The final two participants in the semifinals of the NBA’s in-season tournament will be determined on Tuesday, with the Bucks hosting the Knicks in the East, and the Lakers welcoming the Suns out West. Who will punch their ticket to Las Vegas? Here are my NBA picks for December 5th.
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NBA Picks December 5th
New York Knicks vs. Milwaukee Bucks
Tipoff – 7:30 pm EST
Spread: Bucks -5
Total: 225
Are the Milwaukee Bucks putting it together? Well, they are winning games, so that’s a positive. They’ve won nine of their last 11 games, and are absolutely deadly at home, only losing one game out of the 10 they’ve hosted at Fiserv Forum this season. They were 5-4 to start the season while adjusting to Damian Lillard being on the squad. The New York Knicks aren’t doing too bad for themselves either, winning seven of their last 10, and going 6-4 on the road so far. But I think Milwaukee will be too much for them at home and will cover the spread. And I think this game gets into the high 220s (Milwaukee’s defense isn’t so hot this season), so I’m taking the Over.
Best Bet: Bucks -5 (-112), Knicks/Bucks Over 225 (-112)
Phoenix Suns vs. Los Angeles Lakers
Tipoff – 10:00 pm EST
Spread: Lakers -2
Total: 227
The Los Angeles Lakers shouldn’t be favored in this game. They’re a very inconsistent team, swapping wins with losses over their last six games (I guess they’re consistently inconsistent). While they’re really good at home (8-2), Phoenix is also really good on the road (7-3). Plus, Devin Booker and Kevin Durant are expected to suit up tomorrow, and the Suns are 6-2 with that dynamic duo playing together this season. I’m pegging the total in the game to be around 228, so no play on the line for this game.
Best Bets: Suns +2 (-113)
If you’d like even more info to help make your NBA bets for December 5th, check out the NBA Gambling Podcast. They’re dropping episodes five days a week to make you the smartest guy/gal at the bar.
