above his average during that span.
The Thunder will force Edwards to give up the ball due to pressure, and his point total will reflect it at the end of the night. As great a player as he is, the Thunder have a great defense in an era in which offense is the focus. Put a unit on Edwards under 23.5 points today.
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Bet Smart, Be Lucky - Iggy
*All odds accurate at time of writing and NBA best bets to be placed at 1 unit unless specified otherwise
Player News
Stephen Curry (hamstring) is out for Game 5 against the Timberwolves on Wednesday.
Unsurprisingly, Curry is officially out for Game 5 due to the hamstring injury he suffered during Game 1. Game 6, which will be played on May 18, was a far more realistic possibility for the Warriors’ superstar guard. Buddy Hield will likely remain in the starting lineup, with Jonathan Kuminga taking on a more prominent role off the bench. Those two and Brandin Podziemski will need to be at their best if the Warriors are to extend this series, which they trail three games to one.
Sam Merrill (neck) is out for Game 5 against the Pacers on Tuesday.
A late addition to Cleveland’s injury report, Merrill will not be available for a game the Cavaliers need to keep their season alive. His absence leaves the East’s top seed down a rotation player, but they will have Donovan Mitchell (ankle) in the starting lineup.
Donovan Mitchell (ankle) is available for Game 5 against the Pacers on Tuesday.
Mitchell did not play in the second half of Sunday’s Game 4 blowout loss after aggravating a left ankle injury. The good news is that he’ll be available for Tuesday’s game, and the Cavaliers will need all hands on deck as they trail three games to one. Cleveland will go with its regular starting lineup, with Darius Garland, Max Strus, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen joining Mitchell. According to TNT, an MRI on Monday revealed a sprain and showed that Mitchell did not suffer any additional damage.
Sam Merrill (neck) is questionable for Game 5 against the Pacers on Tuesday.
Absent from the Cavaliers’ initial injury report for Game 5, Merrill has been added due to a strained neck. With Donovan Mitchell (ankle) a game-time decision, Cleveland could be down two rotation players with their season on the line. They would require more production from Darius Garland, Max Strus and Ty Jerome to keep their season alive.
Sam Hauser (ankle) is probable for Game 5 against the Knicks on Wednesday.
Hauser has been out of the Celtics’ lineup since spraining his ankle during Game 1. His likely return will give Boston another rotation player to call upon, as Jayson Tatum (Achilles) is out for the foreseeable future. With Kristaps Porzingis (illness) still not back to full strength, Hauser will play rotation minutes if cleared, potentially as a starter.
The Celtics announced Tuesday that Jayson Tatum underwent surgery to repair his ruptured right Achilles tendon.
Tatum was injured during the fourth quarter of Monday’s Game 4 loss to the Knicks, with his leg giving out as he attempted to corral a loose ball. The Celtics star could not put any weight on his leg while being helped to the locker room, and the worst fears have officially been realized. Not only will Tatum miss the remainder of this playoff series, which Boston trails 3-1, but he’ll likely miss most of the 2025-26 season. One would expect Kristaps Porzingis to return to the starting lineup in the short term, and the Celtics have serious long-term questions to answer following Tatum’s injury.