Every night of the 2025-26 NBA season gives us a fresh set of games and numbers to pick apart. This daily column digs into the best sides and totals on the board, using in-depth basketball analysis, betting trends, and our VSiN NBA betting splits to spot value. We’ll also be tackling these slates relentlessly on our live VSiN programming, which is why basketball fans should really consider a VSiN Pro subscription. Below you’ll find some NBA picks and predictions for December 23.
MORE: Check out the VSiN Pro Picks page for more bets from our talented hosts and analysts!
NBA Best Bets Today – Tuesday, December 23
Wizards +5.5 (-106) vs. Hornets
Wizards at Hornets – 7:00 pm ET
The Hornets were able to get the backdoor cover last night, but they played some pathetic defense for a good portion of the evening. Charlotte will now be playing the second leg of a back-to-back, and the team will be doing it against a Washington squad that has been pretty competitive lately.
The Wizards are actually 4-1 against the spread in their last five games, so they’ve been covering numbers. They’re also 5-3 both straight-up and ATS under Brian Keefe when playing as road underdogs of 6 or fewer points. On top of that, the Hornets are just 1-7 ATS as favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points under Charles Lee. In that same span, they’re also just 2-11 both SU and ATS when facing opponents with winning percentages of 25% or worse.
You just can’t trust this Charlotte team as a favorite, and that’s especially true in a bad rest spot. The Hornets have a ton of players that are injury prone. Charlotte is also one of the worst teams in the league at defending above-the-break 3s. Well, Washington hits 36.2% of those triples, so there’s a chance the Wizards do some real damage on non-corner 3s. That could make the difference here.
Pelicans +9.5 (-105) vs. Cavaliers
Pelicans at Cavaliers – 7:30 pm ET
After New Orleans’ win over Dallas last night, James Borrego didn’t rule out the possibility of Zion Williamson playing on the second leg of a back-to-back. It’s still very likely the Pelicans will be cautious with him, but the fact it’s a consideration is a positive sign. If Williamson is out there, the Evan Mobley absence will really be felt for the Cavaliers. Williamson and Derik Queen will be a load to defend around the basket. However, even if Williamson sits, it still feels like New Orleans is getting too many points tonight.
This Pelicans team comes into this one on a five-game winning streak. New Orleans is also 14-3 ATS over the last 17 games. Meanwhile, Cleveland should have covered against Charlotte last night, but the team has still failed to cover in six consecutive games. The Cavaliers have also been one of the worst ATS teams in the NBA this season.
I definitely wouldn’t rule out a Cleveland win tonight. The Cavaliers looked much better last night, and they’re a tough team at home. However, the Pelicans are on a roll lately. That makes it hard to imagine them getting absolutely whooped here.
Cleveland could also have some players out tonight. Lonzo Ball doesn’t normally play back-to-backs, and the team has had other players in and out of the lineup. That means we could see some Cavs rested.
Additional Best Bets (Parlays, Teasers, Futures)
PARLAY: Wolves ML vs. Knicks & Suns ML vs. Lakers (-106 – 1.5 units): The Knicks will be without Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby. That should be very difficult for New York to overcome — even with a motivated Karl-Anthony Towns playing his former team. In the other game, Los Angeles will be without Luka Doncic. The Lakers have been miserable defensively recently, so they can’t afford to be anything but perfect on offense. It’ll be hard for them to achieve offensive perfection without one of the league’s best offensive engines.
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2025-26 NBA Record: 200-180 (+18.93 units)
Check out today’s episode of Hardwood Handicappers! I dove into all of this (and more) on the podcast!
