The calendar turns to December, and the NBA action is heating up. The league has a full slate of games on Sunday with plenty of intriguing matchups. Here are a few of my favorite plays in the NBA for Sunday.
Sunday’s Best NBA Picks
(Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)
Orlando Magic at Brooklyn Nets
No team in basketball is as hot as the Orlando Magic. Winners of five straight and 11 of 12, the Magic have managed to go an impressive 11-1 ATS in that stretch. Due to injury, this run has largely come without Paolo Banchero in the lineup. It’s been an opportunity for other Magic players, such as Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs, to emerge.
The Brooklyn Nets will get the next crack at this team on Sunday. These two met on Friday, and Orlando won the contest 123-100. Both teams shot lights out from beyond the arc in this game, as Brooklyn managed to go 14/29, while the Magic scorched at 18/35. Obviously, we shouldn’t expect these teams to shoot 50% from deep on Sunday, but perhaps one team should expect more regression than the other.
Orlando has actually been pretty poor shooting from deep this season. Their 31.9% is the second worst in the league. Although Brooklyn’s 3Pt% defense is one of the worst in the league, the Magic should regress from deep. They are a very good shooting team for Brooklyn, so I wouldn’t expect as much regression. I’m willing to sell high on the hottest team in the league and back the home underdogs in the second straight matchup between these two.
Pick: Brooklyn Nets +8.5 (-110)
Oklahoma City at Houston Rockets
Perhaps the biggest under-the-radar surprise this year has been the Houston Rockets. Ime Udoka has this team playing elite defense, highlighted by the fact that they boast the third-ranked DRtg. In this Sunday matchup, they’ll take on the top-rated defense in Oklahoma City.
Although both of these offenses have been strong this season, I expect to see some struggles shooting in this game. Houston leads the league in defensive eFG% at 49.5%, followed by the second-ranked Thunder at 49.6%. These numbers are led by elite 3Pt defense, where both teams allow under 34% from beyond the arc. In addition to this, both teams are elite at creating turnovers.
If you’re a fan of exciting shooting displays and a lot of scoring, this may not be the game for you. If you love matchups with teams that will execute at an elite level on the defensive end and scratch and claw for every possession on offense, this game will intrigue you. This could be a really competitive game between two strong Western Conference teams. I’ll be backing the defenses and the under.
Pick: Under 221.5 Total Points (-110)
Denver Nuggets at Los Angeles Clippers
Although Paul George left in the offseason and Kawhi Leonard has been a non-factor, the Clippers have gotten off to a hot start behind James Harden. Seven or eight years ago, that would have implied that the Clippers were an elite offensive unit that outscored its opponents rather than a defensive-minded team. When it comes to the 2024-25 Clippers, it’s the exact opposite.
Los Angeles is a defensive stalwart, with a DRtg that ranks in the top five in the league and an ORtg that sits in the bottom third. The Clippers defensive success is easy to process when you see they lead the league in defensive rebounding rate and are top 10 in both defensive turnover rate and defensive eFG%. They’ve given nearly every team they’ve played this season fits and will look to do the same against Denver.
Denver’s offense has been very strong this year. They shoot well and take care of the ball. They also play at a top-10 pace in the league. However, I think Los Angeles can dictate the pace of this one. The Clippers haven’t played a game that eclipsed this total in over two weeks. They should be able to contain this Denver offense and keep this game under the total.
Pick: Under 255 Total Points (-110)
