The following NBA betting trends are a collection of analytical data, betting systems and strength ratings featured on VSiN and qualified for the NBA games of Wednesday, December 17, 2025. This report is meant to emulate the process that Steve Makinen and other members of the VSiN Analytics team undergo when handicapping each day’s NBA board.

 

AJ’s Angles

These are the top NBA betting trends and systems for today’s games, handpicked by VSiN Analyst AJ Makinen. 

* In Eastern Central divisional games, favorites of <= 7.5-points playing on two days rest or more are 23-6 SU and 22-7 ATS (75.9%) since the start of the 2020-21 season.
System Match (PLAY): CLEVELAND (-5.5 at CHI) 

* NBA teams playing at home in 2 Days Rest scenario were 18-2 Over the total vs. teams in 3rd in 8+ Days games since start of last season
System Match (PLAY OVER): CLE-CHI (o/u at 242.5) 

Schedule Situations Crucial for NBA Handicapping

The following is an expanded version of the article published in this year’s VSiN NBA Betting Guide, detailing scheduling situations in which teams have shown definitive patterns over the last few seasons. Typically, there are reasons that teams perform at varying levels based on their schedules, whether that be from the amount of rest they’ve gotten before a game, how fatigued they are from a string of games, or how they deal with injuries/workloads based on the schedule pressures.

* NBA teams playing on the road in 2 Days Rest scenario are 20-37 SU and 19-35-3 ATS vs. teams in 3rd in 8+ Days games over the last four seasons
* CLEVELAND is 13-1 SU and 11-3 ATS playing in the 2 Days Rest scenario since Dec 2024
System/Trend Match: 1 PLAY, 1 FADE of CLEVELAND (-5.5 at CHI) 

* NBA teams playing at HOME in 2 Days Rest scenario were 18-2 Over the total vs. teams in 3rd in 8+ Days games since start of last season
System Match (PLAY OVER): CLE-CHI (o/u at 242.5) 

* NBA teams playing on road in One Day Rest scenario are 199-257 SU but 256-192-8 ATS vs. teams in 2 Days Rest games over the last four seasons
System Match (PLAY): MEMPHIS (+7.5 at MIN)

* NBA teams playing in One Day Rest scenario are 133-74 Under the total vs. teams in 4th in 10+ Days games over the last two seasons
System Match (PLAY UNDER): MEM-MIN (o/u at 230.5)

Here are the top head-to-head series NBA betting trends in play for all of today’s games:

(511) CLEVELAND at (512) CHICAGO
* Over the total is 5-1 in the last six of the Cavs-Bulls divisional rivalry
Trend Match (PLAY OVER): CLE-CHI (o/u at 242.5) 

(517) MEMPHIS at (518) MINNESOTA
* Road teams are 6-1 ATS in the last seven of the MEM-MIN series
Trend Match (PLAY): MEMPHIS (+7.5 at MIN) 

The following handicapping information details betting systems for divisional games. 

Eastern Central Division Betting System #3:
In Eastern Central divisional games, favorites of <= 7.5 points playing on two days rest or more are 23-6 SU and 22-7 ATS (75.9%) since the start of the 2020-21 season.
System Match (PLAY): CLEVELAND (-5.5 at CHI) 

NBA Extreme Stats Next Game Systems

These systems search for extreme statistical performances in NBA games and detail the results of the follow-up game for the teams. These systems are from the last five seasons unless noted. 

NBA teams that come off a game in which they lost as home favorites flush that result quickly when next a road favorite, going 165-73 SU and 136-98-4 ATS (58.1%) (sub-system: 80-25 SU and 65-36-4 ATS (64.4%) when favored by 4 points or more versus intraconference foes) since the start of the 2020-21 season.
System Match (PLAY): CLEVELAND (-5.5 at CHI)

NBA Streak Systems

The following handicapping information details betting systems for teams on winning or losing streaks of at least four games in the NBA. 

NO QUALIFYING STREAK PLAYS TODAY

Strategies Using NBA DraftKings Betting Splits Data

One of the most touted features on the VSiN.com website, and a feature that we believe to be a fantastic resource for bettors, is the betting splits pages. These are the pages that we have built utilizing the data that DraftKings so graciously provides to us, detailing the breakdowns of the money and ticket splits for point spreads, money lines, and totals. In an article published on the VSiN.com website on opening day, Steve Makinen outlined 14 different systematic strategies for successfully using the DK Betting Splits Data that were developed in the last three seasons. Here are the systems and qualifying plays for today’s games as of 11:45 a.m. ET. These can and will change, so continue to track and qualify the systems up until tip-off for best usage. 

To summarize the findings from the full 2024-25 season, the sample contained 1321 games, and for the most part, majority handle bettors were much more successful than majority number of bets groups on point spreads and totals, while both struggled on money lines. The full season performance by the majority handle on totals last year in the NBA was better than any other sport I have covered. In fact, these were the results: 

–  Majority handle on point spreads: 660-614 ATS (51.8%), -15.4 units – ROI: -1.2%
–  Majority number of bets on point spreads: 618-645 ATS (48.9%), -91.5 units – ROI: -7.2%
–  Majority handle on money lines: 842-458 (64.8%). -123.18 units – ROI: -9.5%
–  Majority number of bets on money lines: 886-421 (67.8%). -137.95 units – ROI: -10.6%
–  Majority handle on totals: 708-594 (54.4%). +54.6 units – ROI: +4.2%
–  Majority number of bets on totals: 670-621 (51.9%), -13.1 units – ROI: -1%

DK NBA Betting Splits system #2: When 59% or more of the handle has been on the road side of an ATS wager, this “super” majority group has gone 748-665 ATS (52.9%) over the last three seasons. This has produced a profit of +16.5 units and an ROI of 1.2%. This has been a very consistent system since I first found it, and for its simplicity, fairly successful. Remember, handle is the total amount of money on a game. When a good portion of the overall money is on a road team in the NBA, it wins more often than not.
System Match (PLAY): CLEVELAND 

DK NBA Betting Splits system #8: Naturally, with super majority handles doing well on non-conference and non-divisional conference games as compared to the overall, the area where these groups would figure to struggle would be in divisional games. The super-majority number is a little higher, however, 67% in fact. When this super-majority number has backed a team in divisional games over the last three seasons, they are just 137-153 ATS, good for 47.2%. This is over a 4% drop off compared to the overall majority figures and has resulted in -31.3 units of loss and an ROI of -10.8%.
System Match (FADE): CLEVELAND 

DK NBA Betting Splits system #11: One of the best, simplest, and most frequent angles I have been able to uncover is when a majority of handle bettors were backing the Under in an NBA game. It is generally believed that most NBA bettors prefer taking Overs. When any majority number have favored the Under option over the last three seasons, the results have been strong, with Under the total on these games going 434-351, good for 55.3%, +47.9 units, and an ROI of +6.1% since January ’23.
System Matches (PLAY UNDER ALL): CLE-CHI, MEM-MIN 

DK NBA Betting Splits system #12: There has been some decent success for number of bets majorities when they don’t get too heavily invested. In fact, majorities on either side of the total (Over or Under) of 57% or less have gone 346-301 (53.5%) for +14.9 units and an ROI of +2.3% since January 2023.
System Match (SLIGHT PLAY): OVER – MEM-MIN

DK NBA Betting Splits system #14: Majority handle Under bettors have been successful when sticking to their guns despite DraftKings raising total off of its opening number. These Under majorities have gone 176-126 (58.3%) since January 2023 by not getting baited into this totals trap. This has been the most profitable angle of all in terms of ROI, producing +37.4 units of profit for 12.4%.
System Match (PLAY UNDER): CLE-CHI

Today’s NBA Strength Ratings

The following are taken from today’s MAKINEN DAILY RATINGS page under the NBA tab on VSiN.com. Listed by team, current line, and difference between rating and current line (in parentheses). 

Today’s UNDERPRICED UNDERDOG according to the Makinen POWER RATINGS projections:
Ratings Match: CHICAGO +5.5 (+2.2) 

Today’s UNDERPRICED FAVORITE according to the Makinen POWER RATINGS projections:
Ratings Match: MINNESOTA -7.5 (+1.7) 

Today’s UNDERPRICED UNDERDOG according to the Makinen EFFECTIVE STRENGTH RATINGS projections:
Ratings Matches: 1. CHICAGO +5.5 (+1.2)
2. MEMPHIS +7.5 (+0.8) 

Today’s TOTAL PROJECTION FAVORING OVER according to the Makinen EFFECTIVE STRENGTH RATINGS projections:
Ratings Match: CLE-CHI OVER 242.5 (+0.3) 

Today’s TOTAL PROJECTION FAVORING UNDER according to the Makinen EFFECTIVE STRENGTH RATINGS projections:
Ratings Match: MEM-MIN UNDER 230.5 (-1.3) 

Today’s UNDERPRICED UNDERDOG according to the Makinen BETTORS RATINGS projections:
Ratings Match: CHICAGO +5.5 (+2.5) 

Today’s UNDERPRICED FAVORITE according to the Makinen BETTORS RATINGS projections:
Ratings Match: MINNESOTA -7.5 (+3.1) 

Today’s TOTAL PROJECTION FAVORING OVER according to the Makinen BETTORS RATINGS projections:
Ratings Match: CLE-CHI OVER 242.5 (+0.2) 

Today’s TOTAL PROJECTION FAVORING UNDER according to the Makinen BETTORS RATINGS projections:
Ratings Match: MEM-MIN UNDER 230.5 (-5.6)

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