NBA Picks & Parlay of the Weekend | November 10

A compelling NBA weekend begins with a slate of nine games on Friday night. More than half the games have a point spread of five points or less, meaning things could easily go either way in most of these games. However, we’ve made three picks that could be packaged in a parlay that we think will pay out for fans of basketball betting.

76ers -7.5 | -106 at FanDuel

Since losing their season opener, the 76ers have rattled off six straight wins. Plus, Philadelphia was favored in five of those six wins and covered the spread in all five of those wins. That kind of early-season success has led some to ponder if the 76ers might be somehow better off without James Harden. Tyrese Maxey is off to a phenomenal start, averaging 25.4 points per game, which is still second on the team behind Joel Embiid.

On the other side, the Pistons have been an absolute dumpster fire thus far, losing six in a row. Until they only lost to the Bucks by two points on Wednesday, Detroit had lost five in a row against the spread, meaning the Pistons are even worse than oddsmakers think. With players like Jaden Ivey, Alec Burks, and Joe Harris out with injuries, the Pistons are lacking depth, making this matchup even more lopsided. Other than Detroit being at home, there’s no reason to think the 76ers aren’t going to blow them out of the water and cover the 7.5-point spread with ease.

Over 241 | -112 at FanDuel

Winning hasn’t come easy to either of these teams, as both are 2-5 heading into Friday’s clash. The reason for that could be a lack of defense. The Hornets and Wizards are a combined 11-3 O/U on the young season, meaning both are playing high-scoring games. The Wizards have allowed at least 121 points in five of their seven games and over 140 points twice. Charlotte, meanwhile, has allowed at least 124 points in five straight games.

To be fair, the Hornets and Wizards are both capable offensive teams. Charlotte has four players averaging at least 17 points per game while Washington has a surprisingly deep and balanced attack that’s averaging over 119 points per game. With the way both teams can fill it up while doing absolutely nothing to defend their own basket, both teams should easily reach 120-plus points, pushing the total points well over 241.

Spurs +6 | -110 at DraftKings

Even with top overall pick Victor Wembanyama, it’s been a struggle early in the season for the 3-5 Spurs. They’ve lost three in a row with the last two coming by lopsided margins. But coming home on Friday should be good for Greg Popovich’s team. San Antonio’s schedule early in the season has been challenging. Right away, the Spurs are putting a lot of pressure on Wembanyama to lead them. 

However, San Antonio should be able to stay competitive with the T’Wolves on Friday. Despite winning four in a row, Minnesota has benefited from a lot of home-court advantage. The T-Wolves are 0-2 straight up and 0-2 against the spread during their brief road schedule early in the season. Keep in mind that three of their top four scorers are big men, who won’t get as many easy baskets as they’re used to with Wembanyama defending the basket. That should enable the Spurs to keep things close and perhaps pull off a surprising win at home.