Tonight’s NBA Cup Picks – Tursday, 11th December

LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS @ HOUSTON ROCKETS

Toyota Center, Houston, TX

TEAM TRENDS

• The Clippers have won the first quarter in 6 of their last 7 games.
• The favourites have won each of the last 14 games between the Clippers and Rockets.
• Each of the Clippers’ last 4 games against Western Conference opponents have gone UNDER the total match points line.
• The Rockets have covered the line in 8 of their last 9 games following a loss.

WIN/LOSS

SEASON POINTS +/-

PICKS ATS

The Clippers head to Houston looking to stop a slide, but recent form hasn’t been in their favor. They let an 18-point lead slip in a 109-106 loss to Minnesota on Saturday, even with James Harden putting up 34 points and four steals. That defeat pushed them to 1-9 in their last 10 games against Western Conference opponents.

Houston returns home after a disappointing 122-109 loss in Dallas, where Jabari Smith Jr. scored 22 points and Kevin Durant added 27 in Alperen Sengun’s continued absence. Before that stumble, the Rockets had been excellent at Toyota Center, winning seven of their past eight there. They also took last season’s series against the Clippers 3-1, including both games in Houston — a trend they’ll try to continue on Thursday night.

PICK – OVER 220.5 TOTAL POINTS

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BOSTON CELTICS @ MILWAUKEE BUCKS

Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee, WI

TEAM TRENDS

• The Celtics have covered the line in each of their last 8 games.
• The Celtics have won each of their last 6 games against Eastern Conference opponents.
• Each of the last 4 games between the Celtics and Bucks have gone UNDER the total match points line.

WIN/LOSS

SEASON POINTS +/-

PICKS ATS

Set to meet for the first time this season, the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks face off at Fiserv Forum with Boston holding the upper hand after sweeping last season’s three-game series, including a solid 113-107 win on the road. The Celtics are coming off a strong showing in Toronto where Jaylen Brown dropped 30 points with eight boards and Derrick White added 27 points and three blocks, continuing a six-game surge in conference play.

Milwaukee returns home still trying to find answers without Giannis Antetokounmpo, falling 124-112 in Detroit despite Kevin Porter Jr. lighting it up for 32 points, four steals and seven threes. The Bucks have now lost seven straight without Giannis, posting a -10.9 net rating in those games compared to -2.0 with him available, leaving this group searching for stability until their star is back.

PICK – UNDER 229.5 TOTAL POINTS

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PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS @ NEW ORLEANS PELICANS

Smoothie King Center, New Orleans, LA

TEAM TRENDS

• The Pelicans have lost each of their last 14 games against Western Conference opponents.
• Each of the Pelicans’ last 7 home games against Western Conference opponents have gone OVER the total match points line.
• The Pelicans have lost the first quarter in each of their last 5 games.
• The Trail Blazers have failed to cover the line in each of their last 7 games as favourites.

WIN/LOSS

SEASON POINTS +/-

PICKS ATS

Portland’s long road trip wraps up in New Orleans, and they could use a reset after getting handled 119-96 by Memphis on Sunday. Scoring dried up early and often in that one, and while Deni Avdija and Shaedon Sharpe have carried heavy loads at times this season, the Trail Blazers have now dropped seven of their last eight in conference play. They did take the first meeting against the Pelicans behind Sharpe’s 35-point burst back on November 12, extending their winning streak in the matchup to four straight, but they’ll need to dig deep again with Donovan Clingan still sidelined.

New Orleans comes in equally desperate, and the results without Zion Williamson have been tough to overcome. The Pelicans fell 135-132 to San Antonio in a wild finish on Sunday despite a monster triple-double from Derik Queen and another strong night from Trey Murphy III. Still, the losing streak in conference play has now hit 14 games, and late-game execution continues to be a major hurdle. Jordan Poole might return, but until the Pelicans stop giving up big scoring runs, they’re fighting uphill every night.

PICK – PORTLAND -4.5

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DENVER NUGGETS @ SACRAMENTO KINGS

Golden 1 Center, Sacramento, CA

TEAM TRENDS

• 7 of the Nuggets’ last 8 games have gone OVER the total match points line.
• The road team has won each of the Nuggets’ last 14 games.
• The Nuggets have failed to cover the line in each of their last 6 games as favourites following a win.
• The Kings have lost the first half in each of their last 8 home games.

WIN/LOSS

SEASON POINTS +/-

PICKS ATS

Denver rolls into Sacramento for the fourth matchup between these teams this season, having taken two of the first three and riding a franchise-record 10-game road winning streak. The Nuggets are coming off a steady 115-106 win in Charlotte where Nikola Jokic put up 28 points and 11 assists on 11-16 shooting, while Jamal Murray added 34 points. Denver’s offense continues to hum even with pieces in and out of the lineup, and they’ll look to keep that streak alive against a Kings team they beat earlier this month.

Sacramento returns home looking to shake off a 116-105 loss in Indiana despite Russell Westbrook’s big night, finishing with 24 points, 12 rebounds and 14 assists. The Kings have dropped four straight in conference play and are still searching for some consistency, made tougher with Zach LaVine sidelined. Having already handed Denver a 128-123 loss in their last meeting, Sacramento will try to tap back into that formula at Golden 1 Center and even the season series.

PICK – DENVER -10.5

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