NBA Results December 15th, 2022: Memphis wins

The NBA featured four games on Thursday night. They were four games that we offered betting recommendations for.

We went 3-1 on the evening, only getting burned in the final game when it came to having a perfect night. We tipped the Clippers well before the start of the game and the injury updates burned our recommendation: Ivica Zubac, Paul George, and Kawhi Leonard all missed the game. Here’s a recap of the evening’s action, starting with the Memphis Grizzlies’ thumping of the Milwaukee Bucks.

Bucks @ Grizzlies Thursday: Memphis wins big

The Memphis Grizzlies, the hottest team in the NBA at the moment, hosted the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday. The Grizzlies, thanks in no small part to their bench, won the game in a contest that was not competitive.

They put up a large double-digit spread in the game, winning by 42 points. The final score in the contest was Milwaukee 101, Memphis 143.

With the loss, the Bucks are now 20-8 on the season. They have generally been a mediocre team since their 9-0 start in the early weeks. The spread for this game suggested a close contest so the players and management might be scratching their heads a little after losing by 42 points.

The leading scorer in the game was Ja Morant of the Memphis Grizzlies. He had 25 points in the contest despite not playing a ton of minutes. Morant also had 10 rebounds and 10 assists, which made for a triple-double in the contest.

The game was always in Memphis’ favor but they ran away with it thanks to solid play from their bench. While the Memphis starters thoroughly outplayed the Milwaukee starters, the rout was on when five Memphis bench players scored double digits.

According to our preview for this game, Memphis was only favored at -1.5. We recommended a moneyline bet for the Grizzlies, meaning that we started the night 1-0 with this result. The Grizzlies improved to 19-9 with the 42-point victory and they just might take over the second spot in our new power rankings, which will be updated after the weekend.

Heat @ Rockets Thursday: Herro scores 41

The Houston Rockets, one of the bottom teams in the Western Conference, hosted the Miami Heat on Thursday. The Heat, behind a huge effort from Tyler Herro, won the game in a contest that was very competitive.

They put up a one-possession spread in the game, winning by 3 points. The final score was Miami 111, and Houston 108. When it came to spread betting, the game was close enough for Houston to cover with a +4.5 handicap, one that we tipped for this game to start the evening 2-0.

The leading scorer in the game was Tyler Herro of the Heat. He had 41 points in the game on 10 for 15 shooting from three-point land.

With the loss, the Rockets are now 9-19 on the season. Meanwhile, the Heat improved to 15-15 with the 3-point victory. They have won three games in a row and they seem to be heading in the right direction after a slow start.

Pelicans @ Jazz Thursday: Jazz win two over Pels

The Utah Jazz, the third-place team in the Northwest Division, hosted the New Orleans Pelicans on Thursday night. The Jazz, a team that struggled with some injury problems in November, won the game in a contest that was competitive. They put up a one-possession spread in the game, winning by 3 points in a game that required overtime. The final score in the contest was New Orleans 129, Utah 132(OT).

The game is the second in a row that the Utah Jazz won over the New Orleans Pelicans. The two teams played earlier this week in a game from Salt Lake City. The Jazz, when they won the first game, ended a lengthy losing streak to the Pelicans. The Jazz proved that the win wasn’t a fluke on Thursday when they beat the Pelicans again.

The Jazz, who are now 17-14 this season, are a very tough team on their home court when Mike Conley and Lauri Markkanen are both fit to play. However, the leading scorer in Thursday’s game was Jordan Clarkson. He had 39 points in the game and eight rebounds.

With the loss, the Pelicans are now 18-10 on the season. This was a game that we previewed in a “Picks” section. We had the Jazz on the moneyline in this one at +105.

Suns @ Clippers Thursday: Suns end losing streak

The LA Clippers, a team that was without a lot of starters, hosted the Phoenix Suns on Thursday. The Suns won the game in a contest that was not competitive. They put up a double-digit spread in the game, winning by 16 points. The final score in the contest was Phoenix 111, LA 95.

The leading scorer in the game was Mikal Bridges of the Suns. He had 27 points in the game, which is a stand-out performance relative to his normal contributions.

With the loss, the Clippers are now 17-14 on the season. Meanwhile, the Suns improved to 17-12 with the 16-point victory.