By Peyton Schultze

A record-breaking performance from Tyreek Hill once again showcased just how deadly the Chiefs’ offensive attack can be in a big road win over the Buccaneers (via USA Today).

A one week-break from the Weekly Wonder series brings upon this edition of Dual December, an inside-look at some of the month’s biggest sporting events. In this week’s issue, we look at the two sports leagues highlighted in December: the NFL and the NBA. For NFL coverage, we once again return with our weekly game picks for the upcoming weekend after an insane weekend of football a week ago. Meanwhile, we return with all new basketball coverage featuring some burning questions to be answered after a wild two-week stretch in the Association.

The Golden Angeleno is proud to present this issue of Dual December, and without further ado, here is our coverage for the first week of the month:

NFL Week 13 Picks

After another huge performance against the Eagles on Monday night, it is becoming more clear that D.K. Metcalf is one of the brightest young stars in all of football (via Seattle Times).

Sunday: New Orleans (-3.0) @ Atlanta, 10:00 AM PT, FOX

Can Taysom Hill and the New Orleans Saints do it again? After somewhat of a bye week last weekend against Denver, the Saints prepare to face the rival Falcons to hold their place as the top seed in the NFC. So far in his short stint, Hill is 2-0 as a start in replacement of the injured Drew Brees, and the Saints have found a physical and intense offensive formula that enforces running the football with the trio of Hill, Alvin Kamara, and Latavius Murray. Atlanta kept up with the Saints a bit in their matchup a couple of weeks ago, and the Falcons may be the scariest underdog to pick against on a weekly basis, but this 2020 version of the Saints appears to be a focused group with their sights on one thing: winning the Super Bowl.

Atlanta: 21 New Orleans: 27

Sunday: Detroit @ Chicago (-3.0), 10:00 AM PT, FOX

Can the Bears finally end some of their recent woes? It appears like this weekend is a shining opportunity to get their season back on track, as Mitchell Trubisky prepares to face the one team that he has consistently torched over the course of his career. The Lions’ defense is certainly one of the worst in all of football this year, and there is little doubt that the Bears may have found a little bit of flow on offense last week in the second half against Green Bay. This formula seems to add up quite well for Chicago, especially considering their playoff chances are not out of the window quite yet, which should be a nice home win to give the Bears at least a chance of keeping their distant hopes alive.

Detroit: 14 Chicago: 20

Sunday: Indianapolis (-3.0) @ Houston, 10:00 AM PT, CBS

Are the Colts really the great team that we thought they were? Maybe not, especially as their defense was absolutely demolished against a psychically overpowering unit in the form of the Tennessee Titans last weekend. Meanwhile, the Texans have had a bit of drama since their Thanksgiving appearance in Detroit, with Bradley Roby and Will Fuller suspended for the rest of the season. The loss of Fuller is a huge hit to the Texans, as Deshaun Watson has played outstanding football over the past month with the speedy wideout in the lineup. The Colts need this win in a tough playoff race, but be very careful in confidently picking this game in their favor with Watson making a late-season charge.

Houston: 24 Indianapolis: 27

Sunday: Las Vegas (-8.0) @ New York J., 10:00 AM PT, CBS

Will the likely absence of Josh Jacobs be enough for the Jets to sneak up on the Raiders and capture their first win of the year? The Raiders had a terrible day last Sunday, but it is easy to forget that this is the same team that went head-to-head with the reigning champions twice this season. This makes us think that this spread may be a little too low, and even though they have played a little better over the past couple of weeks, the Jets are clearly the worst team in the league. Sam Darnold needs to have a great game for New York to have any chance of winning this game, and it seems like there is a pretty good chance that Las Vegas wins this game by at least two touchdowns.

New York J.: 10 Las Vegas: 28

Sunday: Cleveland @ Tennessee (-6.0), 10:00 AM PT, CBS

The highlight of the early-game slate takes to the Music City, where Tennessee hosts Cleveland is a huge game with serious AFC playoff implications. The Titans look more and more convincing as a Super Bowl contender with every week, while the Browns’ surprising 8-3 start to the season sits them as the conference’s top wild card team and ahead of the rival Ravens. But can the Browns get a win in their biggest game of the year? Picking them outright is bold, but we do think Cleveland is a lot better than people are giving them credit for as long as Baker Mayfield continues to take care of the ball as he has. Take the Titans by an inch, but look for the Browns to cover the spread in a very good game.

Cleveland: 24 Tennessee: 28

Sunday: Cincinnati @ Miami (-11.5), 10:00 AM PT, CBS

Miami as an eleven and a half point favorite with quarterback questions in the air? It’s hard to love the Bengals as a huge underdog here, but they did play hard last week against the Giants and nearly pulled off a huge upset win. But the Dolphins should be a playoff team this season with a turnover-happy defense and a consistent offense that can move the ball, and it seems unlikely that they will slip up at home in what many think will be an easy win for the Dolphins. Take caution in taking the Dolphins to cover with such a huge spread, but look for a big defensive score to change the course of the game in a much-needed AFC win for Miami.

Cincinnati: 17 Miami: 30

Sunday: Jacksonville @ Minnesota (-10.0), 10:00 AM PT, FOX

Maybe our favorite cover of the entire week lies in Minnesota, as the miserable Jaguars head up north for a battle with the playoff hungry Vikings. This seems like an easy spread with Minnesota needing a win this weekend, but the Jaguars have fought extremely hard over the past couple of weeks and will be motivated to foil the Vikings’ playoff hopes with an impressive performance this weekend. In addition, with running back Dalvin Cook questionable for the weekend’s matchup, the Vikings could have some trouble running the ball on offense against an otherwise weak defensive front. The Vikings should be able to win with some big plays from their duo of wide receivers on offense, but look for a closer-than-expected game on Sunday.

Jacksonville: 17 Minnesota: 24

Sunday: New York G. @ Seattle (-10.0), 1:05 PM PT, FOX

One of the trickiest spreads of the week, as the New York Giants look to continue a fiery win streak that has propelled them to the top of their division. The Giants are hot heading into this matchup, but they’ll likely be without Daniel Jones for this matchup in the Pacific Northwest. Meanwhile, Seattle’s improvement on defense has been illustrated over their past month of play, and the Seahawks look like a real challenger in the NFC who can potentially make this year’s Super Bowl in Tampa Bay. The Giants are a tough team who has a real chance of winning the NFC West this year, but with the way the Seahawks have played on both sides of the ball over the past two weeks, New York may be in for a tough outing on Sunday afternoon.

New York G.: 13 Seattle: 24

Running back Antonio Gibson chose a great time for a career game in Washington’s key win over Dallas on Thanksgiving to keep their playoff hopes alive in the NFC East (via NBC4 Washington).

Sunday: Los Angeles R. (-3.0) @ Arizona, 1:05 PM PT, FOX

The biggest game of the Sunday slate takes place in the NFC West in a huge battle between the Cardinals and Rams. Both of these teams have a real chance to still win this division despite Seattle sitting at the top, but this game could go a long way in determining tiebreakers that could complicate things in the conference. But the game itself appears to be a solid matchup, yet the Rams have a clear advantage for as long as Kyler Murray appears to show signs of an injury. Los Angeles’ defensive front will be they key to this game, as Aaron Donald and company have a chance to cause havoc for the Arizona offense. Look for Jared Goff and the Rams’ offense to also have one of their best games in recent weeks, in what could be a lopsided win for the Rams.

Arizona: 24 Los Angeles: 38

Sunday: Philadelphia @ Green Bay (-9.0), 1:25 PM PT, CBS

Green Bay is a tough team to predict sometimes, especially with their tendency to jump out to early leads before letting a team back into the game late in the second half. It happened last weekend against the Bears and could happen once again this weekend against the Eagles, especially after they nearly pulled off a comeback effort and hit a backdoor cover on Monday night against the Seahawks. Aaron Rodgers and the Packers should jump out to an early lead in this one, but look for Carson Wentz to have one of his better games in quite some time on Sunday. The Packers are a pretty easy pick in terms of winning the game, but don’t sleep on the Eagles covering this game with some ease.

Philadelphia: 23 Green Bay: 28

Sunday: New England @ Los Angeles C. (Pick), 1:25 PM PT, CBS

This is a tricky as it gets in terms of a pick game, especially with Bill Belichick and the Patriots’ defense preparing to face a terrific young quarterback in the form of Justin Herbert. The Chargers’ superstar rookie has been excellent this season, but he may run into some challenges this weekend with Belichick likely to cook up some confusing defenses to stir up the chaos in this one. Meanwhile, although Joey Bosa was a monster last weekend against the Bills, the Chargers’ defense has been otherwise suspect for a large part of the season. Yet the Patriots’ offense has been equally suspect with Cam Newton under center, which means this game could be ugly and come down to one play on special teams. But that’s where New England has the advantage, in what could be a very low-scoring outing on windy Sunday afternoon in Los Angeles.

Los Angeles C.: 17 New England: 20

Sunday: Denver @ Kansas City (-14.0), 5:20 PM PT, NBC

Arguably one of the most boring Sunday Night Football games of the season takes place in Kansas City, where the Denver Broncos travel for matchup with the Chiefs. Kansas City was explosive on offense a week ago against the Bucs, and they once again proved that they’re currently the class of the league. Meanwhile, Denver played without a quarterback last week in a blowout loss to the Saints, and it appears the Broncos are in trouble again this weekend against a team that they have not beaten in several years. The Broncos have the pieces to make sure Patrick Mahomes doesn’t explode this weekend, but the Chiefs’ defense will be the story in an easy win on Sunday night.

Denver: 13 Kansas City: 30

Monday: Washington @ Pittsburgh (-10.0), 2:00 PM PT, FOX

Many people seem to quickly be overreacting to the Steelers’ narrow win on Tuesday over the Ravens, but we tend to think that the game revealed more about the heart of the Ravens’ defense than the Steelers’ potential flaws. With that said, due to Pittsburgh’s tendency to play close games on a weekly basis, this is somewhat of a favorable spread for Washington. Alex Smith and the Washington Football Team receives extra rest heading into this matchup after playing on Thanksgiving, while the Steelers appear to be in flux with two games in less than a week’s time. Pittsburgh’s dominant defense is enough to get this team over the top in the end, but expect another low-scoring game in the Steel City for the league’s lone undefeated squad.

Washington: 13 Pittsburgh: 17

Monday: Buffalo (-2.0) @ San Francisco, 5:15 PM PT, ESPN

The easiest spread of the week sees Buffalo only getting two points as a road favorite against the injured San Francisco 49ers, which could mean a big game from quarterback Josh Allen. The young signal caller can make some dumb mistakes at times, but there’s no denying that he has blossomed into a star in the league as the face of one of the best teams in the AFC. And even though the 49ers played well against the Rams last week, we are not overreacting and thinking that they have what it takes to match up on paper with the Bills in the end. A battle of two great head coaches is sure to make this an interesting Monday Night Football battle, but take Buffalo with confidence in an easy game to predict.

San Francisco: 20 Buffalo: 24

Tuesday: Dallas @ Baltimore (No Line), 5:05 PM PT, FOX/NFL Network

A lot of this game depends on the status of quarterback Lamar Jackson, who may be able to return in time after his one-game departure due to COVID-19. The Ravens’ outbreak was one of the biggest stories of Week 12, but you would never know considering their tough performance in a near upset over the Steelers. The Ravens have an easy schedule ahead of them for the rest of the year after a brutal stretch of games, and they need every win they can get in order to make sure they hold onto a place in the AFC playoff picture. The Cowboys, meanwhile, appear ready for their season to end after a poor game on Thanksgiving against Washington, which brings into question how motivated they’ll be for this game. Expect the line to be around nine points, and look to lock up the Ravens for an easy win.

Dallas: 13 Baltimore: 31

NBA Burning Questions

Devin Booker was a superstar inside the NBA’s Orlando bubble, and is looking to take the Phoenix Suns to the next level this season with the addition of Chris Paul (via Los Angeles Times).

Does the Addition of Chris Paul Make the Phoenix Suns a Legitimate Contender in the West?

After an 8-0 run inside the Orlando bubble a couple of months ago, the Phoenix Suns became confident enough in their homegrown talent to go out and acquire an All-Star player in the form of Chris Paul. CP3 was a MVP candidate with Oklahoma City last season, helping lead the Thunder to the playoffs and almost upsetting the Houston Rockets in the first-round. But with Paul now in Phoenix, can the Suns take another leap forward and challenge some of the best teams out west?

Challenge is a bit of a stretch, but the Suns appear to be a likely playoff team for the 2020-2021 season. Chris Paul will help run the show and get the ball down low to promising young center, Deandre Ayton. Ayton has shown flashes of dominance in his career, and Paul and head coach Monty Williams should be able to get the best out of him this year. But who has a chance to take this Phoenix team over the top is shooting guard Devin Booker. Booker appears poised for a career season for the Suns after a dominant run in Orlando last season, and it will be interesting to see if the young sharpshooter makes a run at the scoring title this year. The Suns may not be a top four team out in the Western Conference right now with so many good teams, but this will be a huge year for the team in terms of their return to relevance that could result in some serious promise for the future of the organization.

Is Luka Dončić Deserving of the Preseason MVP Hype?

After nearly leading the Dallas Mavericks to a first-round upset over the Los Angeles Clippers last season with an injured Kristaps Porzingis limited in the lineup, Luka Dončić appears to be on pace to enter the new season as the favorite to win NBA MVP. Dončić was superb in the 2019-2020, quickly becoming one of the best players in all of basketball and turning the Mavericks into an unlikely force in the Western Conference. But after hitting the biggest shot of his life last season inside the bubble, can Luka take another step forward and capture the league MVP?

We like his chances a lot, but don’t rule out some other challengers to the throne. Giannis Antetokounmpo was last year’s winner and could make it three in a row, and LeBron James still remains the best player in the world despite entering his 18th season of his career. Meanwhile, Damian Lillard showed his moxie in leading the Blazers to the playoffs last year, and Nikola Jokic assumed the title of the best center in the league during the Nuggets’ impressive run to the Western Conference Finals last season. But the three names to watch for outside of Dončić? Anthony Davis, Ben Simmons, and former winner Stephen Curry. Davis will have another year in LA under his belt to showcase his generational skillset alongside LeBron, while Simmons will benefit from the insertion of Doc Rivers as the head coach of the 76ers. And with Klay Thompson sidelined for the year but with the Warriors still in contention for a playoff spot, Golden State will need huge numbers from their All-Star point guard to keep up with teams like Denver, Dallas, Utah, and Los Angeles.

Are the Clippers Poised to Improve this Year, or Will their Struggles From Last Season Seep into the New Year?

A tough call considering many people thought that the Clippers were far and away the best team in the league heading into last season, Los Angeles’ second team has an important year ahead of them if they want to be taken seriously whatsoever. Kawhi Leonard and Paul George certainly failed to meet expectations in their first year with the Clippers under Doc Rivers, but will they bounce back in 2021 under Ty Lue?

The Clippers missed their chance last season with such a deep bench and an defensive formula set to beat the rival Lakers, but they failed to make any noise in the playoffs and eventually fell to the Denver Nuggets in the second-round. The Clippers have still never appeared in the Western Conference Finals in their franchise’s history, and it will be even harder for them this season with some lost pieces in some key areas. Many might point toward Leonard potentially bouncing back from his disappointment and George having the ball in his hands more after falling apart on the court with an off-the-ball role on offense, but the Clippers are hard to take seriously after making so much outside noise last year and then blowing a 3-1 lead to a far-less talented team in Denver. The Clippers are still a threat at full strength, but there’s at least three other teams that are better than them right now heading into the season in the Western Conference alone.

How Will the New-Look Nets Look With Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant Together in the Starting Lineup?

Potentially both chaotic and exciting, the Brooklyn Nets enter the new season as the most fascinating team to watch in the upcoming season. Largely because two superstars in Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant have joined forces to cause havoc in the Eastern Conference, the Nets figure to be a real contender for a championship if they can manage to stay healthy and in-order despite some massive egos around the entire organization.

Where to even begin with this team? It is shocking that the addition of a Hall of Fame player in Steve Nash to their coaching staff has taken a backseat in the headlines, but that’s exactly the case with the recent rumors of a trade for James Harden. If they were able to pull off a deal, Harden, Durant, and Irving would form a dynamic trio that would have almost no problem putting up over 120 points every night. But as the Nets stand right now, Durant remains poised to re-emerge as one of the game’s three best players in basketball with his unparalleled scoring ability and pure length on both ends of the court. Throwing in a potential breakout year for Caris LeVert and likely some drama from one of the most controversial figures in the league in Kyrie Irving makes the Nets must-see TV on a nightly basis. But will that sensation lead to wins? Who knows, but it’s probably a solid bet to count on Durant to bounce back from his Achilles injury to lead these Nets deep in the playoffs in 2021.

After a huge free agency period in Atlanta, Trae Young and the Hawks are set to take a leap into the Eastern Conference playoff picture in 2021 (via MSG Networks).

Better Bet to Make the Postseason in the Eastern Conference this Season: the Washington Wizards or Atlanta Hawks?

After Russell Westbrook was acquired from the Houston Rockets in exchange for John Wall and a first-round pick, the Wizards appear to be a team that may be able to make some noise again in the Eastern Conference. But the rival Hawks also are coming off a huge free agency period that saw them surround point guard Trae Young with a ton of new talent, which could also make them a threat in the East this year. So what team is the better bet to make the playoffs in 2021?

The Wizards made a great trade in unloading Wall for the much-better Westbrook, who has a chance to form a truly dynamic backcourt with shooting guard Bradley Beal. Beal has been the rumor of trade discussions for a while, but his role as an off-the-ball player next to Westbrook gives him a real chance at making a run at the scoring title this season with an otherwise decent roster around him. Meanwhile, the Hawks made some huge moves this offseason in adding several key players such as Bogdan Bogdanović, Danilo Gallinari, and Rajon Rondo. All three players will help Trae Young and the Hawks’ young core improve in a huge way, as their veteran presence has a chance to turn this Atlanta organization around for the near future. The addition of Rondo is especially key for Young, who will benefit from the veteran point guard’s experience in big-time moments. So which teams has the better chance of making the playoffs? We actually like the odds for both of these teams, but we’ll give the slight edge to the great new duo of Westbrook and Beal in Washington. Both teams should be very fun to watch this season, and it should be exciting to see fresh blood enter the Eastern Conference playoff picture this season.

Which Team Takes the Biggest Leap Forward From Last Year to Establish Themselves as a Contender?

The Phoenix Suns appear to be the one team that everyone will point to in this department after their offseason moves, but there are several other squads who could have much improved years in 2021 with a healthier roster and more time to adjust to new players on the roster. With that said, will there be any real challenger to the top of each conference, or will the East and West continue to be ruled by the Lakers and Heat? Can a young team like the Pelicans rise to the top of the standings, or will a veteran team like Golden State re-emerge as contenders?

The Suns are a decent option here, but in terms of sheer improvement into championship status, we think the only option is the Dallas Mavericks. The Portland Trail Blazers make a strong case with another year together as led by Damian Lillard, but the Mavs’ combo of Luke and Porzingis makes them as scary of a team in the league with a real chance to make The Finals if they can stay healthy this season. Dallas also matches up quite well with both of the Los Angeles teams on offense, as evident in the Mavericks’ close series with the Clippers that came up just short due to a plethora of injuries that ended up finishing their season. With that said, there are two teams that deserve some type of recognition: the newly-led 76ers and the massively undervalued Grizzlies. The 76ers have a chance to take a major leap forward after wisely scooping up Doc Rivers after parting ways with the Clippers, while the Grizzlies have a great chance of becoming similar to last year’s Mavericks with such a solid core of young and exciting players like Ja Morant and Brandon Clarke.

Who is the Biggest Star that Gets Traded This Season?

From Giannis Antetokounmpo to Bradley Beal, there are plenty of big names on the trade market who may be floated around over the course of the NBA season. But in an odd, pandemic-shortened season, will there be any major stars moved, or will the trade market largely revolve around role players who can make an immediate impact on a championship team?

With the rumors surrounding James Harden to the Brooklyn Nets starting to fade away quite a bit, we think it is unlikely that someone of superstar stature in the league will end up being moved before this year’s trade deadline. With that said, the biggest star that we believe will get moved is Pistons’ forward Blake Griffin, who should be available after Detroit’s odd free agency period. But who will be the most likely suitor for Griffin? None other than the team that started it all with him in Los Angeles, where the Clippers need some size and length in order to compete with the rival Lakers down the hall for rights to Western Conference supremacy. Look for Buddy Hield and Derrick Rose to be traded as well to other budding contenders (Dallas? Milwaukee? Philadelphia?) in what should otherwise be a quiet trade market this season in the NBA.

Do the New Additions in Los Angeles Make the Lakers the Favorites to Repeat in 2021?

LeBron James’ recent contract extension and Anthony Davis’ new five-year deal with the Purple and Gold once again makes the Lakers the premier team in all of sports, with a outstanding combination of style, flash, and pure basketball dominance. Now, after several huge moves helped the defending champions improve their roster on paper despite several losses on their roster, are the Lakers poised to go back-to-back for the first time since 2009 and 2010?

For as long as LeBron and AD are both roaming the Staples Center court together, the Lakers will be the favorites to win this year’s title after last season’s dominance inside the NBA’s Orlando bubble. But after the Lakers went out and acquired Montrezl Harrell, Dennis Schröder, Marc Gasol, and Wesley Matthews to add to their championship core, Los Angeles appears to be improved despite coming off their 17th championship in franchise history. The Lakers also still deploy several key pieces on their roster such as Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Alex Caruso, and Kyle Kuzma, which makes these recent additions even more impactful with such a loaded roster from top to bottom. But will the Lakers fail to meet expectations, or will they push back towards The Finals and capture their record-breaking 18th title? The smart move is to never bet against LeBron James and Anthony Davis, who figure to once again prove that they’re one of the greatest duos that this game has ever seen on-the-court.