MoxVib

After the league’s five-game spectacle on Christmas Day, all eyes are on the NBA with the calendar set to turn to 2023 by the end of the week. And boy, what a great time to jump into the fray.

The Nets have overcome their early-season drama to rip off a league-best nine-game win streak and charge into the title picture. The Celtics and Bucks remain ahead of them, led by their respective MVP front-runners, and the Nuggets are clinging to the No. 1 seed out West behind two-time winner Nikola Jokic.

Two of those four teams will be on display on Tuesday, but we’ve got our eyes elsewhere on a busy slate of games with value littered across the board. Here are our favorite bets to make at BetMGM ahead of the night’s action:

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NBA Tuesday odds, lines, picks (via BetMGM)

• 76ers -4.5 @ Wizards
• Clippers +3.5 @ Raptors
• Grizzlies -7.5 vs. Suns

Wizards vs. 76ers prediction and analysis

Even with all of the outside noise surrounding James Harden’s future in Philadelphia, the 76ers continue to roll behind the elite two-man game of Harden and Joel Embiid, who have fueled this team’s active eight-game win streak (7-1 against the spread).

Embiid has been virtually unstoppable during that run, averaging 35.6 points and 10 rebounds while scoring at least 35 points in half of his team’s wins. Harden has been similarly prolific but as a passer, averaging 12.8 assists with five games of at least 12 dimes – including Friday’s unbelievable 21-assist effort against the Clippers.

Seven of Philly’s eight wins have come by at least five points, and I’d expect the same outcome against a Wizards team with 11 losses in its last 13 games. Washington is particularly reliant on its ability to score inside and in the mid-range, which is a tough approach against Embiid and this elite Sixers defense.

Wizards vs. 76ers pick: 76ers -4.5 (BetMGM)

Raptors vs. Clippers prediction and analysis

Few teams are more frustrating to bet on than the Clippers, whose performance on any given night is heavily tied to the availability of opt-injured superstar Kawhi Leonard. When he suits up, though, they’re often worth the wager.

This season alone, Los Angeles is 10-3 straight up (8-5 ATS) when Leonard is active, outscoring opponents by 6.5 points per 100 possessions. In 22 games without him, though, the Clippers are a mere 10-12 SU/ATS with a -3.5 net rating, and they’ve lost by double digits in five of their last nine such contests.

Leonard is expected to play on Tuesday against the Raptors, who finally won a pair of games to snap a previous six-game skid. The former Toronto star has won all four games against his former team since joining the Clippers in 2019, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see an outright win here … assuming he plays.

Raptors vs. Clippers pick: Clippers +3.5 (BetMGM)

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Grizzlies vs. Suns prediction and analysis

The recent absence from Suns star Devin Booker (groin) has gone from curious to worrisome after he checked out within the first few minutes of Phoenix’s loss on Sunday.

He’s already been ruled out for Tuesday’s affair, and that’s clearly bad news for the Suns, who have lost five of the six games this season when he sits – or, in Sunday’s case, plays fewer than five minutes. That includes a 25-point beatdown at the hands of these very Grizzlies just four days ago, when Phoenix struggled to shoot the ball at all three levels.

Yes, Memphis laid an egg on Christmas Day, but this group still owns the NBA’s best net rating in December (+10.7) and has won eight of 11 games in that stretch – all by at least eight points. With Booker on the shelf once again, I’d expect this one to have shades of Friday’s blowout win.

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