Expert NBA Picks and Player Props: Best NBA Bets Today Dec. 18

The NBA Cup is in the rearview, and Thursday’s schedule finally looks like a true regular-season slate again. With contenders and up-and-coming teams scattered across the board, there are plenty of angles to attack on sports betting apps as you hunt for sportsbook promotions that lean into the best NBA bets today that still carry value.

Below are our favorite game lines, player props and NBA parlay picks today for the Thursday slate.

Game Lines

New York Knicks (-3.5) vs Indiana Pacers (-115)

🏀 Odds via BetMGM 📈

New York’s physicality on the perimeter should bother Indiana’s smaller backcourt, especially when the Knicks can switch length onto the Pacers’ primary creators. With the Knicks’ offense running smoothly through Jalen Brunson and the frontcourt playing through contact, this sets up as a game where New York can grind out a two-possession win.

Miami Heat (-6.5) vs Brooklyn Nets (-105)

🏀 Odds via bet365 📈

Brooklyn leans heavily on Michael Porter Jr. for scoring, and while he’s been electric, Miami has the kind of layered, switchable defense that can throw multiple looks at him over 48 minutes. If the Heat can force the ball out of his hands and make the Nets’ secondary options beat them, their more balanced offense should give them enough cushion to cover this number.

Detroit Pistons (-5.5) vs Dallas Mavericks (-110)

🏀 Odds via BetMGM 📈

Dallas has leaned on 18-year-old phenom Cooper Flagg, but Detroit’s edge is its depth and size on the interior. Flagg is coming off a monster stretch of scoring performances, yet the Pistons can throw multiple defenders at him while punishing the Mavericks on the glass and in transition, which favors Detroit over four quarters.

Player Props

Moussa Diabate over 6.5 rebounds (-125)

🏀 Odds via Caesars Sportsbook 📈

Moussa Diabate has carved out a role as an energy big for the Charlotte Hornets, averaging strong rebounding numbers thanks to his motor and length. Against an Atlanta team that will put plenty of shots up and can go small in certain lineups, Diabate should see enough opportunities on both ends to clear seven boards.

LaMelo Ball over 2.5 made threes (-112)

🏀 Odds via bet365 📈

LaMelo Ball’s volume from beyond the arc remains high, and Atlanta’s defense is willing to concede pull-up threes if it means protecting the paint. With Ball orchestrating most possessions and comfortably launching from well beyond the line, three or more makes from deep is very much in play.

Cason Wallace over 1.5 assists (-115)

🏀 Odds via BetMGM 📈

Cason Wallace may not be Oklahoma City’s primary ball-handler, but he consistently makes smart reads as a secondary creator. His minutes alongside stars who draw heavy attention give him clean passing lanes on kick-outs and short rolls, making two assists a realistic baseline.

Harrison Barnes over 1.5 made threes (-170)

🏀 Odds via Caesars Sportsbook 📈

Spurs veteran Harrison Barnes has settled into a tertiary spacer role, averaging around two made threes per game while shooting efficiently from deep. With Washington prioritizing help on Victor Wembanyama and De’Aaron Fox’s drives, Barnes should continue to see open catch-and-shoot looks along the perimeter.

Steven Adams over 7.5 rebounds (+111)

🏀 Odds via bet365 📈

Steven Adams remains one of the league’s strongest offensive rebounders and a punishing screener who lives in the paint. New Orleans’ frontcourt will battle him on the glass, but Houston’s defensive game plan often funnels misses toward Adams, giving him a clear path to eight or more rebounds if he avoids foul trouble.

Cooper Flagg over 19.5 points (-114)

🏀 Odds via BetMGM 📈

Cooper Flagg has wasted no time becoming a primary scorer for Dallas, averaging just over 18 points per game and already recording a historic 42-point outing as an 18-year-old. Detroit will test him with physical defenders, yet his blend of shot-making, transition scoring, and on-ball usage makes 20 points a fair target.

Lauri Markkanen over 25.5 points (-120)

🏀 Odds via bet365 📈

Lauri Markkanen continues to operate as Utah’s offensive focal point, thriving as a pick-and-pop threat who can also attack smaller wings off the dribble. Against the Lakers, who must decide whether to chase him over screens or switch smaller defenders onto him, Markkanen’s versatility should generate enough looks to threaten the high 20s in scoring.

Stephen Curry over 3.5 assists (-135)

🏀 Odds via Caesars Sportsbook 📈

Even when Stephen Curry is hunting his own shot, Golden State’s offense is built around his gravity, which naturally creates passing opportunities. Phoenix will blitz and trap him frequently, and those extra bodies almost always lead to simple kick-outs or dump-offs that can accumulate four or more assists quickly.

Today’s Best Parlay

🏀 Combined Parlay Odds: +546 (via BetMGM) 📈

• Leg 1: Jalen Williams over 17.5 points
• Leg 2: Alperen Sengun over 22.5 points
• Leg 3: Michael Porter Jr. over 25.5 points

Jalen Williams has grown into a top-tier secondary scoring option for Oklahoma City, attacking mismatches from all three levels and thriving when defenses key in on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander first. Alperen Sengun remains the hub of Houston’s offense, with touches in the post, on short rolls, and as a dribble-handoff initiator, giving him a steady diet of high-efficiency scoring chances each night. Michael Porter Jr. is putting up All-Star level numbers for Brooklyn as a high-volume shooter who can get hot from deep in a hurry, and Miami’s defense will have a hard time taking everything away from him for a full 48.

With a packed board, there are plenty of ways to build out cards for NBA picks, player props and creative parlay picks today. As always, shop around different sports betting apps for the best numbers on any play.

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All Odds as of 6:00 a.m. ET on Dec. 18