The story of last night was the Grizzlies breaking an NBA record for largest margin of victory, defeating the Thunder 152-79. Friday kicks off the weekend with a nine-game slate. Let’s dive into the best bets to make tonight and overall NBA betting tips for Friday, Dec. 3.
Best NBA Betting Picks Tonight | Dec. 3
Heat vs. Pacers
The Heat come into tonight’s matchup with a 13-9 record and several key injuries. The Heat are coming off a 26-point loss to Cleveland in a game where they were without Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo and Markieff Morris. All three players will remain out on Friday for Miami due to injuries. Miami struggled down low in the paint against the Cavaliers, getting dominated on the glass. They finished the game with only 85 points. P.J. Tucker and Dewayne Dedmon will have another tough matchup against Domantas Sabonis and Myles Turner. With Butler and Adebayo out, Miami will need to rely on their perimeter shooters for their offensive production. Expect Duncan Robinson to bounce back from a 0-point performance, but keep in mind the Indiana Pacers are only allowing opponents 10.8 3-pointers made per game — fourth lowest in the league.
The Pacers have lost four of their last five and hold a 9-15 record on the season, putting them 6.5 games behind the Bulls in the Central division. The Pacers have played better at home this season, with a 6-5 record. Tonight they will be without Justin Holiday due to health and safety protocols. Expect Chris Duarte and others to get more minutes while Holiday remains sidelined. Reports stated that T.J. McConnell will be out with a wrist injury and is expected to miss multiple games.
The Latest Sports Betting Content from Stokastic Odds
- BetMGM North Carolina Pre-Registration: $200 in Bonus Bets Awaiting You When Sports Betting Launches
- Bet365 North Carolina Pre-Registration: Get $100 in Bonus Bets Before March 11
- DraftKings North Carolina Pre-Registration: Up to $300 in Bonus Bets for NC Launch on March 11!
- FanDuel North Carolina Pre-Registration: Grab $300 in Bonus Bets Between Now and March 11!
- Bet365 Louisiana Bonus Code: Bet $1, Get $365 in Bonus Bets!
- Stokastic DFS on Youtube
Both teams rank in the bottom 10 of the league in pace. These two teams faced off once in October with the Pacers coming out on top 102-91 in overtime at home. The Pacers have a 10-14 over/under record this season. Miami will be without two of their All-Stars, who make up 39% of their offensive production. The Heat rank 24th in offensive rating, and the Pacers are 22nd over the last five games. Look for Indiana to take advantage of a banged-up Heat squad and use this game as an opportunity to get back in the win column on Friday night. Expect a below-average scoring night from Miami. Take the under with confidence tonight.
Best Bet for Tonight’s Game: Total Under 207 Points
The best odds are available on DraftKings found through OddsShopper. Find your best bet in 30 seconds or less.
76ers vs. Hawks
The 76ers had an awful night shooting in their last game, losing to the Celtics 88-87. Joel Embiid went 3-for-17 from the field and finished with 13 points, 18 rebounds and six assists. Philadelphia will travel to Atlanta on Friday to take on the Hawks. The Hawks started the season 4-9 but have since won eight of their last nine games, improving their record to 12-10 on the season. The 76ers are trending in the opposite direction, going 3-9 in their last 12 games. Embiid is still working his way back into rhythm after missing multiple games due to health and safety protocols. Embiid averages 23.3 points, 9.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 11 career games against the Hawks. The 76ers offense has struggled as of late, ranking 27th in offensive rating over their last five games. In addition, Philadelphia ranks dead last in pace on the year.
The Hawks average 110.5 points per game and rank second in offensive rating. Trae Young has scored 30 or more points in five straight games. In that span he is also shooting 54% from the field. Young continues to take on the heavy lifting on offense. He will need to continue to get help from him teammates as the next-best scorer on the team is John Collins, who only averages 16.5 points per game. The Hawks have size down low with Clint Capela and John Collins, who can slow down Embiid in tonight’s matchup. If the Hawks are successful in defending Embiid, that leaves his teammates to step up their offensive production, which has been a struggle of late. Tobias Harris is shooting 18-for-47 (38%) from the field over his last three games. Their next-best scorer, Tyrese Maxey, is also on a cold streak shooting 10-for-40 (25%) over his last three games.
Both teams ranked in the bottom seven in pace over the last five games. These two teams have averaged 215.5 points in their matchups over the last two seasons. The under is 5-0 in their last five matchups and 5-1 in Philadelphia’s last six road games. With Philadelphia’s shooters struggling to produce as of late, expect the total to come in under 217 points in tonight’s matchup.
Best Bet for Tonight’s Game: Total Under 216.5 Points
The best odds are available on DraftKings found through OddsShopper. Find your best bet in 30 seconds or less.
Thanks for reading to the end of this article! If you appreciate this free content and want to see more of it every day, you can help us out by sharing this article on social media!
Check out Stokastic's Best Bets home page for more sports betting picks and predictions.
