NBA Best Bets for December 7: Let's Be Smart With Our Parlay
Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Charlotte Hornets
Saturday, December 7, 2024 at 1 p.m. ET at Spectrum Center in Charlotte
Charlotte's Injury Situation
The Hornets might seem capable of producing a respectable point total against Cleveland because they scored 114 points when they played each other on November 14.
However, Charlotte now misses three important players: first-string point guard LaMelo Ball, second-string point guard Tre Mann, and power forward Miles Bridges have all been ruled out for today's game.
Ball and Bridges are particularly significant. Both players accounted for a combined total of 50 of Charlotte's 114 points on November 14.
They were Charlotte's two leading scorers in that game.
On the season, Bridges is his team's third-leading scorer. Ball leads the Hornets with over 30 points per game.
Charlotte's Ongoing Struggles
Partly due to these injuries, the Hornets are suffering unrelenting scoring difficulties.
In their last six games, they are averaging 97.5 points.
During this span, they exceeded 101 points on two occasions.
One was against Atlanta's atrocious defense.
The other was against the 76ers against whom they shot above their season-long three-point average. They also benefitted from the absence of elite rim protector Joel Embiid.
Cleveland's Stout Defense
Cleveland's group of rim protectors is healthy and solid.
The Cavaliers are one of the toughest teams to score on around the basket.
Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley form a reliable duo that combines athleticism with length to disrupt opposing players.
Largely thanks to these two, Cleveland allows the second-lowest field goal percentage within five feet of the basket.
But the Cavaliers also guard the perimeter well.
They rank top-ten both at limiting opposing three-point attempts and at limiting open three-point attempts.
These two statistics indicate that Cleveland is good both at contesting three-point attempts and at running teams off the three-point line.
Takeaway
Cleveland has a well-rounded defense that will punish Charlotte for relying as heavily on making three-pointers as it does but will also protect the space around the basket.
The beleaguered Hornets are anyhow struggling to score.
Don't think that Cleveland will take it easy on them.
After beating defending champion Boston, the Cavs just held lowly Washington to 87 points, which also attests to their determination to allow drastically fewer points in rematches.
Best Bet: Hornets team total under 101.5 at +103 with MyBookie
Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Charlotte Hornets
Saturday, December 7, 2024 at 1 p.m. ET at Spectrum Center in Charlotte & Oklahoma City Thunder vs. New Orleans Pelicans Saturday, December 7, 2024 at 7 p.m. ET at Smoothie King Center & Phoenix Suns vs. Miami Heat Saturday, December 7, 2024 at 8 p.m. ET at Kaseya Center
Why Cleveland Will Win
The Hornets enter this game averaging 97.5 points in their last six games.
They miss some of their top scorers, including their leading scorer LaMelo Ball who averages over 30 points per game, and run into a defense that matches up well against them.
Charlotte attempts more threes per game than almost any other team, but Cleveland does a good job of limiting open three-point attempts and of preventing teams from attempting threes in the first place.
So, Charlotte will fail to reach 100 points.
But then the Cavaliers, who own the third-best offensive rating, will only need to exceed 100 points against what is one of the NBA's worst defenses.
Why Oklahoma City Will Win
The Pelicans are coming off a rare win. Whereas they regularly fail to string wins together, the Thunder enter tonight's game having won six of their last seven games.
New Orleans will, first of all, struggle to score. The Pelicans are one of the worst teams at making threes, but they'll also suffer inside where the Thunder are one of the best teams at preventing opponents from making shots within five feet of the basket.
OKC's stout paint protection, which features aggressive forms of help defense, limits opposing scorers inside the arc.
It's impossible to like the Pelicans to win when you don't like them to score a lot, because they own the NBA's second-worst defense, as measured by defensive rating.
In OKC's last two games, it has scored 133 points against Utah and 129 points against Toronto. The sizzling Thunder will race past New Orleans.
Why Miami Will Win
Phoenix star Kevin Durant remains injured.
The Suns are 1-7 without him, having most recently lost to lowly New Orleans.
The fact that they allowed 126 points to New Orleans underscores the extent to which Durant is more than just a scorer.
His versatility and length allow him to effectively guard multiple positions, so the defense really misses him.
Best Bet: Parlay Cavaliers ML (-800), Thunder ML (-310), Heat ML (-210) at +120 with BetOnline
Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Charlotte Hornets
Saturday, December 7, 2024 at 1 p.m. ET at Spectrum Center in Charlotte
Charlotte's Injury Situation
The Hornets might seem capable of producing a respectable point total against Cleveland because they scored 114 points when they played each other on November 14.
However, Charlotte now misses three important players: first-string point guard LaMelo Ball, second-string point guard Tre Mann, and power forward Miles Bridges have all been ruled out for today's game.
Ball and Bridges are particularly significant. Both players accounted for a combined total of 50 of Charlotte's 114 points on November 14.
They were Charlotte's two leading scorers in that game.
On the season, Bridges is his team's third-leading scorer. Ball leads the Hornets with over 30 points per game.
Charlotte's Ongoing Struggles
Partly due to these injuries, the Hornets are suffering unrelenting scoring difficulties.
In their last six games, they are averaging 97.5 points.
During this span, they exceeded 101 points on two occasions.
One was against Atlanta's atrocious defense.
The other was against the 76ers against whom they shot above their season-long three-point average. They also benefitted from the absence of elite rim protector Joel Embiid.
Cleveland's Stout Defense
Cleveland's group of rim protectors is healthy and solid.
The Cavaliers are one of the toughest teams to score on around the basket.
Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley form a reliable duo that combines athleticism with length to disrupt opposing players.
Largely thanks to these two, Cleveland allows the second-lowest field goal percentage within five feet of the basket.
But the Cavaliers also guard the perimeter well.
They rank top-ten both at limiting opposing three-point attempts and at limiting open three-point attempts.
These two statistics indicate that Cleveland is good both at contesting three-point attempts and at running teams off the three-point line.
Takeaway
Cleveland has a well-rounded defense that will punish Charlotte for relying as heavily on making three-pointers as it does but will also protect the space around the basket.
The beleaguered Hornets are anyhow struggling to score.
Don't think that Cleveland will take it easy on them.
After beating defending champion Boston, the Cavs just held lowly Washington to 87 points, which also attests to their determination to allow drastically fewer points in rematches.
Best Bet: Hornets team total under 101.5 at +103 with MyBookie
Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Charlotte Hornets
Saturday, December 7, 2024 at 1 p.m. ET at Spectrum Center in Charlotte & Oklahoma City Thunder vs. New Orleans Pelicans Saturday, December 7, 2024 at 7 p.m. ET at Smoothie King Center & Phoenix Suns vs. Miami Heat Saturday, December 7, 2024 at 8 p.m. ET at Kaseya Center
Why Cleveland Will Win
The Hornets enter this game averaging 97.5 points in their last six games.
They miss some of their top scorers, including their leading scorer LaMelo Ball who averages over 30 points per game, and run into a defense that matches up well against them.
Charlotte attempts more threes per game than almost any other team, but Cleveland does a good job of limiting open three-point attempts and of preventing teams from attempting threes in the first place.
So, Charlotte will fail to reach 100 points.
But then the Cavaliers, who own the third-best offensive rating, will only need to exceed 100 points against what is one of the NBA's worst defenses.
Why Oklahoma City Will Win
The Pelicans are coming off a rare win. Whereas they regularly fail to string wins together, the Thunder enter tonight's game having won six of their last seven games.
New Orleans will, first of all, struggle to score. The Pelicans are one of the worst teams at making threes, but they'll also suffer inside where the Thunder are one of the best teams at preventing opponents from making shots within five feet of the basket.
OKC's stout paint protection, which features aggressive forms of help defense, limits opposing scorers inside the arc.
It's impossible to like the Pelicans to win when you don't like them to score a lot, because they own the NBA's second-worst defense, as measured by defensive rating.
In OKC's last two games, it has scored 133 points against Utah and 129 points against Toronto. The sizzling Thunder will race past New Orleans.
Why Miami Will Win
Phoenix star Kevin Durant remains injured.
The Suns are 1-7 without him, having most recently lost to lowly New Orleans.
The fact that they allowed 126 points to New Orleans underscores the extent to which Durant is more than just a scorer.
His versatility and length allow him to effectively guard multiple positions, so the defense really misses him.
Best Bet: Parlay Cavaliers ML (-800), Thunder ML (-310), Heat ML (-210) at +120 with BetOnline
