Dec 30, 9:28am | 4 min read

Daily Picks 12/30: Getting Hot In Here

NBA

Dan Canova

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One of our expert hoops handicappers gives his best picks for today's games

ANALYSIS

In Sunday’s NBA action, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 32 points, seven rebounds, two assists and three steals for the Oklahoma City Thunder in a 98-97 win over the Toronto Raptors.

For the Los Angeles Lakers, Anthony Davis had 23 points, nine rebounds, four assists, two steals and one block in a 108-95 win over the Dallas Mavericks. LeBron James added 13 points, 13 assists and six rebounds.

Here are Today’s NBA Picks:

BET OF THE DAY:

Miami Heat @ Washington Wizards

Since the 2015-16 season, the Heat have a 62-45-1 against the spread record as an away team coming off 1 day of rest. (Stat courtesy of Statschecker)

The Heat and Wizards squared off back on Dec. 6.

In that game, Jimmy Butler finished with 28 points, 11 assists and 11 rebounds and center Bam Adebayo contributed a career-high 24 points with 14 rebounds for the Heat in a 112-103 victory.

Miami is on a roll. Winners of five games in a row, the Heat are currently in second place in the Eastern Conference and they’ve scored 100 or more points in 11 consecutive games.

Take Miami minus the 9.5 points in this matchup.

2u – Heat (-9.5) @ -110

Brooklyn Nets @ Minnesota Timberwolves

Since the 2016-17 season, the Nets have a 43-23-3 against the spread record as an away team coming off 1 day of rest. (Stat courtesy of Statschecker)

Here’s a key statistic ahead of this matchup: the Timberwolves are on a nine-game home losing streak and there’s a possibility they could be without Karl-Anthony Towns.

The Nets will look to end a two-game skid, which featured losses to the New York Knicks and Houston Rockets.

Spencer Dinwiddie led the Nets with 17 points against the Rockets and Taurean Prince added 16 points but is shooting 28 percent in his last nine games.

The Nets will look to avoid being held under 100 points for a third straight game.

No Towns, no Andrew Wiggins for the Wolves, which means the Nets come away with the road victory.

Take Brooklyn minus the 1.5 points.

1u – Nets (-1.5) @ -110

Phoenix Suns @ Portland Trail Blazers

The Suns have a 26-18-1 against the spread record in games played during December from 2017-18. (Stat courtesy of Statschecker)

The Suns enter this game having lost 11 straight games to the Trail Blazers.

The last time the Suns came away with a victory over the Trail Blazers was back on Nov. 2, 2016, winning 118-115.

On Dec. 16 of this NBA season, Damian Lillard converted a three-point play with 26 seconds left as Portland won 111-110.

In their last game, Devin Booker finished with 32 points, 10 assists, three rebounds and two steals for the Suns in a 112-110 victory over the Sacramento Kings. Ricky Rubio added 21 points and eight assists.

Portland will look to end a three-game skid, which included a 128-120 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday night.

I can see the Trail Blazers winning this game, but the Suns plus the 4.5 points is the pick here.