Best Sports Betting Picks Today: College Football, NBA, NHL Predictions for December 6th

Happy Friday. 

November flew by, and we’ve already completed the first week of December. Something about the holiday season really kicks things into another gear.

In between shopping, decorating and baking cookies, make time for some sports tonight. It’s quite the intriguing slate, with some good hoops and hockey along with the start of college football championship game weekend.

We have one bet for each of those on tap. On with the picks:

Milwaukee Bucks at Boston Celtics, 7:30 p.m. ET

When the Bucks lost to Atlanta on Wednesday, it ended a seven-game winning streak that helped them recover from an ugly start to the season. They’re just 3-6 on the road and now visit the defending champions, who’ve already beaten them twice this year.

But the keys to this game are who’s going to be playing—and who isn’t. Jayson Tatum (right knee) is considered questionable after missing his first game of the season Wednesday against Detroit, and so are Al Horford (toe) and Kristaps Porzingis (knee management).

Bucks forward Khris Middleton (ankle) expects to make his season debut after offseason surgeries. No Philadelphia-style drama about his ramp-up and return to play here. Middleton may not score 30 in his return, but he does make Milwaukee a better team.

Add him alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo, who scored 43 points in a losing effort against Boston on Nov. 10, and this could look more like the Bucks team we expected to see. Grab this spread while you can, in the event Tatum is ruled out before the game and the line moves.

Bucks +7.5, -110 (DraftKings)

Washington Capitals at Toronto Maple Leafs, 7 p.m. ET

This should be the hockey game to watch Friday night, with the Metropolitan Division leaders visiting the Atlantic Division leaders. The Capitals have points in five straight games (4-0-1), while the Leafs have won seven of eight.

Toronto beat Washington on the road 4-3 in overtime three weeks ago, and the Leafs didn’t even have Auston Matthews back from injury yet. This time around, Matthews is suiting up, while the Capitals continue to be without Alex Ovechkin (broken leg).

What concerns me about the Capitals is their defense. During Thanksgiving week, they gave up four goals in a win over Tampa Bay, four in an OT triumph over the famously weak offense of the Islanders and five in a win over New Jersey. Whether Charlie Lindgren or Logan Thompson is in net hasn’t seemed to matter for Washington.

I like a healthier Toronto club, playing at home, to put more than a few pucks in the Washington net. Make it worth your while by packaging the over with a Maple Leafs victory outright on DraftKings.

Maple Leafs moneyline + Over 6.5 goals game parlay, +230 (DraftKings)

Mountain West Championship: UNLV at Boise State, 8 p.m. ET

It’s the first of several CFP play-in games masquerading as conference championships. Even if UNLV pulls off this upset, the Mountain West champ is basically assured a playoff bid as one of the five highest-ranked conference winners.

That’s far from the only reason to watch this game. All eyes will be on Boise State star running back and Heisman hopeful Ashton Jeanty, who concluded the regular season with an eye-popping 2,288 rushing yards and 29 touchdowns (28 rushing).

But when was Jeanty’s least impressive performance of the season? Oct. 25, when Boise State visited UNLV. He had 128 yards on a surprisingly low 3.9 per carry, as the Rebels finished the season with a top-10 rushing defense.

Jeanty has fallen short of 170 rushing yards in four of the last six games. Factor in that UNLV’s high-scoring offense could make this an aerial shootout, and this is a pretty clear moment to hammer the under.

Ashton Jeanty under 170.5 rushing yards, -114 (Fanduel)