Last Updated on December 2, 2025 2:27 am by Alex Becker
The NBA schedule on Monday, Dec. 1, features 9 games. Can the Jazz cover a big spread as a home underdog against the Rockets? Can the Suns cover as road underdogs against a surging Lakers squad? Continue reading for my NBA Best Bets for Monday, December 1, 2025.
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NBA Best Bets for Monday, December 1, 2025
NBA Best Bets Dec. 1: Pick 1 — Utah Jazz +12.5 vs. Houston Rockets (9:00 PM ET)
Houston won’t have Fred VanVleet or Tari Eason available for Monday’s game against Utah. Rockets forward Dorian Finney-Smith sat out the team’s game on Sunday, and his status is up in the air for Monday’s contest.
Utah center Walker Kessler and forward Georges Niang will both sit out Monday’s game against Houston. Jazz forward Kevin Love sat out Sunday’s game for rest purposes, and his status is uncertain ahead of Monday’s game.
These two teams squared off on Sunday afternoon in Salt Lake City, and Houston won in blowout fashion, 129-101. The Rockets may elect to rest some of their veteran players for Monday’s game, as it will be the second night of a back-to-back and the final game of a four-game road trip. Conversely, some numbers point to Utah covering this game. The Jazz are 6-3 ATS as a home underdog, 7-5 ATS after a loss, and 7-6 ATS in conference games this season. Because I think this spread is too high, Utah +12.5 is the pick.
NBA Best Bets Dec. 1: Pick 2 — Phoenix Suns +5.5 at Los Angeles Lakers (10:00 PM ET on Peacock)
For Phoenix, Mark Williams, Ryan Dunn, and Isaiah Livers all missed Saturday’s game. Their status for Monday’s contest is unclear. Suns guard Jalen Green will sit out Monday with a hamstring injury.
For Los Angeles, LeBron James and Marcus Smart have both been ruled out for Sunday night’s home date with New Orleans. Their status for Monday is murky at the time of this writing.
When the Suns traded Kevin Durant this past offseason, many wanted to write them off. From a betting perspective, that may have been an unwise move. Phoenix has been solid against the number in several different scenarios this year. To wit, the Suns are 5-4 ATS as the road team, 11-3 ATS when playing on 1 day of rest, and 13-6 ATS in conference games this season. For all of those reasons, I’m taking the Suns in LA on Monday night. The pick is Phoenix +5.5.
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