Staff Writer

Seahawks vs. 49ers Week 18 SGP predictions: Back Brock Purdy, George Kittle in +450 wager

The NFC’s top seed is up for grabs on Saturday night when the San Francisco 49ers (12-4) host the Seattle Seahawks (13-3) in Week 18.

The pregame narrative: San Francisco won the first matchup between these teams, giving it the tiebreaker, which will ultimately be the difference should it sweep the season series. The Niners are a slim home underdog with star tackle Trent Williams likely out with a hamstring injury.

Check out my Seahawks vs. 49ers SGP predictions for Jan. 3, featuring prop bets on Brock Purdy and George Kittle.

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Seahawks vs. 49ers SGP

SGP: 49ers +7.5 | Purdy 2+ passing TDs | Kittle anytime TD | Barner 30+ receiving yards (+450)

49ers +7.5 (-315): This matchup has all the makings of an instant classic. And with that being the case, I expect it to come down to the wire.

Backing either team to cover a touchdown would work. But San Francisco doesn’t get blown out when Purdy is under centre, so I’m very confident the Niners can cover this number, if not win outright.

The Niners are 7-1 when Purdy has played this year, with the lone loss being by five points to the 12-4 Jaguars.

In those games, they averaged 31.5 PPG.

Purdy has covered this number in all six starts vs. Seattle, winning five of those games outright.

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This pick isn’t disrespecting the Seahawks in any way. They’re a great team. But I have more faith in the home side coming through in a divisional showdown.

Saturday night football SGP picks

Purdy 2+ passing TDs (-137): Remember when there was chatter that Mac Jones could do Purdy’s job as well as him?

Hopefully, that stays in the past.

Purdy has been spinning it lately, throwing for 16 touchdowns with a 111.5 passer rating during the Niners’ six-game winning streak.

-> Check out NorthStar Bets’ SNF prop markets!

He’s thrown three-plus TDs in three straight weeks, and is 6-2 against this line on the season. That includes a two-touchdown performance against the Seahawks in Week 1.

Seattle’s pass defence is elite, but so is Purdy. I trust him to perform with the top seed on the line.

Kittle anytime TD (+155): This is a logical addition after backing Purdy to throw multiple TDs.

Kittle is returning to action after missing last week’s game, and that should make a big difference in San Francisco’s red zone offence.

The star tight end was on fire before getting hurt, logging 15 catches for 203 yards and two TDs in Weeks 15 and 16.

He scored against the Seahawks earlier this year and has caught 28 TDs in 44 regular-season games with Purdy in his career, per Stat Muse.

Top Seahawks prop bet

Barner 30+ receiving yards (-200): Stopping Jaxon Smith-Njigba should be priority No. 1, 2 and 3 for the 49ers’ defence.

That’s easier said than done, and I still think the wideout should eat. But Barner, in my opinion, will be the next man up when the Niners are double and triple-covering JSN.

Barner accounts for 15.1% of his team’s targets, which ranks in the 81st percentile among all tight ends, per RotoWire.

And opposing QBs have a 98.2 passer rating when targeting San Fran’s linebackers (who typically cover tight ends). That ranks in the sixth percentile.

Barner has reached this milestone in four of his last seven games, landing on exactly 27 yards twice.

Seahawks vs. 49ers predictions made at 12 p.m. ET on Jan. 3, 2026.

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Best NBA prop picks Jan. 3: Back Clippers’ Derrick White, Trail Blazers’ Donovan Clingan

Derrick White and Donovan Clingan headline Saturday’s top NBA prop bets.

Tonight’s NBA props narrative: White is one of the league’s premier 3-point shooters and has a great matchup when the Boston Celtics visit the Los Angeles Clippers. Elsewhere, Clingan should feast on no rest against the Victor Wembanyama-less San Antonio Spurs.

Check out my top NBA prop picks for Jan. 3, featuring a pick on Chicago Bulls forward Matas Buzelis.

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NBA prop picks Jan. 3

Best bet: White 4+ threes (+115)

White had an uncharacteristically poor start to his season as a 3-point shooter, but the guard has put that in the rear-view.

Check out what he has done from deep since Dec. 1:

4.0 makes/game
10.6 attempts/game
37.7 3PT%

That’s more in line with what we’re used to seeing.

The Celtics are a notoriously 3-point-heavy offence, ranking third in attempts this year after leading the league in the 2024-25 season. White averaged a career-high 3.5 threes on 38.4% shooting last year.

-> Bet on prop markets for Celtics vs. Clippers (ft. Derrick White)!

The Clippers own one of the worst perimeter defences in the NBA, allowing opponents to shoot 37.2% from deep (26th out of 30 teams).

White has gone under this mark in five straight games, but is still shooting with volume, and landed on three 3s twice.

He should get right in this matchup.

Key stat: White has cleared this mark in three straight games vs. L.A. while shooting 44.8% from deep.

Best NBA picks

Clingan over 10.5 rebounds (–143): Clingan is almost always the tallest man on the court, and that will remain true tonight with Wembanyama sidelined.

The 7-foot-2 centre, 280-pound centre still has to contend with Luke Kornet and Kelly Olynyk, but neither is as imposing as Wembanyama on the glass.

-> Full betting markets for Saturday’s NBA slate

Clingan is averaging a double-double this year (10.8 points, 10.5 rebounds), and I expect him to over-index in both categories tonight.

The Spurs are giving up the ninth-most points and 11th-most rebounds to opposing centres in the last 15 days. That is largely with Wembanyama playing, albeit on a minutes restriction.

Clingan has also done his best work on no rest, averaging 13.0 points and 14.0 rebounds in six games this year.

NBA player prop predictions

Buzelis over 16.5 points (-118): Chicago is missing its two top scorers, Josh Giddey and Colby White, tonight, putting Buzelis in a solid position to take the reins against the Charlotte Hornets.

The Lithuanian power forward is enjoying a solid sophomore season, starting all 33 games played while averaging 14.1 points — up considerably from his 8.6 PPG mark last year.

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Buzelis has cleared this mark in consecutive games while averaging 15.5 field goal attempts. That type of volume should lead to a big night against Charlotte.

The Hornets are allowing the second-most PPG to opposing power forwards.

Buzelis is technically slated to start at small forward with Chicago’s injuries, but I’m not worried about that. Standing at 6-foot-8, he’s the modern NBA’s stereotypical positionally fluid wing.

NBA prop picks made at 8:54 a.m. ET on Jan. 3, 2026.

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Ravens vs. Steelers SNF Week 18 SGP predictions: Back Freiermuth and fade Henry at +330

The Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers close out the regular season with a battle for the AFC North crown on Sunday Night Football.

The pregame narrative: Winner makes the playoffs, loser goes home. Aaron Rodgers’ Steelers are 4-point home underdogs in what could be his last game in the NFL. On the other side, Lamar Jackson returns from a two-game injury absence with the hope of joining a wide-open postseason field.

Check out my Ravens vs. Steelers SGP predictions for Jan. 4, featuring prop bets on Pat Freiermuth and Derrick Henry.

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Ravens vs. Steelers SGP

SGP: Ravens +7.5 | Freiermuth 30+ receiving yards | Henry under 87.5 rushing yards (+330)

Ravens +7.5 (-715): I think this game will come down to the wire, as meetings between these rivals typically do.

The Steelers beat the Ravens by five points in Baltimore earlier this year, marking the 10th time in the last 12 meetings that the game has been decided by a touchdown or less.

The two outliers? A pair of Baltimore wins by two-plus scores last year (Week 16, Wild Card).

Dating back to 2017, the Ravens have covered a +7.5 spread in 17 straight games against the Steelers.

Pittsburgh could win this game, but it’s hard to imagine by multiple scores. DK Metcalf is suspended, and Darnell Washington is on IR after breaking his arm last week.

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Even with Jackson banged up, Baltimore has a much healthier offence.

There is a reason this leg comes in at a -715 price tag. I think it’s worth adding, though, as it raises the parlay’s value from +205 to +330.

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Sunday Night Football SGP picks

Freiermuth 30+ receiving yards (-127): Freiermuth has had a curiously unproductive season after being rewarded a four-year, $48 million contract extension, which kicked in this year.

The tight end has just 435 receiving yards with multiple goose eggs on his ledger.

Still, his 27.1 yards per game average is right in line with this total. And Freiermuth should over-index on Sunday with Washington and Metcalf sidelined.

-> Check out NorthStar Bets’ SNF prop markets!

Washington leads the Steelers’ tight end room in snap count this season. Metcalf leads the team in receptions (59) and yards (850).

Pittsburgh will want to deploy a run-heavy offence, but Freiermuth is the logical option to get involved in the passing game.

Quarterbacks have a 97.0 passer rating when targeting Baltimore’s linebackers (the position group which typically covers tight ends), which ranks in the 10th percentile, per Rotowire.

Why you should fade Derrick Henry on SNF

Henry under 87.5 rushing yards (-116): Finally, I’m going to fade a player coming off a 216-yard, four-touchdown performance.

Seems risky, right? I don’t think so.

Pittsburgh’s run defence is among the league’s best — when Derrick Harmon is in the lineup.

With Harmon (11 games): 87.0 rushing yards/game
Without Harmon (six games): 165.6 rushing yards/game

-> Fade Derrick Henry on SNF!

The rookie defensive tackle out of Oregon is a stud, and helped Pittsburgh bottle up some of the league’s best RBs like Jahmyr Gibbs, Jonathan Taylor and Josh Jacobs, all of whom finished with under 50 rushing yards.

Henry recorded 94 yards on 25 carries against the Steelers earlier this year. But that was without Harmon, and 3.8 yards per carry isn’t all that efficient to begin with.

Ravens vs. Steelers predictions made at 12 p.m. ET on Jan. 3, 2026.

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Best NBA prop picks Jan. 3: Back Clippers’ Derrick White, Trail Blazers’ Donovan Clingan

Derrick White and Donovan Clingan headline Saturday’s top NBA prop bets.

Tonight’s NBA props narrative: White is one of the league’s premier 3-point shooters and has a great matchup when the Boston Celtics visit the Los Angeles Clippers. Elsewhere, Clingan should feast on no rest against the Victor Wembanyama-less San Antonio Spurs.

Check out my top NBA prop picks for Jan. 3, featuring a pick on Chicago Bulls forward Matas Buzelis.

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NBA prop picks Jan. 3

Best bet: White 4+ threes (+107)

White had an uncharacteristically poor start to his season as a 3-point shooter, but the guard has put that in the rear-view.

Check out what he has done from deep since Dec. 1:

4.0 makes/game
10.6 attempts/game
37.7 3PT%

That’s more in line with what we’re used to seeing.

The Celtics are a notoriously 3-point-heavy offence, ranking third in attempts this year after leading the league in the 2024-25 season. White averaged a career-high 3.5 threes on 38.4% shooting last year.

-> Bet on prop markets for Celtics vs. Clippers (ft. Derrick White)!

The Clippers own one of the worst perimeter defences in the NBA, allowing opponents to shoot 37.2% from deep (26th out of 30 teams).

White has gone under this mark in five straight games, but is still shooting with volume, and landed on three 3s twice.

He should get right in this matchup.

Key stat: White has cleared this mark in three straight games vs. L.A. while shooting 44.8% from deep.

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Best NBA picks

Clingan to record a double-double (–109): Clingan is almost always the tallest man on the court, and that will remain true tonight with Wembanyama sidelined.

The 7-foot-2 centre, 280-pound centre still has to contend with Luke Kornet and Kelly Olynyk, but neither is as imposing as Wembanyama defensively, or on the glass.

-> Full betting markets for Saturday’s NBA slate

Clingan is averaging a double-double this year (10.8 points, 10.5 rebounds), and I expect him to over-index in both categories tonight.

The Spurs are giving up the ninth-most points and 11th-most rebounds to opposing centres in the last 15 days. That is largely with Wembanyama playing, albeit on a minutes restriction.

Clingan has also done his best work on no rest, averaging 13.0 points and 14.0 rebounds in six games this year.

NBA player prop predictions

Buzelis over 16.5 points (-112): Chicago is missing its two top scorers, Josh Giddey and Colby White, tonight, putting Buzelis in a solid position to take the reins against the Charlotte Hornets.

The Lithuanian power forward is enjoying a solid sophomore season, starting all 33 games played while averaging 14.1 points — up considerably from his 8.6 PPG mark last year.

-> Don’t miss out — bet now on tonight’s NBA prop markets!

Buzelis has cleared this mark in consecutive games while averaging 15.5 field goal attempts. That type of volume should lead to a big night against Charlotte.

The Hornets are allowing the second-most PPG to opposing power forwards.

Buzelis is technically slated to start at small forward with Chicago’s injuries, but I’m not worried about that. Standing at 6-foot-8, he’s the modern NBA’s stereotypical positionally fluid wing.

NBA prop picks made at 8:54 a.m. ET on Jan. 3, 2026.

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Rockets vs. Lakers Christmas Day SGP predictions: Back Durant and Doncic in +265 wager

The Los Angeles Lakers host the Houston Rockets for a Christmas Day game at Crypto.com Arena.

The pregame narrative: Luka Doncic is expected to return after missing Tuesday’s game with a leg contusion. Still, the Lakers are a slight home underdog against a Rockets team with a 9-8 road record.

Check out my Rockets vs. Lakers SGP predictions for Dec. 25, featuring Doncic and Kevin Durant.

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Rockets vs. Lakers predictions

Parlay: Lakers +8.5 | Doncic over 8.5 assists | Durant 2+ threes (+265)

Lakers +8.5 (-278): Houston is far from the hottest team in basketball right now, so I still feel comfortable backing L.A. on this alt spread at home.

The Lakers have had a tough few weeks, going 4-4 in their last eight. But seven of those games were on the road, and a few were without either Austin Reaves or Doncic.

JJ Redick should have his full arsenal available at Crypto, where the Lakers have thrived this year, ranking 13th in net rating and fifth in offensive rating.

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As for the Rockets, they’ve been having their own problems.

Houston is 2-5 in its last seven games and is wrapping up a six-game road trip. I expect mental fatigue to set in for the road team, and for the Lakers to come out swinging in front of their home fans.

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NBA SGP legs

Doncic over 8.5 assists (-105): A well-rested Doncic should spell trouble for Houston.

Doncic is leading the NBA in scoring (34.1/game) while ranking fourth in assists (8.8/game). He’s played six games with three-plus days of rest, and those averages, along with his playing time, see a notable uptick:

37.4 PPG
9.0 APG
39.4 MPG

-> Don’t miss out — back Durant and Doncic on Christmas Day!

Houston, by and large, is one of the best defensive teams in the NBA. But it has really struggled lately, giving up a whopping 123.0 PPG in its last five (when it has gone 1-4).

For context, that would place the Rockets’ defence 27th in the NBA on a season-long basis, right behind the New Orleans Pelicans.

Durant 2+ threes (-240): Durant is shooting the lights out from beyond the arc in December, averaging 2.4 makes per game on 49.0% shooting.

The future Hall of Famer has generally been reliable against this line in the later stages of his career, averaging 2.0+ threes per game in each of the last six seasons.

KD has cleared this line in eight of his last 11 games, and gets a dream matchup to keep cooking.

The Lakers have the worst 3-point defence in the NBA (38.5%).

Rockets vs. Lakers predictions made at 10:34 a.m. on Dec. 24, 2025.

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NBA Christmas Day prop picks: Back Wembanyama, Flagg and Reaves

The NBA’s Christmas Day slate delivers five great games from noon till midnight. I’ve got three prop bets on the action.

Tonight’s NBA props narrative: The second game takes place in Oklahoma City, where the reigning champion Thunder host the San Antonio Spurs. I think Victor Wembanyama should feast on the glass. So should fellow No. 1 overall pick, Cooper Flagg, against the Golden State Warriors after that.

Check out my top NBA prop picks for Dec. 25, featuring a best bet on Austin Reaves against the Houston Rockets.

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NBA Christmas Day prop picks

Best bet: Reaves over 26.5 PRA (-125)

Reaves returned from a three-game injury absence on Tuesday, coming off the bench and scoring 17 points while adding a pair of rebounds and assists in a blowout loss.

Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick stated that Reaves (calf strain) was not on an official minutes restriction, despite only playing him 22 minutes.

This line reflects that Reaves won’t play a ton, though. Just look at his averages this year:

27.3 points
5.4 rebounds
6.5 assists
50.4 FG%

Reaves’ 27.3 scoring average ranks 11th in the NBA and is more than enough to clear this PRA line on its own. He had gone over this mark in 17 of his last 20 games before getting injured.

-> See full props for Rockets vs. Lakers!

I’m sure he won’t play 40 minutes on Christmas, but I’m also skeptical we’ll see drastically reduced minutes, given that L.A. punted Tuesday’s game after a slow start with Luka Doncic sidelined.

Reaves’ 775 minutes entering Tuesday were second-most on the team behind Rui Hachimura.

Houston is a great defensive team, but Reaves has three solid games against them last year while not shooting with a ton of volume.

He should be able to replicate that effort on Thursday.

Key stat: Reaves averaged 18.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 6.3 assists (30 PRA) against Houston last year. He went 2-1 against this line while taking 13 shots per game.

Best NBA picks

Flagg over 5.5 rebounds (-154): Flagg is having a moment this month, averaging a monster 24.1 PPG while adding 6.2 rebounds a night.

The No. 1 pick has been especially dominant over his last five:

27.6 PPG
7.2 RPG
4-1 vs. this line

I think there’s a good case to back Flagg as a scorer against the Warriors, but I want to hone in on the forward’s rebounding abilities, instead.

Flagg had nine boards against Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday and recorded 10 against the rough-rider Detroit Pistons a few days before that.

The undersized Warriors should be easy pickings compared to those squads.

Golden State is 21st in rebounding rate and gives up the sixth-most rebounds per game to power forwards, where Flagg should be playing if P.J. Washington remains sidelined.

-> Don’t miss out — go to full betting markets for the NBA Christmas Day slate

NBA player prop predictions

Wembanyama over 8.5 rebounds (-138): In a perfect world, Wembanyama’s minutes restriction gets pulled on Thursday.

Seeing the French phenom return to 30-plus minutes a night would be the best Christmas present NBA fans could ask for.

But Wemby should be in a good spot to clear this line, even if he plays around his now-typical 23-25 minutes a game.

He has nine rebounds in 21 minutes when he returned to face OKC in the NBA Cup final on Dec. 23, and has two 12-rebound games since then.

-> Bet on Wembanyama against the defending champs!

Wemby did only have five boards in a blowout, 130-110 win over the Thunder on Tuesday, but I’ll view that as an outlier performance.

OKC is 20th in rebounding rate and might be missing big man Chet Holmgren, who exited Tuesday’s game with an injury.

NBA prop picks made at 9:11 a.m. ET on Dec. 24, 2025.

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NBA Christmas Day prop picks: Back Wembanyama, Flagg and Reaves

The NBA’s Christmas Day slate delivers five great games from noon till midnight. I’ve got three prop bets on the action.

Tonight’s NBA props narrative: The second game takes place in Oklahoma City, where the reigning champion Thunder host the San Antonio Spurs. I think Victor Wembanyama should feast on the glass. So should fellow No. 1 overall pick, Cooper Flagg, against the Golden State Warriors after that.

Check out my top NBA prop picks for Dec. 25, featuring a best bet on Austin Reaves against the Houston Rockets.

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NBA Christmas Day prop picks

Best bet: Reaves over 26.5 PRA (-106)

Reaves returned from a three-game injury absence on Tuesday, coming off the bench and scoring 17 points while adding a pair of rebounds and assists in a blowout loss.

Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick stated that Reaves (calf strain) was not on an official minutes restriction, despite only playing him 22 minutes.

This line reflects that Reaves won’t play a ton, though. Just look at his averages this year:

27.3 points
5.4 rebounds
6.5 assists
50.4 FG%

Reaves’ 27.3 scoring average ranks 11th in the NBA and is more than enough to clear this PRA line on its own. He had gone over this mark in 17 of his last 20 games before getting injured.

-> See full props for Rockets vs. Lakers!

I’m sure he won’t play 40 minutes on Christmas, but I’m also skeptical we’ll see drastically reduced minutes, given that L.A. punted Tuesday’s game after a slow start with Luka Doncic sidelined.

Reaves’ 775 minutes entering Tuesday were second-most on the team behind Rui Hachimura.

Houston is a great defensive team, but Reaves has three solid games against them last year while not shooting with a ton of volume.

He should be able to replicate that effort on Thursday.

Key stat: Reaves averaged 18.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 6.3 assists (30 PRA) against Houston last year. He went 2-1 against this line while taking 13 shots per game.

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Best NBA picks

Flagg over 5.5 rebounds (-148): Flagg is having a moment this month, averaging a monster 24.1 PPG while adding 6.2 rebounds a night.

The No. 1 pick has been especially dominant over his last five:

27.6 PPG
7.2 RPG
4-1 vs. this line

I think there’s a good case to back Flagg as a scorer against the Warriors, but I want to hone in on the forward’s rebounding abilities, instead.

Flagg had nine boards against Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday and recorded 10 against the rough-rider Detroit Pistons a few days before that.

The undersized Warriors should be easy pickings compared to those squads.

Golden State is 21st in rebounding rate and gives up the sixth-most rebounds per game to power forwards, where Flagg should be playing if P.J. Washington remains sidelined.

-> Don’t miss out — go to full betting markets for the NBA Christmas Day slate

NBA player prop predictions

Wembanyama over 8.5 rebounds (-139): In a perfect world, Wembanyama’s minutes restriction gets pulled on Thursday.

Seeing the French phenom return to 30-plus minutes a night would be the best Christmas present NBA fans could ask for.

But Wemby should be in a good spot to clear this line, even if he plays around his now-typical 23-25 minutes a game.

He has nine rebounds in 21 minutes when he returned to face OKC in the NBA Cup final on Dec. 23, and has two 12-rebound games since then.

-> Bet on Wembanyama against the defending champs!

Wemby did only have five boards in a blowout, 130-110 win over the Thunder on Tuesday, but I’ll view that as an outlier performance.

OKC is 20th in rebounding rate and might be missing big man Chet Holmgren, who exited Tuesday’s game with an injury.

NBA prop picks made at 9:11 a.m. ET on Dec. 24, 2025.

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Lions vs. Vikings Week 17 SGP predictions: Back Detroit, Goff on Christmas Day at +295

The Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings meet for a Christmas Day NFC North showdown, with the former needing a win to keep their playoff hopes alive.

The pregame narrative: Detroit needs to win out and get some help to make the postseason. Minnesota is riding a three-game winning streak heading into this matchup and looks to play spoiler as 6.5-point home underdogs.

Check out my Lions vs. Vikings predictions, featuring Jared Goff.

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Lions vs. Vikings predictions

SGP: Lions -6.5 | Vikings under 19.5 points | Goff 225+ passing yards (+295)

Lions -6.5 (-107): J.J. McCarthy exited Week 16 with a hand injury and was listed as a non-participant during Monday’s practice.

It doesn’t seem like the QB will be ready to suit up with such a short turnaround.

I think the Lions can cover this number with or without “Nine” under centre, but they could really blow things open if it’s Max Brosmer playing quarterback.

Brosmer threw for four interceptions in his NFL debut and has a 5.0 QBR. McCarthy’s 33.9 QBR ranks 31st out of all qualified quarterbacks in the NFL.

Jared Goff and the Lions’ offence have been explosive lately, despite what the win-loss record says.

-> Don’t miss out — bet on the NFL’s Christmas Day slate now!

Detroit is averaging 32.0 PPG during its last five games, going 2-3. I think the defence should round into form against one of the worst QB rooms in the NFL.

Christmas Day NFL SGP picks

Vikings under 19.5 points (-112): This play is heavily correlated to backing the Lions ATS. I’m pretty confident Detroit will put up at least 25 points, meaning if it can hold Minnesota below this number, we should be fine.

The Vikings picked up an ugly 16-13 win over the New York Giants last week after scoring 30-plus on the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Commanders.

Those are three of the bottom four defences by RBSDM.com’s EPA per play.

Before that, the Vikings had gone under this mark in four straight games.

Detroit isn’t great defensively by any means (ranking 20th in EPA per play), but the Lions do have an elite linebacking corps and an All-Pro pass rusher in Aidan Hutchinson, who should give McCarthy or Brosmer trouble.

Goff 225+ passing yards (-167): Goff should be in MVP talks, but for better or worse, you have to win games and contend for conferences to get that recognition. So maybe next year.

He ranks third in passing yards (4,036) and second in passing TDs (32) while only throwing five INTs.

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Goff has smashed this number recently, with three straight starts of 300-plus yards, and he has cleared it in nine straight outings dating back to Oct. 12.

That includes a game against the Vikings when he threw for 287 yards on 37 attempts. He cleared this mark in both games against Minnesota last year, too.

Lions vs. Vikings predictions made at 2:36 p.m. ET on Dec. 23, 2025.

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Rockets vs. Clippers SGP predictions Dec. 23: Back Kevin Durant and Kawhi Leonard on Tuesday

The Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Clippers close out Tuesday’s 14-game NBA slate at Intuit Dome.

The pregame narrative: Houston has cooled off following a red-hot November, but the visitor is still a sizeable road favourite tonight against the downtrodden Clippers. Los Angeles has lost 14 of its past 16 games and is 4-8 at home this season.

Check out my Rockets vs. Clippers SGP predictions for Dec. 23, featuring Kevin Durant and Kawhi Leonard.

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Rockets vs. Clippers predictions

Parlay: Rockets -3.5 | Durant 2+ threes | Leonard 6+ rebounds (+270)

Rockets -3.5 (-240): The Clippers snapped a five-game losing streak on Saturday by toppling their cross-town rival Lakers, 103-88.

But let’s not throw a party for them. Austin Reaves was sidelined, Luka Doncic got hurt mid-game, and the Clippers still barely managed to crack 100 points.

L.A. has the eighth-worst offensive rating and sixth-worst net rating in the NBA. The team is pretty much worth fading on a nightly basis.

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Houston is 5-5 in its last 10 games, but that includes a win over the Clippers.

Overall, the Rockets are third in net rating and sport a solid 7-6 ATS record as road favourites. I’m happy to back the better team on a teased-down margin.

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NBA SGP legs

Durant 2+ threes (-210): Durant isn’t putting up 30 points a night anymore … but he’s not far off.

KD is averaging 25.3 PPG on 50.9/43.5/89.3 shooting splits, and he’s been red-hot from beyond the arc over his last 10 games:

2.6 threes/game
53.1% shooting
2+ threes eight times

-> Back Durant and Leonard on Tuesday night

He went 3-of-5 from deep against the Clippers earlier this month, and he shouldn’t have a difficult time replicating that stat line.

Los Angeles allows the third-highest opponent 3-point percentage in the NBA (38.1%).

Leonard 6+ rebounds (-159): This is a tough matchup for Leonard. The Rockets have the best rebounding rate in the NBA, thanks in part to a breadth of capable bigs coming off the bench.

But that didn’t matter to Leonard on Dec. 11, when he had nine rebounds in 41 minutes.

Kawhi has been crashing the glass this month and playing a ton of minutes. That makes me confident he can reach this milestone against any team.

He’s averaging 35.4 minutes in December and has six-plus rebounds in seven of his last nine games.

Additionally, Clippers big man — and the NBA’s No. 3 rebounder — Ivica Zubac is out with an ankle sprain. That means Leonard should have an even bigger role on the glass.

Rockets vs. Clippers predictions made at 12:30 p.m. on Dec. 23, 2025.

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Penguins vs. Maple Leafs prop picks Dec. 23: Back Sidney Crosby, William Nylander to clear shot totals

The Toronto Maple Leafs are home to host the Pittsburgh Penguins for a 4:00 p.m. local start on Tuesday, following a disasterous three-game road trip.

The pregame narrative: Toronto went 0-3 on the road, while getting outscored 14-4. The Maple Leafs now sit last in the Atlantic Division and are one point behind the Penguins in the league-wide standings. Toronto is favoured in today’s matchup with an over/under of 6 goals.

Check out my Penguins vs. Maple Leafs prop picks for Dec. 23, featuring Sidney Crosby and William Nylander.

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Penguins vs. Maple Leafs prop picks

Best Bet: Crosby over 2.5 shots (+110)

Toronto has had highs and lows during the first three months of this season, but the peaks have largely been because of elite goaltending.

The Maple Leafs’ defence has been consistently awful, meaning things can get ugly once the goaltending falls off. Just look at what happened over their recent road trip.

Toronto allowed 14 goals on 85 shots.

On the season, the Maple Leafs allow the most shot attempts (63.3) and the second-most shots (30.72) on a 60-minute basis.

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Teams have been teeing off on Toronto’s goalies all year, and I think Crosby and Co. will do the same today.

The future Hall of Famer hasn’t slowed down in his 21st season. He ranks seventh in goals (20) and is averaging 2.4 shots per game, which is right in line with this number.

Key stat: Crosby had four shots and two points when he played the Maple Leafs on Nov. 29.

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Nylander over 2.5 shots (+145): What in the Elias Pettersson is happening to Nylander?

The Swede’s powers seem to have been zapped since the start of December, as he has just four points (all assists) in 10 games.

That came after a red-hot start, where he logged 11 goals and 32 points in October and November.

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Nylander isn’t playing with a ton of confidence right now, but I can’t pass on his shot total when it’s priced like this.

He’s only 3-7 against this line in his last 10, but he averaged north of three shots per game last year and draws a favourable matchup.

Pittsburgh allows the 13th-most shot attempts on a 60-minute basis. Nylander is 6-3 against this line in his last nine games against Pittsburgh.

Penguins vs. Maple Leafs prop picks made at 10:36 a.m. ET Dec. 23, 2025.

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