The NBA regular season is back in full swing with a jam packed slate of games on Tuesday night, with a total of 14 matchups on the docket scheduled for today, featuring an excellent nationally televised doubleheader on NBC, as Nuggets vs Mavericks takes center stage at 8:00 p.m. ET, followed by Rockets vs Clippers at 10:30 p.m. ET.
Our staff of basketball betting experts dug into the latest odds and identified NBA picks for seven of tonight's matchups.
Continue below for our NBA picks, odds, props, and predictions for Tuesday, December 23.
NBA Picks, Odds, Props, Predictions: Tuesday, December 23
| Game | Time (ET) | Pick |
|---|---|---|
  | 7 p.m. | |
  | 8 p.m. | |
  | 7 p.m. | |
  | 7:30 p.m. | |
  | 10 p.m. | |
  | 9 p.m. | |
  | 10:30 p.m. | |
Specific betting recommendations come from the sportsbook offering preferred odds as of writing. Always shop for the best price using our NBA Odds page, which automatically surfaces the best lines for every game. | ||
Nets vs. 76ers
By Joe Dellera
The Philadelphia 76ers face off against the Brooklyn Nets before getting a few days off for the holidays on Tuesday night.
Joel Embiid has slowly seen his minutes climb and stabilize around 30 per game. He has not played since December 15; however, this was due to illness, not injury. I’d expect him to slot in and be fresh in this spot.
This matchup is great. The Nets are one of the worst teams in the league at defending the paint and the rim. They have gotten cooked by other strong bigs such as Anthony Davis, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Wemby.
Embiid sees this matchup and is ready to rock. Give me Embiid over 22.5 points against Brooklyn tonight.
Pick: Joel Embiid Over 22.5 Points (-105)
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Nuggets vs. Mavericks
By Bet Labs
The NBA system titled "Home Rebounds Trends" in spread betting is built on the idea that strong home teams with consistent rebounding form and stable scoring patterns tend to deliver reliable spread performances when the market prices them within a reasonable moneyline range.
By focusing on home teams with solid ATS results in their own building, a sustained run of strong offensive rebounding across five games, and a recent scoring trend that sits just above league norms without being inflated, the system targets teams whose advantages are real rather than driven by short bursts of variance.
Limiting the sample to regular season games ensures predictable motivation and rotation patterns, while requiring the team to be at home captures the benefits of familiarity, rest structure, and crowd support.
When these factors align and the moneyline range stays between -130 and -250, the favorite tends to be priced fairly and capable of controlling the game through rebounding and steady offense, creating a profitable long term position.
Pick: Mavericks +6.5 (-110)
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Wizards vs. Hornets
This is a road/home back-to-back spot for the Hornets.
When you factor that into the spread and the potential of LaMelo Ball missing tonight's action, this is a number worth purchasing.
Give me the Wizards +6 in Charlotte on Tuesday night.
Pick: Wizards +6 (-115)
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Bulls vs. Hawks
By Joe Dellera
The Hawks face off against the Bulls for a second consecutive game, and I’ll target Trae Young once again.
This will be Trae’s third game back from injury, and we have seen his minutes climb from 20 to 26. So, I’d expect between 28-32 minutes tonight.
He just torched the Bulls for 35 points and 9 assists in just 26 minutes, and Chicago simply had no answer for him.
This isn’t a surprise. Young put up 38 PA in the other game against Chicago this season, and over the last three seasons, he has recorded 30+ in all eight head-to-head matchups against the Bulls, while averaging 36.1 PA.
Pick: Trae Young Over 30.5 Points + Assists (-105)
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Magic vs. Trail Blazers
Both teams are on a back-to-back, but the Blazers get to stay home for their end of it.
The Blazers also have the revenge factor on their side.
The last time these 2 teams met, Desmond Bane walked it off with a game-winning 3-point shot.
However, this Magic team is in much worse form right now than the last time these two teams met — owning a record of 1-3 in their last four games.
I like Portland to sneak out with a win in this game, but I’ll take the Blazers +2 for insurance.
Pick: Trail Blazers +2 (-115)
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Lakers vs. Suns
By Bet Labs
This NBA system identifies profitable moneyline opportunities by fading home teams that are mildly hot but not dominant, especially during the heart of the season.
These situations occur when a team has recently won one or two games and returns home after a short road trip, creating inflated market confidence and public bias.
When those same teams were underdogs in their previous game, bettors often overreact to the perceived turnaround, driving prices beyond fair value.
Visiting teams benefit from this pricing inefficiency, as motivation and focus tend to be stronger for road squads facing temporarily overvalued opponents.
The effect is most pronounced in winter months when travel schedules and fatigue begin to normalize early season variance, allowing disciplined contrarian bettors to take advantage of short-term overperformance by home favorites.
Pick: Lakers Moneyline (+195)
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Pistons vs. Kings
By Bet Labs
The NBA system titled "Contrarian Overs, Good Road Teams" in totals betting is built on the idea that strong traveling teams can drive pace and scoring in matchups where the market leans too heavily toward the under.
By focusing on regular season games outside of division play, the system avoids slower rivalry environments and taps into contests that tend to be more open and less physical.
It targets overs specifically when the betting public and money trends show a clear lean toward the under, creating a contrarian opportunity where expectations are suppressed but conditions for scoring remain strong.
The away team must be early enough in its season to still carry energy and identity, and it must also be coming off a decisive win, a signal that its offense and confidence are functioning at a high level.
When these elements align, strong road teams often set the tone, push pace, and elevate scoring beyond market expectations, making the over more attractive precisely when it is being overlooked.
Pick: Over 227.5 (-110)
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