NBA Picks & Parlay of the Weekend | December 9

Saturday night brings us arguably the most important December NBA game in league history. Of course, we’re talking about the finals of the NBA’s inaugural in-season tournament between the Indiana Pacers and the Los Angeles Lakers. We figured there was no better way to mark the occasion than with a FanDuel same-game parlay. Here are three bets to put together that we think will all be winners during Saturday’s Pacers-Lakers championship game.

Pacers +4 | -112 at FanDuel

The Lakers are rightfully favored in Saturday’s game after the way they obliterated the Pelicans by 44 points on Thursday. They’ve won three in a row and eight of their last 11 games. With star players and the team’s leaders like LeBron James and Anthony Davis able to stay healthy this season, it’s not surprising to see the Lakers playing well and taking the in-season tournament seriously.

That being said, the Pacers have been just as impressive lately. They had to beat the Celtics as home underdogs earlier this week in the quarterfinals and then came from behind to beat the Bucks on Thursday. Indiana has won three in a row, all while being the underdog. In fact, the Pacers are now 7-3 straight up this season as an underdog. They surely have a chance to pull off another win as an underdog on Saturday. Even if they don’t, they will make this game close with three of Indiana’s eight losses this season coming by four points or less.

Over 240.5 | -108 at FanDuel

It’s always a safe bet to bet the over if the Pacers are playing. Indiana has gone 16-4 O/U this season behind a high-powered offense and a lackluster defense. Granted, oddsmakers have started to adjust with Indiana’s games in the quarterfinals and semifinals staying below the projected point total. However, the current over/under for Saturday’s game is less than it was for those two games, which should make it a little easier for the Pacers to get back to hitting the over.

Surely, the Lakers will help to make that happen. They are fresh off a 133-point performance on Thursday. In fact, the Lakers have either scored at least 130 points or allowed at least 130 points in four of their last six games. That trend is likely to continue, considering Indiana’s offensive prowess and defensive shortcomings. There is a good chance both of these teams top 120 points, which will hit the over.

Tyrese Haliburton 12+ Assists | -220 at FanDuel

The final leg of our three-leg parlay is a little more conservative, which should make it a little easier to hit. Haliburton has been an assist machine this season, averaging a little over 12 assists per game. He’s surely become one of the top point guards in the NBA, and it’s because he’s able to score at a high volume while also looking to create for his teammates.

Not surprisingly, Haliburton has taken things to the next level during the in-season tournament knockout games. He had 13 assists in the quarterfinals against the Celtics and 15 assists on Thursday against the Bucks. There is every reason to think Saturday’s game against the Lakers will follow a similar script. With Haliburton likely to play 40-plus minutes, registering 12 assists seems like the bare minimum, making this a safe addition to our same-game parlay.