NBA Picks Tuesday Dec. 23rd: Best Bets for Bulls-Hawks, Nuggets-Mavs, Pistons-Kings

Referring to the league he has headlined for as many years as I’ve been out of high school, LeBron James asserted last Christmas that “Christmas is our day.”

The Los Angeles Lakers star spoke up as multiple games on the NFL schedule challenged the Association’s traditional holiday smorgasbord. That remains the case this Christmas, but with 14 professional basketball games on the docket tonight compared with zero in professional football, NBAers at least can crow about Dec. 23 being their day, too.

Let’s have a look at some best bets for this bustling night.

CHICAGO BULLS AT ATLANTA HAWKS, 7:30 p.m. ET

Chicago and Atlanta collaborated on the highest-scoring game in the NBA this season on Sunday, with the Bulls outscoring the Hawks 152-150.

Both teams shot at least 52% overall while combining to connect on 43-of-89 attempts from deep.

“It felt like every basket was going in,” said Matas Buzelis, who led Chicago with 28 points on 10-for-11 shooting. “It was crazy.”

While it might seem elementary to think the Bulls and Hawks will stage another track meet when they return to State Farm Arena tonight, the law of averages and likely injury management make the under a more logical pick.

Yes, the teams entered the week among the top 10 in points-per-game average and bottom seven in points per game allowed. That’s why they’re a combined two games under .500 and tussling for Eastern Conference play-in position.

But don’t expect Buzelis, a career 46.8% shooter, to go 90.9% from the field again. Nor to see 35 points in 26:12 from Atlanta’s Trae Young, still navigating what coach Quin Snyder called an “acclimation process” following a 21-game absence with a sprained right MCL.

Under 252.5 total points (-110 with BetMGM)

DENVER NUGGETS AT DALLAS MAVERICKS, 8 p.m. ET

Nuggets standout Jamal Murray fittingly channeled Meat Loaf to open a December in which he has feasted from long range.

Indeed, “Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad,” as Murray showed with a 2-for-3 effort from beyond the arc in a Dec. 1 meeting with the Mavericks. The only thing that might have been better was Murray, who registered just 10 points in a 10-point home loss.

After drilling 6-of-12 treys in Monday’s home rout of Utah, Murray is shooting 55.1% from deep in December, up from 41.4% in November and 39.4% in a handful of October games.

He has connected on at least three treys in four straight games, and although Dallas leads the NBA with the stingiest 3-point percentage against (32.8), will get his attempts and makes here.

Jamal Murray 3+ three-pointers (-200 with BetMGM)

DETROIT PISTONS AT SACRAMENTO KINGS, 10 p.m. ET

Sacramento’s Zach LaVine averages 22.5 points against the Pistons in his career and sizzled for 43 against them near the end of last season.

If only the Kings’ leading scorer could suit up against the Eastern Conference leaders tonight. He’s out with an ankle injury.

While the Kings broke through to defeat Houston 125-124 in overtime on Sunday to snap a five-game losing streak, they have won consecutive games just once this season, and that was a few days before Thanksgiving.

The Pistons withstood a late rally from Portland on Monday to open a five-game Western road trip with their sixth victory in the past seven games. Detroit had six players in double figures, including each starter.

Pistons -8.5 (-110 with BetMGM)