NBA Picks & Parlay of the Weekend | December 30

It’s a busy time of year on the sports calendar, and so the NBA schedule isn’t letting up. Saturday night is filled with some interesting matchups that fans will want to check out. The final Saturday of 2023 is also the perfect time to pick out a parlay. That’s why we picked three games on Saturday that can be packaged together in a parlay with FanDuel.

Heat -2 | -110 at FanDuel

Opposing teams would be wise to stay out of Miami’s way right now. The Heat has won four in a row, going 4-0 against the spread during that span. They also have one of the best road records in the league, so there shouldn’t be much concern about Miami going on the road for the second game of a five-game road trip. While Jimmy Butler is out and a few other players are banged up, Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro have proven that they’re more than capable of carrying this team.

In fairness, Utah has been tough at home this season and has one of the best records against the spread in the NBA. In fact, the Jazz is 5-1 against the spread in the team’s last six games. But they’ve also played seven of their last eight games on the road. They looked a little tired in Thursday’s 112-105 loss to the Pelicans and may not have recovered enough from a long road trip to take down the scorching-hot Heat on Saturday.

Timberwolves -4, -112

The Lakers have shown some signs of life, winning two of their last three games after a four-game losing streak. They’re also 3-1 against the spread in their last four games. But that doesn’t mean it’s a good idea to back them against a quality team like the T’Wolves, especially on the road. Los Angeles is just 7-10 against the spread on the road this season, making them among the worst teams in that area. With the likes of LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Cam Reddish all listed as day-to-day, there’s no guarantee that the Lakers will be at full strength for this game, making it even easier to lean toward Minnesota.

To be fair, the T’Wolves are just 1-4 against the spread in their last five games. But they’ve also been underdogs in three of those games and were used to cover 12 points in their last game against Dallas. This spread is more than reasonable for a team that’s 23-7 on the season and has one of the NBA’s most dynamic scorers in Anthony Edwards. Even with Karl-Anthony Towns listed as day-to-day, the T’Wolves have enough frontcourt depth to survive his absence and take down an aging, banged-up Lakers team.

Mavericks +4, -106 at FanDuel

Golden State’s recent five-game winning streak is certainly a thing of the past following back-to-back losses. A 12-point home loss against the Heat on Thursday despite being favored by 6.5 points is particularly concerning for Steve Kerr’s team. The Warriors have run hot and cold all season, and that loss indicates they’re entering another cold spell. That makes this a good time to sell on Golden State, especially against a Dallas team with a better record.

Keep in mind the Mavericks are 11-6 against the spread on the road this season. That makes them the second-best road team in the NBA against the spread. While the wins haven’t been easy in late December, the Mavs are 3-1 against the spread in their last four games. They even beat the 12-point spread on Thursday without Luka Doncic in a losing effort against the T’Wolves. That’s a good indicator that the Mavericks are safe to back against a struggling Golden State team on Saturday.