Best NBA Prop Picks Tonight – Thurs, 4th Dec

GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS @ PHILADELPHIA 76ERS

Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA

TEAM TRENDS

• Golden State has lost each of its last 9 road games without Stephen Curry.
• Each of Philadelphia’s last 3 games vs Western Conference teams have gone UNDER the total points line.

WIN/LOSS

SEASON POINTS +/-

PICKS ATS

Philadelphia come in feeling a lot better after taking care of Washington at home, with Tyrese Maxey leading the charge with 35 points and four steals in a strong all-around performance. That win snapped a rough patch at this venue and should give them a nice confidence boost, especially with Joel Embiid and Quentin Grimes both uncertain again. Even with the injuries, Maxey has clearly taken on the leadership role offensively, and the rest of the roster has followed his energy. Paul George is also on the injury report, so their rotation may still be a little unsettled, but the overall mood is far brighter than it was a week ago.

Golden State arrive looking for answers away from home, having just dropped another one and continuing a worrying run on the road without Stephen Curry. That absence has been massive, with the offense losing its usual spark and rhythm, and the numbers back it up with nine straight road losses in games he’s missed. There’s also some uncertainty around Jimmy Butler, Jonathan Kuminga and Al Horford, which doesn’t make life any easier. If Curry remains out again, the Warriors will need their secondary scorers to step up in a big way and try to keep things simple on offense while grinding defensively to stay in it.

PICK – UNDER 223.5 TOTAL POINTS

–

BOSTON CELTICS @ WASHINGTON WIZARDS

Capital One Arena, Washington, D.C.

TEAM TRENDS

• Boston has covered the line in each of its last 5 games.
• Boston has won each of its last 9 games against Washington.
• Each of Washington’s last 3 home games has gone OVER the total points line.
• Boston has won the first quarter in each of its last 5 road games vs Washington.

WIN/LOSS

SEASON POINTS +/-

PICKS ATS

Washington are coming off another tough outing after falling to Philadelphia, with the loss highlighting just how thin they’ve been offensively in recent weeks. Shooting woes hurt them again, and with Alex Sarr still sidelined and Bilal Coulibaly ruled out, depth remains a real issue on both ends of the floor. The bigger picture isn’t much kinder either, with the team slipping further in conference play and struggling to string together consistent performances. They’ll be looking for more ball movement, cleaner looks from outside, and stronger early energy to avoid another uphill battle.

Boston arrive with momentum after taking care of New York, powered by a monster scoring night from Jaylen Brown, who carried the offense in impressive fashion. The concern now is his availability, with illness putting his status in doubt and potentially forcing others into larger roles. Even so, the Celtics still bring a deep scoring mix and plenty of confidence, especially given how dominant they’ve been in recent meetings between these two. If Brown is limited or ruled out, expect more responsibility to fall on the supporting cast to keep the attack flowing and maintain their recent form.

PICK – OVER 227.5 TOTAL POINTS

–

UTAH JAZZ @ BROOKLYN NETS

Barclays Center, Brooklyn, NY

TEAM TRENDS

• Brooklyn are facing a Utah team that has lost each of its last 15 games following a win.
• Each of Brooklyn’s last 8 games has gone UNDER the total match points line.
• Utah have failed to cover the line in each of their last 4 road games.
• Brooklyn receive +4.5 with Utah struggling to cover away from home.
• The Nets have lost the first half in 9 of their last 10 home games.

WIN/LOSS

SEASON POINTS +/-

PICKS ATS

Brooklyn come into this one feeling a bit better after taking care of Chicago, thanks largely to a big night from Michael Porter Jr. and a well-rounded showing from Nicolas Claxton. Even so, home court hasn’t exactly been friendly, with the Nets struggling badly at Barclays Center and finding it hard to turn solid individual performances into wins in front of their own crowd. They’ll be hoping that the offense carries over, particularly their perimeter shooting, and that they can finally start flipping some of these close or winnable home games into results.

Utah arrive fresh off a surprise win over Houston, powered by Keyonte George’s scoring and playmaking and another strong outing from Lauri Markkanen. The problem remains what happens when they leave home, with their road form being a major concern and consistently undoing the good work they show in Utah. If they’re to make this competitive, the Jazz will need George to stay aggressive, Markkanen to control the scoring load, and the supporting cast to offer more than it has away from home. Jusuf Nurkic’s status is one to watch, as his availability could help shore up the interior.

PICK – BROOKLYN +4.5

–

LOS ANGELES LAKERS @ TORONTO RAPTORS

Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, ON

TEAM TRENDS

• Toronto have won each of their last 8 home games.
• Toronto have won the first half in each of their last 8 home games.
• The Lakers have failed to cover the line in 8 of their last 9 games vs Raptors teams with winning records.
• Nine of Toronto’s last 10 games on the first leg of a back-to-back have gone UNDER the total match points line.

WIN/LOSS

SEASON POINTS +/-

PICKS ATS

The Lakers arrive in Toronto looking to steady things after having their long winning streak snapped last time out, and they’ll now have to do it without Luka Doncic running the show. Even without him, this is still a group that’s been playing confident basketball lately, and the recent run against the Raptors shows they’re comfortable in this matchup. The challenge will be creating reliable offense without their main engine and finding a way to keep pace if the game turns into a shootout.

Toronto, on the other hand, are absolutely rolling at home and look full of belief heading into this one after another strong performance at Scotiabank Arena. Scottie Barnes has been setting the tone as a scorer and facilitator, while Immanuel Quickley continues to give them a steady second option in the backcourt. The only concern is the absence of Jakob Poeltl inside, but if the Raptors keep moving the ball and controlling the tempo the way they have during this home run, they’ll feel like this is a real chance to stretch their streak even further.

PICK – OVER 228.5 TOTAL POINTS

–

MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES @ NEW ORLEANS PELICANS

Smoothie King Center, New Orleans, LA

TEAM TRENDS

• Seven of the last 8 games between Minnesota and New Orleans have gone OVER the total match points line.
• New Orleans have lost each of their last 12 games against Western Conference opponents.
• New Orleans have covered the line in 7 of their last 8 games following a loss.

WIN/LOSS

SEASON POINTS +/-

PICKS ATS

Minnesota walk back into New Orleans full of confidence after taking the first clash in overtime, where they simply bullied the glass and cashed in on second chances. Anthony Edwards was unstoppable with 44 points and 6 triples, and Rudy Gobert controlled the paint with 26 points and 13 rebounds. When Edwards hits 6+ threes, Minnesota have now won 8 straight, and that trend alone gives them plenty to lean on heading into this rematch.

For New Orleans, it’s another tough spot in what’s been a brutal stretch against the West and conference rivals in general. Trey Murphy III did everything he could with 33 points and a career-high 15 boards, but the Pels were hammered on the offensive glass and couldn’t generate enough stops late. They’ve now dropped 22 of their last 23 conference games, and with Yves Missi ruled out, interior depth is again a concern in trying to slow Gobert down.

PICK – MINNESOTA -11.5

–