Best Bets for Today - Top Plays Across College Basketball, NHL and NBA for Thursday December 11 2025

By: Kim Smith Published 12/11/2025, 04:00 AM ET

Thursday’s slate gives us rivalry heat, Eastern Conference firepower, and a tight Central Division battle on the ice. After breaking down every data point you sent over, these are the three plays that stand out most for Thursday 12/11/25. To catch even more of our best bets make sure you check out our best bets page.

My Best Bets

Iowa State Cyclones -12.5
Boston Celtics -8.5
Nashville Predators -115

Iowa vs Iowa State

It’s Cy-Hawk night, but the matchup looks anything but even. Iowa is 8–1 and coming off a strong performance against Maryland, but their one road test ended in a 19-point loss at Michigan State, and now they walk into Hilton Coliseum to face a top-five Iowa State team that is annihilating opponents by 30+ a night. The Cyclones are 9–0, score 94.6 points per game, turn teams over at an elite rate (11.1 steals), and shoot 55% from the field. Iowa relies heavily on Ben Stirtz, but they don’t have the physicality, depth, or rebounding to handle ISU’s defense over 40 minutes. With ISU at home, rolling offensively, and the far superior defensive group, I’m backing Iowa State -12.5 as the rivalry stays lopsided. Check out the full Iowa vs Iowa State pick.

Celtics vs Bucks

Boston enters this one on a five-game winning streak and playing clean, efficient basketball despite missing Jayson Tatum. Jaylen Brown is carrying the load at 29.1 PPG, and the Celtics have been excellent defensively, holding opponents to just 110.6 a night. Milwaukee, meanwhile, is trending sharply downward at 2–8 in their last 10 and now loses Giannis until the end of the month — a brutal blow to their interior scoring, spacing, and defensive presence. Without him, the Bucks are leaning heavily on perimeter shooting and a struggling bench. This Celtics team moves the ball better, defends better, and is simply deeper and more stable in every phase right now. With Boston surging and Milwaukee searching for answers, I’m taking Celtics -8.5 to keep their win streak alive. Check out the full Celtics vs Bucks pick.

Blues vs Predators

This Central Division matchup lines up well for Nashville. The Blues have lost four of five and continue to battle defensive inconsistency, giving up 3.45 goals per game while getting shaky goaltending from Binnington (.875 SV%). The Predators aren’t perfect, but they’re at home, just picked up a gritty shootout win against Colorado, and have the clear goaltending edge with Juuse Saros — especially on home ice. Nashville’s power play is improving, their penalty kill is stronger than St. Louis’, and they generate more consistent scoring chances at 5-on-5. With the Blues banged up, struggling to score (2.55 goals per game), and leaking high-danger chances, the value sits with the more stable side. I’m backing Predators -115 to take care of business at Bridgestone. Check out the full Blues vs Predators pick.

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