The National Basketball Association (NBA) has nine games on the schedule for Thursday night, including a doubleheader on NBATV. The Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers square off at 7 p.m. ET in the front end of the nationally-televised doubleheader, while the Utah Jazz and the Portland Trail Blazers meet in the second end of the double dip.
Let’s build a bankroll as we head into the new year with our best NBA picks for Thursday, December 26.
Thursday’s Best NBA Picks
NBA odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook | All NBA picks are for 1 unit
Utah Jazz (+104) at Portland Trail Blazers (-122) | O/U 227 (-110/-110)
The Jazz (7-12) and Trail Blazers (9-20) meet in the second end of the NBA TV doubleheader. This game features two teams with a single-digit win total still, so it’s for hard-core fans of either team, fantasy or DFS players and gamblers. Most others will find other things of interest.
These teams have met just once so far this season, with the Jazz embarrassing the Trail Blazers 141-99 at Moda Center in Portland back on Dec. 6 as a 4-point underdog as the Over (223.5) cashed. Utah was shooting lights out that night, hitting 55% (23-of-96) from the field, and 44% (14-of-32) from behind the arc. They were even blazing hot at the free-throw line, going 21-of-23 (91%). The Jazz had an amazing nine players in double digits, too, led by Johnny Juzang with 22 points off the bet. The former UCLA standout hit six 3-pointers, while John Collins added 20. Walker Kessler was a beast, too, going for 13 points, 17 rebounds and five blocked shots.
On the flip side, Portland shot just 39% (37-of-95) from the field, and 30% (14-of-47) from behind the arc, while misfiring on six of 17 free-throw attempts. What could go wrong did go wrong for the Blazers, although they did manage to have five players with 10 or more points, including 19 each from Jerami Grant and Dalano Banton. Both of those players were locked in, combining for seven 3-pointers, too.
Utah is coming off a 124-113 loss to Cleveland on Monday night, although it covered as a 14-point underdog. That’s been the rule lately, as Utah is 3-0 against the spread (ATS) in the past three games. The Over is on a serious run, too, going 7-1 in the past eight outings, including that game in PDX on Dec. 6.
For Portland, it is coming off a 132-108 blasting from the Dallas Mavericks on the road, and the Blazers have dropped eight of the past nine outings since the beginning of December. The Trail Blazers are just 3-6 ATS during the nine-game span, too. The Over and Under have alternated in each of the seven games, with the Over hitting last time out.
We’ll roll with the Jazz in this one, as they’ve had a firm grip on the Blazers lately, while looking to the Over, too.
Picks: Jazz Moneyline (+104) & Over 227 Points (-110)
Detroit Pistons (+198) at Sacramento Kings (-240) | O/U 228 (-110/-110)
The Pistons (13-17) arrive in California’s capital city to battle the Kings (13-17). One of these teams is likely pretty pleased with its overall record, while the other is mortified.
Detroit Basketball might not quite be back all the way, but it at least isn’t an embarrassment. The Pistons are a respectable 8-9 on the road this season, including a perfect 2-for-2 on the first two stops of the four-game road trip, while cashing high in both games.
In fact, the Pistons are a solid 4-2 SU in the past six games, while going 5-2 ATS in the previous seven outings. The Over has cashed in four straight games, while going 7-1 in the past eight outings, and 9-2 in the past 11 contests since Nov. 27.
For the Kings, they had much higher expectations entering the season, but there is still a ton of basketball to be played. The Kings are on a four-game slid, while failing to cover the past five outings. the Under has hit in each of the past three games, too.
These teams split the season series in the 2023-24 campaign, with the road team winning and cover in each game. In fact, the road team is 7-1 SU in the past eight in the series since Feb. 26, 2021, with the road team going a perfect 9-0 ATS since March 1, 2020. The Over has a 4-1-1 edge in the past six meetings, too.
We’ll back the Pistons with the points, while going high on the total for a solid SGP opportunity.
Picks: Detroit Pistons +6 (-110) & Over 228 Points (-110)
