Best NBA Bets Today: Free Picks and Player Props for December 16

Best NBA Bets Today: Free Picks and Player Props for December 16

This article is part of our NBA Picks series.

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Best NBA Bets Today

Miami Heat to cover -4.5 points at Detroit Pistons

FanDuel, 1:04 PM CT

Alex Barutha: These teams are trending in opposite directions lately. Miami is 8-3 in its past 11 games and is on a four-game winning streak. Detroit has the opposite record over its past 11 games (3-8). For the Pistons, Tobias Harris will be sidelined for this matchup. Though he's having a somewhat disappointing season, his presence has stabilized the rotation. Notably, in 79 possessions with Harris off the floor while Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey are on the floor, the Pistons have a -23.0 net rating. That's a small sample and an extreme number, but it goes to show how little they've used those rotations.

Tyrese Maxey under 6.5 assists (-150) at Charlotte

BetMGM, 1:14 PM CT

Alex Barutha: Notably, Joel Embiid is out for this game (as are Jared McCain and Caleb Martin). Although, Paul George is at least healthy. The numbers for Maxey while sharing the court with PG minus Embiid are intriguing. In 129 total minutes, Maxey is averaging just 2.5 assists per 36. That seems like it could be a bit fluky, but it's an extreme enough number and a big enough sample for me to give it a gamble.

Kris Dunn over 1.5 steals (-106) vs. Jazz

BetRivers, 1:30 PM CT

Alex Barutha: Utah remains one of the sloppiest teams in the NBA. Over the past 10 games, they're allowing the third-most opponent steals per 48 minutes (10.1). Dunn is one of the best defensive disruptors in the league, even in somewhat limited minutes. He has at least one steal in 15 straight games, averaging 2.3 swipes in 23.2 minutes during this stretch.

Sixers-Hornets U217.0

BetRivers, 1:36 PM CT

Nick Whalen: Both sides have been under teams this season, and while there's a chance LaMelo Ball can return for the Hornets tonight, I still think we could get a lower-scoring game. Charlotte has gone under this number in seven of its last nine, while the Sixers have gone under 217.0 in five of their last seven games without Joel Embiid. Philly is also down Jared McCain, essentially leaving Paul George and Tyrese Maxey as the only dependable offensive options. Over the last 10 games, Philly ranks 28th in pace, while Charlotte ranks 30th.

Norman Powell O2.5 assists vs. Jazz (+135)

DraftKings, 1:36 PM CT

Nick Whalen: Powell is more of a pure scorer, but he's gone over this number in 10 of 19 games on the year, including each of his last three. Matchup-wise, this should be a good spot for that to continue, as the Jazz are allowing 30.0 opponent assists per game over their last 10 contests – the second-most in the NBA.

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ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Alex Barutha
Alex is RotoWire's Chief NBA Editor. He writes articles about daily fantasy, year-long fantasy and sports betting. You can hear him on the RotoWire NBA Podcast, Sirius XM, VSiN and other platforms. He firmly believes Robert Covington is the most underrated fantasy player of the past decade.
Nick Whalen
Now in his 10th year with the company, Nick is RotoWire's Senior Media Analyst, a position he took on after several years as the Head of Basketball Content. A multi-time FSGA and FSWA award winner, Nick co-hosts RotoWire's flagship show on Sirius XM Fantasy alongside Jeff Erickson, as well as The RotoWire NBA Show on Sirius XM NBA with Alex Barutha. He also co-hosts RotoWire's Football and Basketball podcasts. You can catch Nick's NBA and NFL analysis on VSiN and DraftKings, as well as RotoWire's various social and video channels. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram @wha1en.
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