NBA Betting Picks for Monday 12/11/23: Will the Rockets Add to Their Winning Streak?

The 82-game NBA regular season offers us a wide variety of betting options, including point spreads, moneylines, and totals. The Association features 1,230 regular season games, which can make sifting through the odds an overwhelming task.

However, various advanced statistics can help narrow the choices. numberFire's NBA power rankings and daily projections paired with advanced stats from the NBA can help give the inside track to winning big.

While utilizing some of the mentioned tools, which NBA odds from FanDuel Sportsbook look like the best bets today?

Please note lines are subject to change throughout the day after this article is published.

NBA Best Bets

San Antonio Spurs at Houston Rockets

Rockets -8.5 (-110)

The San Antonio Spurs and Houston Rockets are slated to meet for an in-state clash. Both teams have struggled, with the Spurs losing 16 consecutive games, the second-longest streak behind the Detroit Pistons' 19-game losing streak. Following a 6-3 start, the Rockets are 4-6 over their previous 10 games.

Houston has still been a consistent win against the spread (ATS), though. They are 13-5-1 ATS on the season and 8-2 ATS over the previous 10 games. The Rockets have been excellent at home with a 9-1 record while going 8-1-1 ATS. With San Antonio, who has the NBA's second-worst record, visiting, Houston could be poised for another cover.

Of course, the Rockets have a long list of potential advantages as numberFire's 10th-best team in the nERD-based power rankings; the Spurs rank last. First off, Houston has the league's fourth-best defensive rating, whereas San Antonio has the fourth-worst rating. The Spurs average only 110.7 points per game (PPG), which is the sixth-worst mark, and have the eighth-worst effective field goal percentage (eFG%). The Rockets give up only 106.8 PPG (second-best) while opponents have a 50.6 eFG% (second-lowest).

Most importantly, Houston has the tools to slow San Antonio's top scorers, Victor Wembanyama (19.0 PPG) and Devin Vassell (18.1 PPG). The Rockets' Jabari Smith stands at 6-foot-11 with a 111.3 defensive rating, giving him a decent shot of frustrating Wemby. Houston is also keeping their fingers crossed for Dillon Brooks to play. He could be the team's best defender with a 109.6 defensive rating and would likely match up with Vassell, but Brooks is questionable with an illness.

The Rockets have a below-average offense with the 11th-worst rating, but they have some favorable matchups against the Spurs (4th-worst defensive rating). For example, Houston averages the 13th-most attempted three-pointers per game while San Antonio gives up the 9th-most three-point shots per game. This could mean big games for the Rockets' top three-point shooters, including Fred VanVleet (16.7 PPG) and Jalen Green (19.1 PPG).

Overall, this one is a pretty simple pick. The Spurs are on a horrible slide, and the Rockets have found their footing following back-to-back underdog wins against the Oklahoma City Thunder and Denver Nuggets. With Houston's success at home, give me the Rockets to cover the spread.

Dallas Mavericks at Memphis Grizzlies

Mavericks -1.5 (-110)

Let's stay in the state of Texas and break down the Dallas Mavericks' matchup for tonight. They play on the road against the Memphis Grizzlies, who have the third-worst record in the Western Conference (6-15). This may seem like an easy win at first, but the Grizzlies have finally shown some promise over the last two weeks, going 3-2 over their previous five games. Meanwhile, the Mavericks are 5-5 over the last 10 games while going 5-5 ATS.

Dallas' offense has gotten back on track with 136.0 PPG over the last two contests. Kyrie Irving (23.0 PPG) will be absent with a heel injury, which may cause some to hesitate on backing the Mavs. However, Irving played for only 13 minutes in the previous game and did not play on December 2nd against the Thunder. Over these two outings, Dallas still averaged 122.5 PPG.

Luka Doncic, who FanDuel's NBA MVP odds have as the second choice to win MVP (+430), is certainly capable of increasing his production without Irving in the lineup. Doncic -- who averages 31.9 PPG, 8.4 rebounds per game (RPG), and 8.6 assists per game (APG) -- already leads the team with a 35.9% usage rate, and it jumps to 36.6% with Kyrie off of the court.

This is where Memphis' defense comes into play. The Grizzlies have the 12th-best defensive rating, but the perimeter defense has lacked. They give up the eighth-most three-point shots per game. The Mavericks could be a matchup nightmare, as they average the most three-point shots per game.

Additionally, Memphis could likely lack a primary defender to slow Luka. David Roddy will likely get the defensive assignment; he has a 113.3 defensive rating while carrying a -6.7 net rating (the worst among tonight's starting lineup).

Even with Kyrie absent, I like Dallas to cover on the road, especially with the offense's recent games.

Portland Trail Blazers at Los Angeles Clippers

Under 220 (-110)

The Portland Trail Blazers against the Los Angeles Clippers features the largest spread of the night with LA favored by 13 points. The Clippers seem to be rounding into form with a three-game winning streak and 7-3 record over the last 10 games. The Blazers remain one of the worst teams in the West with a 6-15 record and are on a three-game losing streak.

Sure, Portland has been bad and has plenty of disadvantages against Los Angeles. However, I am not bold enough to back a 13-point spread. Instead, the total could feature the more promising pick.

The Clippers have the fifth-best defensive rating, while the Trail Blazers have the worst offensive rating in the Association. Portland has a few strengths on offense, such as shooting 34.5 three-pointers per game (14th-most) and converting 79.8% of shots from the free throw line (8th-best). But LA gives up only 11.8 made threes per game (9th-fewest), 34.4 three-point shots per game (12th-fewest), and 22.8 free throw attempts per game (13th-fewest).

On the other side of the court, the Clippers play at the eighth-slowest pace, average the ninth-fewest field goal attempts per game, and total 113.0 PPG (13th-fewest).

The under has hit in three consecutive Los Angeles games. I expect that trend to continue, as the Clippers' defense should have its way with the worst offense in the league. Plus, LA's slow pace of play only further aids the under.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.