NBA Sharp Betting Picks (Dec. 19): Jazz vs. Hawks, Rockets vs. Clippers Attracting Pro Money

What Thursday's four-game NBA slate lacks in quantity, it certainly makes up for in quality — mainly thanks to one matchup.

But while Lakers vs. Bucks will take the cake when it comes to ticket counts and viewership, two other matchups have been deemed as having the most value in the eyes of sharp bettors.

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Utah Jazz vs. Atlanta Hawks

7:30 p.m. ET

Bettors haven't second guessed the spread in this game by any means. Eighty-three percent of tickets accounting for roughly the same (84%) percentage of money have landed on the Jazz as 6.5-point road favorites, but its the over/under that's drawn greater attention from sharps.

The earliest sportsbooks to open this total pegged it down at 222.5, and by the time the rest of market had joined the party it was already up to 224. Even from the higher number it has still found its way up a few more points, now sitting at a consensus 226.

That movement hasn't come in response to heavy popularity, either. A moderate 55% of bettors have taken the over, but they have generated 81% of actual money being bet.

Not only does that create a monetary liability, but it (perhaps more importantly) reveals how bigger bettors — the ones more likely to be sharps — are playing this total.

Sure enough, Sports Insights' Bet Signals, which track and record instances of market-moving action from sharps, have been triggered twice on the over at numbers of 224 and 224.5.

Sharp angle: Over (moved from 224 to 226)

Houston Rockets vs. Los Angeles Clippers

10:30 p.m. ET

It's no Lakers-Bucks, but tonight's Rockets-Clippers matchup is also attracting its fair share of betting action, and in this case, the smart money has been far more evident on a single bet.

Of the four games tipping off tonight, this is the only one to draw a majority of bettors to the under, likely a result of its highest opening total (233).

But even with just 31% of bettors backing the over, that total is up to 235.5 across the market, with some books even making the push to 236.

While nowhere near as big of a discrepancy as what we saw in the game above, that 31% backing has generated 37% of actual money, once again revealing the opinion of bigger bettors.

Another three SI Bet Signals have confirmed the professional action on the over, with sharps twice hitting the opening number and coming back for more at 234.

Sharp angle: Over (moved from 233 to 235.5)