Best NBA Bets Today | NBA Picks December 15

The NBA's Thursday night showcase pits eight teams against each other across four different matchups!

The Miami Heat and the Houston Rockets kick off the night in what'll surely be an offense-defense matchup. The New Orleans Pelicans and the Utah Jazz matchup as two teams that have spent some time as the top seed in the West. And the Milwaukee Bucks look to slow down the fast and gritty Memphis Grizzlies.

Let's take a look at the bets!

Miami Heat @ Houston Rockets

When: 8:00 PM EST

Spread: Miami Heat -4.5 (-110) @ Caesars Sportsbook

Two teams who are nowhere near where they hoped to be in the standings to this point in the season, the Miami Heat and the Houston Rockets are certain to put on an exciting offence-defence matchup. The Heat are tenth in the Eastern Conference, with a 13-15 overall record and a 4-9 record on the road. The Houston Rockets are last in the Western Conference, owning a 9-18 record and a 6-5 record at home.

The Miami Heat own the league's worst scoring offence, averaging 107.9 points per game. However, they also own the league's fifth-best scoring defence, allowing just 109.3 points per game. The Houston Rockets play a much less refined game compared to the Heat, averaging 13.5 offensive rebounds per game (1st in the NBA) while getting to the line for 25.9 attempts per game (2nd in the NBA).

The Heat have shown that they can rely on their defence, even against the headiest of teams. With a rather even, if not Miami-skewed, a matchup in the paint, the Rockets don't look as if they'll earn their tenth win in this matchup.

New Orleans Pelicans @ Utah Jazz

When: 9:00 PM EST

Spread: New Orleans Pelicans -1.0 (-115) @ BetRivers

The top seed in the Western Conference, the New Orleans Pelicans, look to prolong the Utah Jazz's recent inconsistent run of form. The Pelicans are the top seed in the Western Conference, with an 18-9 overall record and a 6-6 road record. The Utah Jazz have fallen to eighth in the Western Conference, owning a 16-14 overall record with an impressive 10-5 record at home.

The New Orleans Pelicans are an efficient and high-scoring team, averaging 117.0 points per game (5th in the NBA) on 48.5% shooting from the field (6th in the NBA). The Utah Jazz aren't far off their pace though, averaging 117.4 points per game (2nd in the NBA) on 47.7% shooting from the field (8th in the NBA).

Both the Jazz and the Pelicans will be missing key players in Collin Sexton and Brandon Ingram respectively. After a blowout loss in their last meeting, expect the Pelicans to come out focused with a mind on revenge. Utah are stronger than their record suggests, but the Pelicans should outclass them in the rematch.

Milwaukee Bucks @ Memphis Grizzlies

When: 8:00 PM EST

Moneyline: Milwaukee Bucks (+105) @ DraftKings

The Milwaukee Bucks and the Memphis Grizzlies are both looking to climb their way up their respective conference tables. Sitting second in the Eastern Conference with a 20-7 overall record and a 7-4 road record, the Milwaukee Bucks are just one game back from first in the East. The Memphis Grizzlies are currently tied for first in the Western Conference with an 18-9 overall record and a 12-2 home record.

Being one of the league's models for a three-and-D team, the Milwaukee Bucks hit 13.0 threes per game (7th in the NBA) while allowing their opponents just 107.6 points per game (2nd in the NBA) on 44.5% shooting from the field (1st in the NBA). The Memphis Grizzlies are a capable two-way team in their own right though, averaging 115.5 points per game (7th in the NBA) while allowing just 111.7 points per game (12th in the NBA) on 45.1% shooting (3rd in the NBA).

Very narrow margins separate these teams, with the injury lists having the potential to be the difference maker. Milwaukee are the stronger team though, considering their paint defense and Memphis' pedestrian three-point shooting efficiency.