With the knockout stage of the 2025 Emirates NBA Cup beginning tomorrow, the NBA slate for Monday, December 8 features only three games. With that in mind, I’m doing all of my sides, totals, and player props in one story, as there isn’t quite enough to warrant breaking it all up into two. However, I do have at least one pick for all three of Monday’s games. That said, keep reading for my NBA picks and predictions for Monday, December 8.
RELATED: Check out the Pro Picks page for more selections from our talented VSiN hosts and analysts!
NBA Best Bets Today (Sides/Totals)
Pacers -3.5 (-110) vs. Kings
Kings at Pacers – 7:00 pm ET
The Pacers have been a lot better recently, covering in seven of their last nine games. Indiana also comes into this one on two full days of rest, and this will be the team’s second game in a span of five days. Well, under Rick Carlisle, the Pacers are 62-38-1 against the spread in that exact rest situation.
This is also a game in which Sacramento will be playing without Domantas Sabonis. That looms large here. This Indiana team has a ton of weaknesses, but the biggest one is the play at the center position. Jay Huff has been giving the Pacers some good minutes over the last few weeks, but letting Myles Turner go has resulted in Indiana having one of the worst center rotations in the NBA. Well, that shouldn’t be an issue tonight. With no Sabonis, the Kings will be every bit as weak as the Pacers inside.
This game now comes down to the guards and forwards, and it’s hard not to feel like Indiana has the edge there. The Pacers also have a much better coach, as Carlisle is a legend of the game. Meanwhile, Doug Christie has been in over his head since taking over as the coach of the Kings.
Our VSiN NBA matchup pages also happened to have Indiana as an estimated favorite of -4.8 in this game. That means we’re getting some decent value on -3.5.
NBA Player Props Today
Collin Gillespie Over 16.5 Points (-130) vs. Timberwolves
Suns at Timberwolves – 7:30 pm ET
The Suns should be getting Devin Booker back on Wednesday, but the superstar will miss tonight’s meeting with the Timberwolves. It also seems like there’s a real chance Dillon Brooks will join Booker and Jalen Green as inactives. That means that this really should be another Gillespie game. While Grayson Allen is back to take on some of the scoring load for Phoenix, there’s just no way Gillespie won’t have a massive role on offense tonight. And if he does, there’s a good chance he turns in a solid performance. Gillespie had 20 points against this Minnesota team back on November 21, and he has scored at least 19 points in five of the last nine games. This is also a Timberwolves team that is last in the NBA at defending pick-and-roll ball handlers this season, and this team also struggles to defend dribble-handoffs. Well, Gillespie should be able to take advantage of both of those things. Let’s just hope this isn’t a blowout. We want Gillespie out there for meaningful fourth-quarter minutes.
Devin Vassell Over 16.5 Points (+100) vs. Pelicans
Spurs at Pelicans – 8:00 pm ET
The Spurs might get Stephon Castle back tonight, meaning this could be the first time all season that San Antonio will have De’Aaron Fox, Castle, and Dylan Harper out there together. That could end up dinging Vassell’s minutes a bit. However, Vassell has scored at least 17 points in five of the last seven games. He also has a great matchup tonight. New Orleans is 29th in the NBA at defending catch-and-shoot jumpers, and the team is also a bottom-five group in the league when it comes to guarding corner 3s and above-the-break 3s. Well, Vassell is shooting 40.1% on 7.1 attempts from deep this season. He also scores 53% of his points on catch-and-shoot opportunities. That said, even if he doesn’t play as many minutes as usual, there’s a chance he really thrives against this weak Pelicans defense.
