NBA Preview, Odds & Picks for December 6: Can Jokic, Nuggets Slow the Bulls’ Charge to the Top of the Eastern Conference?

Another Monday is here, and with a new week comes plenty of NBA betting opportunities tonight and in the coming days. Whether you had a solid Sunday with NFL betting and want to keep your winning ways going or you were on the other side and are aiming to rebound and start this week on a winning note, tonight’s ten-game NBA slate has no shortage of options for your punting pleasure.

Cavs’ Rally Falls Just Short Against Utah as Win Streak Ends at Four

If you happened to check out yesterday’s NBA betting preview and backed any of the top picks mentioned, it would have been a profitable move. It won’t be like that every day, but each mentioned pick came out a winner and did so with minimal drama for the needed outcomes. The closest call came in Cleveland, as the Cavs (+4.5) trailed by 15 early in the fourth quarter. Not only did they come back to cover, but they almost pulled off the win.

Rampant Rockets Push Aside Pelicans for Sixth Straight Win

Elsewhere, the over soared well over the needed total in Atlanta as the shorthanded Hornets put forth a great team effort to find a way past the Hawks. And in Toronto and Houston, the Raptors and Rockets were both in control for most of the way in picking up wins. The Rockets’ attempt to win seven in a row is likely to meet a little more resistance when they next take the court on Wednesday night, as they will host the Brooklyn Nets.

Bulls Bid for East-Leading 17th Win Against Jokic, Needy Nuggets

Tonight’s NBA slate is headlined by the Denver Nuggets’ visit to the Windy City to face the Chicago Bulls. The Nuggets rebounded from a rough fourth quarter in Orlando with a nice win over the Knicks at MSG, which was only their second win in their last nine games. While the Nuggets have the reigning NBA MVP in Nikola Jokic, the Bulls have the league’s current MVD–Most Valuable Duo–in DeMar Derozan and Zach LaVine.

We will also have one of the largest spreads we will see all NBA season, as the Golden State Warriors host the Magic. Opening odds have the Warriors as 14.5-point favorites, and it will be interesting to see if there is any movement throughout the day.

Those two games are notable from a betting perspective, but they are not the only interesting matchups on tonight’s schedule. There is a lot of basketball to watch and a lot of money to be made. Of course, you may well opt to focus more on the Patriots-Bills Monday Night Football showdown, which has major NFL playoff implications.

But wherever you choose for your money to reside, you are not lacking in betting options for tonight. Let’s take a look at our NBA betting options and the top picks for each game.

NBA Schedule for Monday, December 6, 2021

Philadelphia 76ers (12-11) vs Charlotte Hornets (14-11), Bally Sports Southeast, 7:00 p.m. ET

Oklahoma City Thunder (6-16) vs Detroit Pistons (4-18), NBA TV, 7:00 p.m. ET

Washington Wizards (14-10) vs Indiana Pacers (9-16), Bally Sports Indiana, 7:00 p.m. ET

Memphis Grizzlies (13-10) vs Miami Heat (14-10), Bally Sports Sun, 7:30 p.m. ET

Denver Nuggets (11-11) vs Chicago Bulls (16-8), NBC Sports Chicago, 8:00 p.m. ET

Cleveland Cavaliers (13-11) vs Milwaukee Bucks (15-9), Bally Sports Wisconsin, 8:00 p.m. ET

Atlanta Hawks (12-12) vs Minnesota Timberwolves (11-12), Bally Sports North, 8:00 p.m. ET

San Antonio Spurs (8-13) vs Phoenix Suns (19-4), Bally Sports Arizona, 9:00 p.m. ET

Orlando Magic (5-19) vs Golden State Warriors (19-4), NBC Sports Bay Area, 10:00 p.m. ET

Los Angeles Clippers (12-12) vs Portland Trail Blazers (11-13), ROOT Sports Northwest, 10:00 p.m. ET

NBA Betting Odds & Picks for Monday, December 6, 2021

• Philadelphia 76ers vs Charlotte Hornets
• Oklahoma City Thunder vs Detroit Pistons
• Washington Wizards vs Indiana Pacers
• Memphis Grizzlies vs Miami Heat
• Denver Nuggets vs Chicago Bulls
• Cleveland Cavaliers vs Milwaukee Bucks
• Atlanta Hawks vs Minnesota Timberwolves
• San Antonio Spurs vs Phoenix Suns
• Orlando Magic vs Golden State Warriors
• Los Angeles Clippers vs Portland Trail Blazers

Odds listed below are via BetOnline Sportsbook as of Sunday, December 5, 2021 at 11:00 a.m. ET. To compare NBA betting odds from several top online sportsbooks, check out our NBA odds.

Betting News offers aggregated NBA picks for every NBA matchup every day. Below, we list the top recommended pick(s) for each matchup. In cases where the moneyline is the top pick percentagewise but provides little to no betting value (as a single straight bet), we list the best option among the other options.

NBA Betting Picks: Monday, December 6, 2021

Betting News aggregates our betting picks from trusted sports betting industry sources. Along with NBA picks for every NBA matchup, we also offer MLB picks, NFL picks, and NHL picks.

Philadelphia 76ers vs Charlotte Hornets NBA Betting Odds & Picks

• Spread: Philadelphia 76ers -7.5 (-110), Charlotte Hornets +7.5 (-110)
• Total: OVER 217.5 (-110), UNDER 217.5 (-110)
• Moneyline: Philadelphia 76ers -310, Charlotte Hornets +250

Thanks to big games by Miles Bridges and Kelly Oubre Jr. and a great team effort across the board, the Hornets upset the odds against the Hawks without LaMelo Ball and Terry Rozier. But can they do the same against the Sixers? Joel Embiid and co. scored a big win last time out in their own trip to Atlanta, which could serve as a springboard for a move up the standings.

Sixers vs Hornets Top Betting Pick: Hornets +7.5 (83 percent)

Sixers vs Hornets Matchup: NBA Betting Picks, Odds, Stats & More

Oklahoma City Thunder vs Detroit Pistons NBA Betting Odds & Picks

• Spread: Oklahoma City Thunder +5 (-114), Detroit Pistons -5 (-106)
• Total: OVER 203.5 (-110), UNDER 203.5 (-110)
• Moneyline: Oklahoma City Thunder +168, Detroit Pistons -200

What kind of response will the young Thunder have to being embarrassed by an NBA-record 73 points in their last game? Whatever it is will have to come without leading scorer Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who missed Thursday’s mauling in Memphis and remains out due to a concussion. On a positive note, rookie standout Josh Giddey will return after missing his first two games of the season Wednesday and Thursday due to illness.

Thunder vs Pistons Top Betting Pick: Thunder +5 (83 percent)

Thunder vs Pistons Matchup: NBA Betting Picks, Odds, Stats & More

Washington Wizards vs Indiana Pacers NBA Betting Odds & Picks

• Spread: Washington Wizards +5 (-110), Indiana Pacers -5 (-110)
• Total: OVER 210.5 (-110), UNDER 210.5 (-110)
• Moneyline: Washington Wizards +166, Indiana Pacers -198

The Pacers have lost four straight but opened as firm favorites against the Wizards, who are on a back-to-back. Earlier this season, these two teams played one of the highest-scoring games of the season to date, a 135-134 overtime win for the Wizards on October 22.

Wizards vs Pacers Top Betting Pick: OVER 210.5 (100 percent)

Wizards vs Pacers Matchup: NBA Betting Picks, Odds, Stats & More

Memphis Grizzlies vs Miami Heat NBA Betting Odds & Picks

• Spread: Memphis Grizzlies +5 (-110), Miami Heat -5 (-110)
• Total: OVER 214 (-110), UNDER 214 (-110)
• Moneyline: Memphis Grizzlies +150, Miami Heat -178

Instead of struggling mightily without Ja Morant, the Grizzlies have won and covered in four straight games without him. They followed up their 152-point explosion against OKC by downing the Dallas Mavericks on the road on Saturday and are fourth in the West all of a sudden. But with Jimmy Butler (bruised tailbone) set to return after missing the last four games, the Heat are solidly favored for the home win. The Heat went 1-3 last week without him, and his return will be welcomed on both ends of the court.

Grizzlies vs Heat Top Betting Picks: Grizzlies +5 (83 percent) & OVER 214 (83 percent)

Grizzlies vs Heat Matchup: NBA Betting Picks, Odds, Stats & More

Denver Nuggets vs Chicago Bulls NBA Betting Odds & Picks

• Spread: Denver Nuggets +4 (-115), Chicago Bulls -4 (-105)
• Total: OVER 217 (-110), UNDER 217 (-110)
• Moneyline: Denver Nuggets +140, Chicago Bulls -166

So, when do we start talking about the Bulls as a serious Eastern Conference title contender? Perhaps as soon as Nikola Vucevic can start stringing strong offensive performances together to complement DeRozan and LaVine’s nightly exploits. After producing his two best games of the season in wins over the Hornets and Knicks, Vucevic had only 11 points on 5 of 13 shooting in Saturday’s big road win against the Nets.

Tonight would be a good place to start as he and the Bulls take on the Nuggets and their own Nikola. Neither Nikola was on the court when these teams met in Denver on November 19, with LaVine (36) and DeRozan (26) doing what they have done a number of times before and since to deliver a 114-108 win for the Bulls.

Nuggets vs Bulls Top Betting Pick: Bulls -4 (67 percent) & OVER 216.5 (83 percent)

Nuggets vs Bulls Matchup: NBA Betting Picks, Odds, Stats & More

Cleveland Cavaliers vs Milwaukee Bucks NBA Betting Odds & Picks

• Spread: Cleveland Cavaliers +6.5 (-110), Milwaukee Bucks -6.5 (-110)
• Total: OVER 214.5 (-110), UNDER 214.5 (-110)
• Moneyline: Cleveland Cavaliers +220, Milwaukee Bucks -270

This will be the first meeting of the season for the Central Division rivals. The timing could perhaps be a bit better for the Cavs, as they are on the road for the back end of a back-to-back following a tough, tough loss and facing a team that has won nine of its last ten games.

Giannis was out Thursday (a loss at Toronto) and Saturday (a win at home against Miami) due to calf soreness, but he has been upgraded to questionable for tonight’s game. That often means a return is happening, so if you are placing your bets before his status is confirmed, base your choices on the expectation that Giannis will be back in action.

Cavs vs Bucks Top Betting Pick: Cavs +6.5 (83 percent)

Cavs vs Bucks Matchup: NBA Betting Picks, Odds, Stats & More

Atlanta Hawks vs Minnesota Timberwolves NBA Betting Odds & Picks

• Spread: Atlanta Hawks +2.5 (-110), Minnesota Timberwolves -2.5 (-110)
• Total: OVER 221 (-110), UNDER 221 (-110)
• Moneyline: Atlanta Hawks +120, Minnesota Timberwolves -142

Having to go to Minnesota and play 24 hours after losing to the Hornets at home is a real test for the Hawks. We’ll see how happy the Timberwolves are to be at home, as five of their previous seven games were on the road. Minnesota’s surge in the second half of November was fueled largely by home success, as they have won their last five games at the Target Center since a loss to the Suns on November 15.

Hawks vs Timberwolves Top Betting Picks: Hawks +2.5 (67 percent) & UNDER 221 (67 percent)

Hawks vs Timberwolves Matchup: NBA Betting Picks, Odds, Stats & More

San Antonio Spurs vs Phoenix Suns NBA Betting Odds & Picks

• Spread: San Antonio Spurs +8 (-110), Phoenix Suns -8 (-110)
• Total: OVER 215.5 (-112), UNDER 215.5 (-108)
• Moneyline: San Antonio Spurs +285, Phoenix Suns -355

The win streak is over for the Suns, but that means it is time to start another one. Speaking of win streaks, the Spurs go into this one with four straight wins, matching their win total from their first 17 games this season. In their last game, they won Saturday at Golden State, who was on a back-to-back after Friday’s streak-stopping win over the Suns.

Spurs vs Suns Top Betting Pick: Spurs +8 (67 percent)

Spurs vs Suns Matchup: NBA Betting Picks, Odds, Stats & More

Orlando Magic vs Golden State Warriors NBA Betting Odds & Picks

• Spread: Orlando Magic +16 (-112), Golden State Warriors -16 (-108)
• Total: OVER 217 (-110), UNDER 217 (-110)
• Moneyline: Orlando Magic +900, Golden State Warriors -1600

When you have a matchup between the NBA’s leader in points per game differential–Golden State, obviously (at +12.2 points per game)–versus the team that ranks 29th in the league in that area (-9.8 points per game), the overwhelmingly likely outcome is a blowout, obviously. Still, it would be irresponsible to suggest putting a serious stake on the Warriors to cover.

Magic vs Warriors Top Betting Pick: Warriors -15.5 (83 percent)

Magic vs Warriors Matchup: NBA Betting Picks, Odds, Stats & More

Los Angeles Clippers vs Portland Trail Blazers NBA Betting Odds & Picks

• Spread: Los Angeles Clippers -3 (-108), Portland Trail Blazers +3 (-112)
• Total: OVER 215 (-110), UNDER 215 (-110)
• Moneyline: Los Angeles Clippers -144, Portland Trail Blazers +122

Things are trending down for both the Blazers and the Clippers going into this one. The Clippers got the job done in their Staples sharers showdown–doing that one while I can–against the Lakers on Friday night, which was a must. But that is their only win in their last five games, and they are 4-8 in their last 12 games.

The Blazers won their first game without Damian Lillard (lower abdominal tendinopathy) against the Pistons last Tuesday. But that is their only win in their last six games, and they have followed that win by losing by 31 at home to the Spurs and allowing a season-high 145 points in a 28-point home loss to the Celtics.

Prior to those two ugly losses, the Blazers had won ten straight at home. We’ll see if they can locate some of that lost form against a team searching for its own lost form.

Clippers vs Blazers Top Betting Pick: Blazers +3 (100 percent)

Clippers vs Blazers Matchup: NBA Betting Picks, Odds, Stats & More