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Best Bets for Today - Top Plays Across College Basketball, NHL and NBA for Saturday December 13 2025

By: Kim Smith Published 12/13/2025, 06:15 AM ET

Saturday’s slate is stacked: a ranked Big Ten matchup with a live home dog spot, an NBA Cup semifinal on a neutral floor, and a high-profile NHL game in Toronto where special teams could decide everything. After going through the numbers you sent over, these are the three plays that stand out most for Saturday 12/13/25. To catch even more of our best bets make sure you check out our best bets page.

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My Best Bets

Michigan State Spartans -12.5 New York Knicks -4.5 Edmonton Oilers -115

Michigan State vs Penn State

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Michigan State comes in 8–1 with the profile you usually want when laying points: elite defense, strong rebounding, and a consistent pace that travels. The Spartans are holding teams to just 61.0 points per game and they have a massive edge on the glass (41.8 rebounds per game), which matters even more against a Penn State team that’s been productive offensively but undersized on the boards at 31.9 rebounds per game. Penn State is 8–2 and has been tough at home, but the matchup is brutal if they can’t finish possessions with rebounds, because MSU will turn those extra looks into a steady stream of points. The other red flag for PSU is how quickly things can spiral when they face an elite defense — we just saw them get blasted 113–72 at Indiana. Michigan State also rebounds and shares the ball better, and their ability to defend without fouling keeps teams from living at the line. With the Spartans’ defensive pressure, second-chance edge, and overall talent gap, I’m backing Michigan State -12.5 to win this one by margin. Check out the full Michigan State vs Penn State pick.

Knicks vs Magic

This is a great tournament-style spot for New York. The Knicks are 17–7, they’ve been one of the best two-way teams in the East, and they’ve been rolling lately at 8–2 in their last 10 with a four-game win streak. Jalen Brunson continues to control games (28.3 PPG) and the Knicks’ identity is clear: efficient offense (120.5 PPG), strong rebounding, and a defense that consistently forces difficult possessions late. Orlando is a good team at 15–10, but the injury situation is the difference-maker here — Franz Wagner is out, Moritz Wagner is out, and that’s a lot of shot creation and frontcourt depth missing in a game where half-court execution matters more. The Magic can absolutely defend, but when you remove key offensive pieces and ask them to keep pace with a Knicks attack that’s been putting up points in bunches, it becomes a tough ask. On a neutral court, with New York healthier and more reliable offensively, I’m taking Knicks -4.5 to advance. Check out the full Knicks vs Magic pick.

Oilers vs Maple Leafs

This one sets up as a special teams and star-power game, and Edmonton’s edge there is hard to ignore. The Oilers are producing 3.32 goals per game and their power play is humming at 32.1%, which is exactly the kind of weapon you want against a Toronto team that can take penalties and hasn’t been nearly as dangerous on the man advantage (14.5%). Connor McDavid has been on a tear (48 points, 32 assists), and Edmonton’s top-end creation gives them an answer even when the game tightens up late. Toronto is playing solid hockey and is right there in form, but the goaltending situation is tricky with Joseph Woll still on IR and multiple blue-line injuries piling up, which matters against a team that can punish defensive breakdowns fast. Edmonton also comes in playing confident hockey with wins in three of the last four, and they’ve shown they can win different styles — from the 6–2 type games to grinding out a 4–1. In a matchup this even on paper, I’ll side with the team with the better special teams and the best player on the ice. Give me Oilers -115. Check out the full Oilers vs Maple Leafs pick.

My Best Bets for Saturday 12/13/25 are in, and it’s a clean trio across college hoops, the NBA Cup, and the NHL. If you want to make the most of these spots, you’ll want to take advantage of the bet365 bonus code so you’re maximizing each position you play.

Check out all of our free college basketball Picks.

Be sure to run your way to victory with our free NHL Picks.

Get all of the NBA action with our free NBA picks.

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