NBA Picks & Parlay of the Weekend | January 12

There is no shortage of intriguing matchups on the NBA schedule Friday night. With the NFL playoffs set to take over the weekend, the NBA has loaded up Friday’s schedule with games you won’t want to miss. The only downside is that there are some tight betting lines that are almost too close to call. That’s why we took a close look at each game and came up with three picks that are perfect for putting together a Friday night parlay on FanDuel.

Pacers +5 | -110 at FanDuel

Indiana’s first game without Tyrese Haliburton wasn’t too bad. The Pacers closed as eight-point favorites against the Wizards and won the game 112-104. The Indiana offense wasn’t quite as high-paced and explosive without Haliburton, which is to be expected. The days of the Pacers crushing the over/under on a regular basis could be over as long as Haliburton is sidelined. However, the Pacers have more than enough offensive talent to compete with a sub-.500 team like the Hawks, so Indiana has no business being an underdog in this game, even on the road.

Moreover, the Hawks aren't the type of team that should be favored in many games. Atlanta has also struggled when favored, going just 5-5 straight up and 2-8 against the spread as a home favorite. To be fair, the Hawks upset the 76ers in their last game, although Philly was without Joel Embiid and Atlanta still needed a double-double from Trae Young to pull off the win. Plus, the Hawks are 3-6 straight up and 2-7 against the spread in their last nine games, so this is not a team that should be trusted right now.

Pistons +8.5 | -110 at FanDuel

It’s not often that backing the Pistons makes sense. To be fair, we’re just backing them to beat the spread as an 8.5-point home underdog. Detroit is actually 5-4 against the spread in its last nine games despite just one win during that stretch, so things are getting a little better. While Cade Cunningham is a huge loss, Killian Hayes had 12 assists on Wednesday while Jaden Ivey has stepped up his scoring in recent games.

Equally important, this is just the second time this season the Rockets have been road favorites. While they've had some success as a favorite this season, Houston is also just 3-12 straight up on the road. The Rockets have lost the first two games of their current road trip and are also missing starter Dillon Brooks and key reserve Tari Eason to injury. They might find a way to win in Detroit, but it won’t be pretty, which is why we’re backing the Pistons to beat the spread. 

Bulls -3 | -110 at FanDuel

The Warriors head to Chicago in a state of disarray. They have lost badly in their last two games since Chris Paul was lost to an injury. Plus, Draymond Green has been such a distraction lately that it may not even help to have him reinstated from his suspension for this game. After all, we’re talking about a team that’s just 2-6 straight up and 3-5 against the spread since Christmas with one of those wins being a four-point home win against the lowly Pistons.

Meanwhile, the Bulls are fully healthy now that Zach LaVine is back and have won three in a row since his return. Over the last month, the Bulls are 6-2 at home, including wins over the Lakers and 76ers. With only three points to cover on Friday night, Chicago should be able to win and cover against a Golden State team that’s spiraling in more ways than one.