Our free NBA picks are out for Sunday, December 12th, 2021! Make sure you check our NBA picks before the action kicks off.
Look below to find our free NBA picks for the best five games on today’s schedule!
Milwaukee Bucks @ New York Knicks – 12pm ET
The Milwaukee Bucks are in the middle of a road trip and on Sunday afternoon they will face off against the New York Knicks. The Bucks have won four of their six games so far in December, which takes their season record to 17-10. The Knicks are looking to break a two game losing streak with a win this afternoon, and this brings the season record to 12-14.
Denis Kirilov
The Milwaukee Bucks are once again in the battle for 1st place in the East after having a terrifying early 15 games this season. Khris Middleton proved to have a huge impact on the whole team as with his presence on the court, plenty of spaces are being opened for Giannis. The “Greek freak” is nothing less than dominant after his teammate’s return. He was the most valuable player for the Bucks in their last victory over the Rockets on Friday. Antetokounmpo dropped 41 points and grabbed 17 rebounds, while Middleton was highly efficient from beyond the arc scoring 5 out of 11 attempts.
The Knicks are going through a tough period as they are coming into this match on a 1-5 run. They lost their last two games on the road against the Indiana Pacers and the Toronto Raptors. Moreover, the team from New York hasn’t won in Madison Square Garden since November 24th. Afterwards, they suffered three straight losses on home court to the Phoenix Suns, the Chicago Bulls, and the Denver Nuggets. It’s clear that the Knicks are struggling at the moment and I will try to take advantage of this. My pick here goes in favor of the reigning champions, as I am more than confident that they will be able to cover the spread on the road.
Denis’ NBA Pick: Milwaukee Bucks -4 (-108)
Michael Lantz
The Knicks have lost five of their last six, including a blowout loss to the Pacers last Wednesday and a low-scoring contest to the Raptors on Friday night. Currently ranked 12th in the Eastern Conference, the Knicks need to start getting it together soon if they want to repeat last season’s success. Things won’t get any easier for them on Sunday as they face the Milwaukee Bucks in Madison Square Garden.
Still thinking about this play from last night. pic.twitter.com/R2GjzKlcCu
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) December 11, 2021
Milwaukee have channeled their championship ways in the last couple of weeks, since the return of Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday. After going 8-2 in their last ten, the Bucks are now at second place in the Eastern Conference. They’ll look to strengthen that lead on Sunday as they face a Knicks team that’s gone from promising to mediocre. A lot of that has to do with the Knicks losing the defensive identity that made them so feared last season, as they’ve dropped from league leaders in most team defensive categories, to below league average. The Bucks should have no problem taking advantage of this as they look to prove to the rest of the league that the champs are still alive.
Michael’s NBA Pick: Milwaukee Bucks -4 (-108)
Noah Dunlap
Since getting healthy, with Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday returning to the lineup, the Milwaukee Bucks have looked more like the team that we saw last year and in years prior to that. They’ve looked like one of the best teams in the league, though they still haven’t played up to that championship level that many in Milwaukee want, especially seeing as they managed to win the title last year.
For New York, they’ve fallen on tough times, and really don’t seem to be able to get out of the slump. Following a really great start to the year, they can’t seem to string together multiple wins, and honestly they can’t hardly seem to win games at all, anyway. They enter this one on a two game losing streak, and I think the Bucks come into MSG for this matchup and send that losing streak to three. Julius Randle and Giannis has the potential to be a great matchup down low, but virtually everywhere else on the floor I lean towards Milwaukee having a pretty distinct advantage, especially with how New York has played lately. Take the Bucks and the points in this one, and feel confident about it.
Noah’s NBA Pick: Milwaukee Bucks -4 (-108)
Brooklyn Nets @ Detroit Pistons – 6pm ET
The Brooklyn Nets end their road trip on Sunday when they take on the Detroit Pistons. The Nets have won three of their last five games, and this brings their season record to 18-8. The Pistons are really struggling in December, they have played four games and are yet to win a game, with losses to the Suns, Thunder, Wizards and Pelicans.
Denis Kirilov
The top of the East will face the bottom of the East in a very compelling contest on Sunday night in the NBA. The Brooklyn Nets (18-8) will have at first sight an easy visit to Detroit as they will play the Pistons (4-21) who will try to put an end to their 11-game losing streak. The hosts are definitely struggling and although they might have played a couple of decent matches throughout this period, they didn’t manage to win even a single game. They lack a leader as only Jerami Grant fits in this position for now.
The Brooklyn Nets have been on ups and downs recently as they are still having lots of troubles when it comes to a very important meeting. Examples from the past weeks include their home games against the Chicago Bulls and the Phoenix Suns. They even lost to the Houston Rockets on the road this Wednesday. However, the team seems to pull it off against mid-performing teams like the Hawks and the Mavericks as they are coming into this matchup after a fantastic performance from Kevin Durant in State Farm Arena. I think the Nets won’t find it hard to close out the game on Sunday against the Pistons and I will go with their spread.
Denis’ NBA Pick: Brooklyn Nets -8.5 (-110)
Michael Lantz
Brooklyn captured a big win on Friday night as they beat the Atlanta Hawks in Atlanta. Kevin Durant was once again outstanding, but the team got some huge help from bench players Bruce brown and rookie Cam Thomas to help guide them to victory. Now, Brooklyn heads to the “Motor City” to take on the Pistons. Detroit has been frustrating to watch, to say the least. They’re 4-21, and despite some high points from rookie Cade Cunningham and veteran Jerami Grant, they appear to be a team that’ll be stuck in a losing hole for a very long time.
I don’t expect things to look brighter on Sunday, as they face a Brooklyn Nets team that leads the Eastern Conference, but continues to have their fair share of pessimists watching their games. The Nets have taken care of teams they’re supposed to, but when it comes to their tougher opponents they’ve looked a bit off. Luckily, Detroit is the kind of team they should be able to feast on. After a big road win against the Hawks the team should be in good position to take out a poor Pistons team on the road.
Michael’s NBA Pick: Brooklyn Nets -8.5 (-110)
Noah Dunlap
Brooklyn is the best team in the Eastern Conference, when virtually everyone is healthy. With Kevin Durant playing like a MVP candidate, and James Harden showing flashes of the talent that we’re used to seeing from him, and adding LaMarcus Aldridge, who looks rejuvenated with his new team, this is the team to beat when they’re healthy. Now that isn’t to say that they’re extremely dominant however, as they haven’t really been truly dominant all year long.
But they are a lot better than the Detroit Pistons. The Pistons are one of the worst teams in the league, even after picking up the number one overall pick in this year’s draft. One positive note is that they do seem to play teams pretty competitively before bowing out at the end, but that doesn’t do much good for the results factor of all of this. As for this particular matchup, there’s nothing about this Pistons squad that shows that they’re able to actually knock off Brooklyn here, or really keep it all that close. Look for Durant to have a big day, and also look for Harden to have one of his better games of the year so far, as Brooklyn cruises to an easy win on the road.
Noah’s NBA Pick: Brooklyn Nets -8.5 (-110)
Dallas Mavericks @ Oklahoma City Thunder – 7pm ET
The Dallas Mavericks end their road trip on Sunday when they take on the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Mavericks have only won one of their last five games, with losses to the Pelicans, Grizzlies, Nets and Pacers. The Thunder are looking to bounce back after a loss to the Lakers, 95-116, and this brings their season record to 8-17.
Denis Kirilov
The Dallas Mavericks will have a tough visit to Oklahoma as they are coming into this game on a 3-10 run. Luka Doncic is on a 16-game streak with at least 20 points scored, but even after this monstrous performance, his team struggles to get victories. Kristaps Porzingis, Tim Hardaway Jr., and Jalen Brunson are all fantastic players and the fact that this team loses so often is really odd. The Mavs are currently in 8th place in the West with 12 wins and 13 losses. They will surely need to level up their game, if they would like to have an easier opponent for the Playoffs.
The Oklahoma City Thunder is one of the teams that is not expected to reach the best of 7 series in the spring. They hold an 8-17 record which puts them in 14th place in the West. The Thunder have managed to grab two victories on the road recently, defeating the Pistons and the Raptors. However, they were outclassed in their last meeting against the LA Lakers. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Luguentz Dort are a decent Canadian duo that still suffers to compete with the best teams in the NBA. With the new addition, the 19-year-old, Josh Giddey, the team is looking to grow and develop. In my opinion, they are playing well enough to put up a good fight against the Mavs on Sunday. I will have them cover their spread in this one.
Denis’ NBA Pick: Oklahoma City Thunder +5 (-110)
Michael Lantz
After winning two straight after their blowout loss to the Memphis Grizzlies, the Oklahoma City Thunder were once again humbled on Friday night, losing to the L.A. Lakers 116-95. Oklahoma City’s best players were slowed down against the Lakers, as Shai Gilgeous Alexander and Lu Dort scored a combined 22 points. I don’t expect those two to have another poor performance as they host a Mavericks team that isn’t always known for their defense.
Final in OKC. pic.twitter.com/oYhuwNEaoC
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) December 11, 2021
Dallas are currently clinging onto a playoff spot as they lost to an Indiana Pacers team on Friday that’s a few games below .500. It was a redemption game for Dallas’ former head coach Rick Carlisle as he was able to take out his former club. Now after a rough loss to a team that’s way worse than them, the Mavericks can’t afford to let their ranking slip against an Oklahoma City team that’s incredibly inferior. Unfortunately that’s going to be quite hard, as MAvericks star player Luka Doncic is slated to be out with an ankle injury. This will leave a lot of the work on Mavericks big man Kristaps Porzingis. Even though I expect him to have a solid game, the Mavericks haven’t fared too well with Doncic out this season. I expect the Thunder to capitalize and at least cover.
Michael’s NBA Pick: Oklahoma City Thunder +5 (-110)
Noah Dunlap
The Dallas Mavericks take a trip north to Oklahoma City to take on the Thunder as they look to get back on the willing track, as they enter this one as winners of just one of their last five. The problem with this Dallas team as of late revolves largely around two things: the defense and the supporting cast. The defense has been extremely mediocre, and could even be considered as pretty miserable, during this rough stretch, and it’s a problem that’s going to have to get addressed if they plan on making a deep run this season. The other issue is that outside of Luka Doncic playing great basketball, despite dealing with a few minor injury issues, the rest of the team has been struggling. Kristaps Porzingis and Tim Hardaway Jr. have the talent to be difference makers, but they’ve struggled a bit as of late, which has put way too much pressure on Luka to have to be near perfect.
The good news for Dallas is that they get a below-average Thunder team in this one. OKC comes in as one of the worst teams in the Western Conference, as well as the league in general. The talent is scarce on this roster, and the talent they do have is extremely young and not accustomed to what it takes to win in the NBA. So while I understand that Dallas has been playing poor basketball lately, this has the potential to be a game that gets them back on the right track. Look for Luka and the Mavs to come out and get a much needed win on the road, and feel comfortable with taking the points here, as well.
Noah’s NBA Pick: Dallas Mavericks -5 (-110)
Minnesota Timberwolves @ Portland Trail Blazers – 9pm ET
The Minnesota Timberwolves start a short two game road trip and the first stop will be in Portland against the Trail Blazers. The Timberwolves are struggling massively in December, and they are still yet to win a game, which brings their season record to 11-15. The Trail Blazers are on the same record as the Timberwolves, and they have also lost all of their games so far in December.
Denis Kirilov
The Portland Trail Blazers have been considered a home team before losing three straight games in Moda Center. They were defeated by the Spurs, the Celtics, and the Clippers as they didn’t stand a chance in either of these matches. The Blazers are coming into this meeting on a 1-7 run with a sole win over the Detroit Pistons. The hosts won’t be able to rely on their best players, Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum as they are recovering from injuries. Anfernee Simons and Cody Zeller are also uncertain for the team led by Chauncey Billups.
The Minnesota Timberwolves are also in a bad streak as they lost their last 5 games in the NBA. Their opponents outscore them by a lot as each one of them dropped at least 110 points. The absence of D’Angelo Russell could be felt in the last two games as there was nobody who can help Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards in their attempts to break the opposition’s defense. He is still uncertain as he fights an ankle injury. In my opinion, Jusuf Nurkic and Norman Powell can use this moment in the absence of their superstar to show what they are capable of. They can also use the help of Ben McLemore and Dennis Smith Jr. I think the Blazers will stop their losing streak and please their fans with a clean victory in Moda Center.
Denis’ NBA Pick: Portland Trail Blazers (-108)
Michael Lantz
A couple of days removed from a ten-point loss to the Golden State Warriors, the Portland Trail Blazers have had some time to get some solid rest and composure to take on a Minnesota TImberwolves team that sits right behind them in the Western Conference rankings. Portland is going to be without high scoring guard CJ McCollum, who was diagnosed with a collapsed lung last week, and they may be missing star Damian Lillard who continues to recover from an abdomen injury.
Meanwhile, the Timberwolves have been blown out in their last couple of games, mainly due to all-star guard D’Angelo Russell missing time with an ankle injury. As good as Karl Anthony-Towns and Anthony Edwards have continued to look, they haven’t had enough between the two of them to anchor the team to victory as they’ve tasted double-digit defeats to both the Utah Jazz and Cleveland Cavaliers in recent games. They’ll hope to get by a hobbled Trail Blazers team on the road on Sunday night. It’s tough to make a call on this one because we aren’t entirely sure who’ll be playing on both sides, but I’ll go with the Timberwolves to pick up their first win a couple of games against a Trail Blazers team that’s been in a bit of a crisis with injuries and upper-management changes.
Michael’s NBA Pick: Minnesota Timberwolves (-108)
Noah Dunlap
Well this one isn’t exciting. Neither of these teams have managed to get a win all month, and the only reason that changes in this one is that the NBA doesn’t allow ties. Minnesota has fallen off once again, following a brief eight game stretch that almost made them look like they were thinking about getting serious about trying to make a playoff appearance. Even with Karl-Anthony Towns, D’Angelo Russell, and Anthony Edwards, this is a team that hasn’t been able to play consistent basketball, and that’s honestly somewhat surprising. The talent is certainly that of a team that should sneak into the postseason, so the idea that they’ve been so bad for much of the year is somewhat concerning.
Portland isn’t in a better situation though. Even with a change at head coach, the team seems as if they’ve taken a step back, and now they’re dealing with what certainly seems like an unhappy Damian Lillard, and a second tier player in CJ McCollum who is out due to a punctured lung. That doesn’t help matters for a team who has struggled all year, and is now facing more uncertainty surrounding their two best players. However, despite all of that, I think the Blazers get the win here. They play better at home than they do on the road, where they literally can’t seem to win a single game, so with them getting the Wolves in Portland tonight, take them to get a tight one.
Noah’s NBA Pick: Portland Trail Blazers (-108)
Orlando Magic @ Los Angeles Lakers – 9.30pm ET
The Orlando Magic will play their last road game of this trip when they take on the Los Angeles Lakers in the last game on Sunday. The Magic are playing on back-to-back days and last time out they suffered a narrow defeat to the Clippers, 104-106. The Lakers are looking to string together two consecutive wins for the first time in December, after winning against the Thunder, 116-95, last time out.
Denis Kirilov
The Los Angeles Lakers will face the Orlando Magic on Sunday night in what feels to be their last easy opponent for a long time ahead. The Lakers are far more inconsistent than their fans would like them to see as they are struggling to start a winning streak. They have only once managed to clinch three wins in a row this season which is reflected on their overall rankings. However, the competition in the West is a bit easier this year, as many teams are struggling with internal issues like the Blazers, the Mavs, and the Nuggets. LeBron James is without a doubt the leader of this team and the savior of the Lakers’ army.
The Orlando Magic is probably the easiest opponent a team can wish for at the moment. They are second-to-last in the East with 5 wins and 21 losses. The team has managed to upset some tough opponents already including the Knicks, the Timberwolves, the Jazz, and the Nuggets. Cole Anthony is their best player, but there is probably nobody else who can give him a hand in his attempt to win games for his team. Wendell Carter is also playing well as he regularly posts double-doubles as he averages 13.4 points and 10 rebounds per game. However, I don’t think these numbers will help the Magic in overcoming the Lakers. My opinion here is that we will see a more open match that will produce a really high-scoring contest.
Denis’ NBA Pick: Over 220.5 (-110)
Michael Lantz
As unpredictable as the Los Angeles Lakers have been this year, they provided their fans with a sigh of relief on Saturday as they were able to knock off the lowly Oklahoma City Thunder with ease. For the second straight game they’ll face one of the league’s worst teams as they take on the Orlando Magic at home.
King led the charge with his 600th career 30-point game 👑 pic.twitter.com/ZXxCgOemB7
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) December 11, 2021
That being said, the Lakers can’t take the Magic’s record for granted. Orlando took fellow L.A. team the Clippers to the brink on Saturday night, losing 106-104, but it should be noted that the Clippers were without star player Paul George. Now, just over 24 hours later the Magic will have to face a Lakers team with plenty of star power, made up of LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Russell Westbrook. Even if one of them rests, this Lakers team should be able to overpower a young Magic team at Staples Center (named that for only about one more week). Anthony Davis sat against the Thunder on Friday, but is questionable on Sunday and LeBron James is known to take days off against poorer teams, but with the Lakers shaky start they can’t afford to lose any games. Still, even with the possibility of one of those two missing the game I still like the Lakers talent over the Magic’s young core.
Michael’s NBA Pick: Los Angeles Lakers -11 (-110)
Noah Dunlap
Breaking news alert: The Orlando Magic are still really bad. They may legitimately be the worst team in the league, and now they try to avoid the LA sweep on back-to-back nights. After managing to hang in with the Clippers until the very end and eventually falling by two last night, how do they respond 24 hours later against the Lakers? To me, I think the answer is not very good.
Now let’s be clear, the Lakers certainly haven’t been amazing by any means, either. They’re an older team that is having to rely on an aging LeBron James to get to where they are, and that’s not a winning recipe as we get later and later in the year. To virtually no one’s surprise, the offseason moves LA made haven’t helped at all, and one could seriously argue that they actually hurt the team. Even with the mediocre play from the rest of James’ sidekicks so far this year, this isn’t one that the Lakers struggle with. The Orlando Magic simply don’t have anyone to stop LeBron, and I actually think the supporting cast has a pretty good night for LA in this one, so be confident in taking the Lakers and the points here.
Noah’s NBA Pick: Los Angeles Lakers -11 (-110)
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*Odds and spreads correct at time of publication, courtesy of FanDuel.
