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 29.
MORE: Check out the VSiN Pro Picks page for more bets from our talented hosts and analysts!
NBA Best Bets Today – Monday, December 29
Pelicans +8.5 (-108) vs. Knicks
Knicks at Pelicans – 8:00 pm ET
The Knicks are 14-3 straight-up over the last 17 games, so they’ve been doing nothing but winning lately. However, they are 0-5-1 against the spread over the last six games, and they have been lousy on the road this year. In Mike Brown’s first year at the helm, New York is 3-7 ATS when playing as a road favorite. The team is also 3-10 ATS on the road overall. Meanwhile, New Orleans is 9-5 ATS as a home underdog since James Borrego took over for Willie Green, and the team is also 7-0 ATS against teams that outscore opponents by 3.0 or more points per game — and 3-0 ATS versus teams with winning percentages of 75% or higher. The Pelicans have just done a good job of holding their own against elite competition, so they shouldn’t be treated like some of the NBA’s other bottom-of-the-barrel squads.
New York will also be without Josh Hart and Mitchell Robinson tonight, meaning they’ll be missing two of the grittiest players on the roster. That said, there’s a good chance New Orleans does a decent job of doing some of the little things out there.
I also just think this is a good bounce-back spot for the Pelicans, who lost two home games in a row against the Suns. They’ll be excited about seeing another team on their home floor, and they have an underrated amount of scoring that the Knicks will have to deal with. Keep an eye on Jeremiah Fears here. The rookie can be explosive going to the basket, and I’m not sure New York has somebody that can handle him.
Additional Best Bets (Parlays, Teasers, Futures)
PARLAY: Nets Alt +10.5 vs. Warriors & Heat Alt +8.5 vs. Nuggets (-118 – 1.5 units) – The Warriors played an OT game against the Raptors yesterday. That could be tiring for their older core players. The Nets are also third in the NBA in net rating over the last 10 games, and they’re 7-3 in that stretch. They should be able to keep this game close. I also like the Heat to hang around against the depleted Nuggets. Denver is playing without Christian Braun, Aaron Gordon, and Cameron Johnson, so the team is weak from two through four. The depth of the Nuggets is also questionable at the moment, and the Heat can trouble them by playing fast.
PARLAY: Timberwolves ML vs. Bulls & Cavaliers Alt +10.5 vs. Spurs (-125) – The Timberwolves are coming off a loss to the Nets, but they should be eager to get back in the win column. This matchup with the Bulls is also quite favorable. Chicago likely won’t be able to stop Minnesota, but the Timberwolves are good enough defensively to make life tough on the Bulls. Then, in the second game, I like the Cavaliers to bounce back from a bad performance against the Rockets. Kenny Atkinson called his team out, which should elicit a response. Also, having Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen to battle Victor Wembanyama should be a plus. I also think Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland will be able to create against a good Spurs defensive backcourt.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2025-26 NBA Record: 218-199 (+15.17 units)
Check out today’s episode of Hardwood Handicappers! I dove into all of this (and more) on the podcast!
