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 3.
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NBA Best Bets Today – Wednesday, December 3
Hornets +9 (-108) vs. Knicks
Hornets at Knicks – 7:30 pm ET
The Knicks beat the Hornets by 28 points on November 26, so there shouldn’t be a shortage of New York backers this evening. However, it’s hard to beat up on the same team twice in a row. This Hornets team is also coming off a bad loss to the Nets last game. That performance didn’t sit well inside the locker room, and rookie Kon Knueppel had some strong words about it after the game. Luckily, Charlotte has been good at bouncing back from bad losses under Charles Lee. With him on the sidelines, the Hornets are 4-2 against the spread when coming off a loss as a favorite.
The Knicks are also just 8-22 ATS when playing on back-to-back days over the last three seasons, and we did see New York’s starters play some big minutes in the loss to Boston last night. Jalen Brunson was one of them, as the superstar played 39 minutes in a tough defeat.
I just think we’ll see a better defensive effort from Charlotte, and I also think the team can frustrate New York by playing with some pace. That said, while Brandon Miller is out for the Hornets tonight, I think the team can avoid a blowout loss at Madison Square Garden.
Nets +8.5 (-115) vs. Bulls
Nets at Bulls – 7:30 pm ET
The Nets have been playing some better basketball lately, going 5-4-1 ATS in their last 10 games. Tonight, they’re going up against a depleted Bulls group. Chicago will be without Kevin Huerter and Coby White, two awesome shooters, and Isaac Okoro, a good defender and energy player. The Bulls also have Jalen Smith, Zach Collins, Tre Jones, and Dalen Terry listed as questionable. That said, Billy Donovan’s not going to have his usual rotation out there this evening, and this is a Bulls team that has lost four straight and 10 of their last 13.
It has been quite some time since Chicago has played good basketball, making the hot start to the season look like a complete fluke. So, this isn’t the toughest matchup for Brooklyn. We’re just going to need somebody in the backcourt to step up and help the duo of Michael Porter Jr. and Nic Claxton. If that happens, this game should be a little tighter than expected.
The Nets also happen to be 13-7-1 ATS as road undrdogs of 6.5 to 12 points under Jordi Fernandez.
Bucks +5 (-110 – 1.5 units) & Bucks ML (+164 – 0.5 units) vs. Pistons
Pistons at Bucks – 8:00 pm ET
The Bucks are dealing with off-court Giannis Antetokounmpo drama right now. The Greek Freak deleted a bunch of social media posts, leading to speculation that he has demanded a trade. Some lower-level reporters are also claiming that he has done exactly that. However, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said that Antetokounmpo actually demanded a trade before the season, but the two parties agreed he’d play out this season. With that in mind, I’m treating this as business as usual. And I like the Bucks to keep this game tight — and potentially win it.
With Antetokounmpo on the floor this year, Milwaukee is scoring 125.7 points per 100 possessions. That’d be the best mark in basketball if it was the Bucks’ season-long number, so this team is still flat-out awesome offensively when they have their star out there. Of course, Antetokounmpo doesn’t play 48 minutes each night. And Milwaukee will be vulnerable when he’s on the bench. However, the main point here is that this Bucks team is still pretty good, and I feel people have forgotten that. I also think there’s been a big overreaction to some recent Milwaukee losses.
The Bucks are also a tough matchup for the Pistons. Myles Turner is a good defender around the rim, so he should be able to make Jalen Duren work. And Antetokounmpo should outshine Cade Cunningham in the battle of the best players on the floor. I also think the Milwaukee supporting cast is going to look a little better moving forward, as Antetokounmpo will make life easier on all of the role players.
This is also a game in which our VSiN matchup pages have an estimated line of Detroit -3.4. That said, we’re getting some value in grabbing 5 with Milwaukee. And I think the moneyline is worth a sprinkle too.
RELATED: Check out our new live NBA in-game odds page!
Additional Best Bets (Parlays, Teasers, Futures)
PARLAY: Magic ML vs. Spurs & Hawks Alt +7.5 vs. Clippers (-161 – 1.5 units)
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2025-26 NBA Record: 148-135 (+12.33 units)
Check out today’s episode of Hardwood Handicappers! I dove into all of this (and more) on the podcast!
