The NBA slate for Friday, December 19 features only five games. Normally I’d break down a slate like this with two separate articles, but I only have three plays for this evening. So, instead of splitting sides/totals and player props into two pieces, I’m bringing everything under one roof — a streamlined look at my favorite bets for the day’s slate. Keep reading for my NBA picks and predictions for Friday.
RELATED: Check out the Pro Picks page for more selections from our talented VSiN hosts and analysts!
NBA Best Bets Today (Sides/Totals)
Sixers +5 (-110 – 1.5 units) & Sixers ML (+154 – 0.5 units)
76ers at Knicks – 7:00 pm ET
The Knicks are playing their third game in four nights. Tuesday night’s game also happened to be in Las Vegas for the NBA Cup Championship. The Knicks then had to fly to Indiana before heading back to New York for this game. This is just a team that should be rather tired from all the games and travel, making this a tricky matchup.
While Philadelphia has had an up-and-down season, we haven’t seen this team play since Sunday. That means the Sixers will be a well-rested group, which is big for a team with some older, injury-prone players. Unfortunately, Joel Embiid is listed as questionable for this game, leaving some doubt as to whether he’ll be out there. However, I’m taking a chance with the Sixers either way.
If Embiid is out there, he should cook after some time off. The last time he played a game after sitting for four days was against the Pacers last Friday, when he had 39 points and nine rebounds in 32 minutes of action. I also just like the Sixers’ young, athletic guards to put a lot of pressure on the Knicks, testing out their tired legs as much as possible. The last thing anybody on New York will want to do tonight is chase Tyrese Maxey around.
It’s also worth noting that Philadelphia is 28-22-3 against the spread when playing as an underdog of 3.5 to 9.5 points under Nick Nurse. I’ll also add that the Sixers are 17-14-1 ATS when coming off a loss by six or fewer. So, this should be a motivated team on Friday, and the group has had plenty of time to prepare for this specific opponent.
UPDATE: Embiid is OUT for the Sixers tonight. I’m stuck with a bad number here, but I would still play Philly +7 (-114 at FD).
NBA Player Props Today
Davion Mitchell Over 8.5 Points (+104 – 1.5 units) vs. Celtics
Heat at Celtics – 7:00 pm ET
The Heat will be without Tyler Herro tonight. That means Mitchell could have some more opportunities to score. Mitchell has scored at least nine points in 11 of the last 13 games he has played without Herro. He’s also averaging 10.4 points per game in the games played without the All-Star this season.
This is also a strong matchup for Mitchell, as he scores 33% of his points on above-the-break 3s. Well, the Celtics are a bottom-five defense in the NBA when it comes to defending that area of the floor.
Our OptaAI player prop projections have Mitchell going for 9.5 points in this one. I always like when my handicap matches up with their projections.
Darius Garland Over 29.5 Points + Assists (-120) vs. Bulls
Bulls at Cavaliers – 7:30 pm ET
Garland only had 21 combined points and assists against the Bulls the other night, but I still like this matchup for him. Chicago is still second in the league in pace of play (103.9) and 24th in adjusted defensive rating (117.1), making this a good game to be a guard that makes plays offensively. Garland, like most players, performs better when playing at home, and he actually has some pretty lopsided shooting splits when looking at home/away numbers. That said, just playing inside Rocket Arena should mean better things tonight.
I also like that Donovan Mitchell is questionable here. I’m not happy the Cavaliers superstar is dealing with an illness — and I hope he feels better soon — but I do believe there will be some more on Garland’s plate here. All of that should mean big numbers for a player that can use a good performance.
Additional Best Bets
Hawks +4 (-110 – 1.5 units) & Hawks ML (+138 – 0.5 units) vs. Spurs
2025-26 NBA Record: 187-175 (+8.86 units)
