NBA Cup Best Bets for December 11: Can the Warriors Extend Their Win Streak Over the Rockets?
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Spread Astaire
- December 11, 2024
Top NBA Pick: Golden State Warriors +2.5 (-110) at BetOnline (visit our BetOnline Review)
The NBA season can be a long grind, and the NBA Cup adds some stakes to the early season games and gives fans a playoff atmosphere in December.
Tonight, we have two excellent games between some of the top teams in the NBA. When looking at these exciting NBA Cup matchups, who should you back to make winning NBA picks at the top-rated sportsbooks?
Atlanta Hawks vs. New York Knicks Odds
Wednesday, December 11, 2024 – 07:00 PM ET at Madison Square Garden
Balanced and Dangerous
The Atlanta Hawks are playing good basketball, and have won six of their last seven games.
The Hawks have turned around their roster and it is better fitting to their star’s style of play. The Atlanta Hawks are led by Trae Young, one of the best shooters and passers in the league. However, Young is small and a liability on defense. The Hawks have now finally put the proper players around him to mask Young’s defensive weaknesses.
The Hawks had been buoyed by the addition of Dyson Daniels and the improvement of Jalen Johnson. Both players are excellent defenders and this allows the Hawks to not be so vulnerable on the defensive end of the floor. This current iteration of the Hawks is balanced and can get stops, as well as be lethal on the offensive end.
All-In on Offense
The New York Knicks did the opposite this offseason where they added offense rather than defense.
Karl-Anthony Towns was acquired by the Knicks to space the floor and help the team on the offensive end. Towns is an excellent three-point shooter, which is a valuable trait for a 7-footer who can also rebound on the defensive end. Towns is the prototypical stretch 5 and his addition to the team has made the Knicks a more potent offensive team.
The Knicks are coming into this game as winners of four of their last five games. Their most recent outing was a 113-108 win over the Toronto Raptors. The Knicks will have a home-court advantage in this matchup.
The Pick
With the way the Atlanta Hawks have been playing, the spread of +7 is too much.
Trae Young has always played well at Madison Square Garden and this will be another opportunity for him to show out to the world on basketball’s biggest stage. I expect a close, hard-fought game as these NBA Cup games will have a playoff atmosphere.
In a battle between two top teams, give me the points. Take the Atlanta Hawks +7.
NBA Pick: Atlanta Hawks +7 (-110) at BetOnline
Golden State Warriors vs. Houston Rockets Odds
Wednesday, December 11, 2024 – 09:30 PM ET at Toyota Center
Warriors’ Dominance
The Golden State Warriors always seem to beat the Houston Rockets. Most recently, the teams matched up on December 5th and the Warriors won 99-93 as 4.5-point underdogs. The last time the Houston Rockets defeated the Warriors was on February 20th, 2020. Since then, the Warriors have won 15 straight games against Houston. In order to advance to the semifinals, they will need to make this win number 16.
The Houston Rockets are an up-and-coming team that has built itself through the draft and by preaching defense. The Rockets are currently 16-8 and are third in the Western Conference. However, they will need to take on their nemesis, the Golden State Warriors, if they’re going to advance in the NBA Cup.
Post Power
Houston will have a home-court advantage in this game and is currently a small favorite. For Houston to have success, they’re going to need to try to shut down Steph Curry, which is something they have had problems doing in the past. Curry loves to play against the Rockets and I would not be surprised to see another big performance from the Golden State Warriors superstar tonight.
The Rockets need a big game down low from center Alperen Sengün if they want to end their losing streak to the Warriors. Sengün is an excellent post player and can be very active on the boards. The Rockets are hoping to attack the Golden State Warriors at their weakness to try and turn this streak around.
The Pick
When it comes to gambling I always want to bet on the streak and not against it.
A streak can only end once but it can last multiple games. So, while some might think the Rockets are “due”, I’m going to continue to back the Warriors every time they play the Rockets. Until these two teams show me something different, this is an easy handicap.
Take the Golden State Warriors.
NBA Pick: Golden State Warriors +2.5 (-110) at BetOnline
*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.
