NBA Betting Tips: Three picks for Thursday’s action

The festive NBA action isn't slowing down anytime soon, with eight games taking place on Thursday night. We've picked out our best bets for the upcoming matches.

Pelicans @ Cavaliers - Pelicans @ EVS

I was surprised to see the Pelicans fall to the Grizzlies in their previous outing.

However, they have the chance to redeem themselves against Cleveland tonight, and I'm expecting a much better performance from Zion Williamson, as he had a poor showing with just 13 points against Memphis - he had 38 points in the last meeting against the Cavs.

The Cavs will be playing on a second night of a back-to-back here following a big home win against the Utah Jazz, so fatigue is bound to play a factor.

In addition, Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland and Evan Mobley are all set to be absent, so it's difficult to see the Cleveland bench stepping up again as they did against Utah.

I'm taking New Orleans on the money line.

Magic @ Bucks - Over 238.5 Points @ 10/11

December has been a month to forget for the Orlando Magic.

In their last seven games they’ve recorded just two wins, and they open a three-game road trip in Milwaukee, a place where they’ve not won in their last six visits.

The Bucks have been excellent in recent weeks, winning their last five, although Giannis Antetokounmpo remains questionable to play with a foot sprain.

Milwaukee did win the only game which Giannis didn’t play this season, but since he became a Buck they are just 40-43 in games without him.

With that considered, I'm going to play the over/under total. The over has landed 10 times in Orlando's last 14 games, while the over is 12-5 in home games this season for Milwaukee.

Pacers @ Grizzlies - Grizzlies (-4.5) @ 10/11

Ja Morant enjoyed a winning return from his suspension, as he led the Grizzlies to a 115-113 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday night.

Memphis certainly has it all to do to catch-up to the playoff picture, but Morant's return has made it seem like the impossible might actually be possible, due to the manner in which they beat New Orleans - at one point the Grizzlies trailed by 24 points.

The Pacers have endured a tough spell since losing in the In-Season Tournament final against the Lakers, but ended a four-game losing streak against the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday.

Indiana still lead the league in scoring with an average of 128 points per game, but the defensive performances have been a complete contrast - they currently have the second-worst defense in the NBA, allowing 126.5 points per game.

Indiana have lost their past four meetings against Memphis, who are 1-11 at home this season, but the Grizzlies will be hoping the return of Morant can inspire some home success.

Check out the rest of our NBA Betting Tips here.