NBA Odds, Picks & Predictions: Friday (1/2)
If you love NBA action and you're looking to relax after a long holiday season, the slate of games Friday night is perfect. There are 10 games on the schedule which means there are plenty of edges on spreads and totals to attack. Let's take a look at some of those matchups for best bets on Friday night.
Go premium to view top prop bets based on Cover Probability, Expected Value & Star Rating >>
Friday’s Best NBA Picks & Predictions
(Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)
Denver Nuggets at Cleveland Cavaliers
The biggest news headed into this matchup is that the Nuggets will be without Nikola Jokic for the foreseeable future. The MVP big man hyperextended his knee during the loss to Miami on Monday. He missed his first game Wednesday when the Nuggets only managed to score a near season low 106 in the win. They'll head to Cleveland on Friday to take on the Cavaliers.
The Cavaliers are glad to be back home with Evan Mobley healthy, especially on the defensive end. In games Mobley suited up, Cleveland is 11-5 to the Under. His presence at the rim as an elite defender cannot be understated. Without him in the lineup in December, the Cavaliers allowed 126.4 PPG against some pretty poor offenses.
Early returns for Denver without Jokic indicate the offense might need a minute to figure out how to replace his 29.4% usage. That means Denver will look to rely on their defense in the meantime. In this matchup with Cleveland that could mean we're headed for a defensive battle.
Pick: Under 236.5 Total Points (-105)
Orlando Magic at Chicago Bulls
The Magic have certainly been stumbling a bit since their NBA Cup run. In the eight games since they've gone just 4-4 SU and 2-6 ATS. They've battled through some injuries, particularly Franz Wagner, and had a West Coast road trip that wasn't kind to them. They'll be looking to get back on track Friday night and it might be a perfect spot to back them.
Chicago found out recently that they're going to be without Josh Giddey and Coby White for a bit. Those two lead the team in the usage and make the offense go. This will give a lot of the younger players an opportunity to gain key experience, but that typically doesn't bode well for winning or covering.
Orlando has remained strong defensively despite all of the injuries they've faced this season. They're incredibly deep and poised to be a team that will compete for the Eastern Conference title. The schedule will start to ease after having one of the six most difficult schedules per NET rating through the first part of the season. That starts Friday night with what should be a comfortable win.
Pick: Magic -4.5 (-112)
Memphis Grizzlies at Los Angeles Lakers
The Lakers are more than happy to turn the page on 2025 and look ahead to 2026. December, in particular was unkind to the Lakers. Los Angeles finished the month just 4-8 ATS, including going 1-4 both SU and ATS in the last five. The defense was atrocious, allowing 120.5 PPG in those four losses but the schedule was also brutal. The red-hot Clippers, pesky Suns, and championship-focused Rockets and Pistons meant the Lakers needed to be on every night.
One game where they looked good was against the hapless Kings. Friday night's game against the Grizzlies might provide them a similar relief. No Memphis isn't nearly as bad as Sacramento but offensively they are pretty close. They're a team in the bottom third of the league in eFG% and turn the ball over at an above average rate. Memphis had a fairly manageable schedule in December but still only managed 6-6 ATS and SU. This included two straight up losses to Washington.
The Lakers have a lot of problems defensively but they're also missing some key pieces like Austin Reaves. Until they start getting healthier, they'll still struggle against the better teams, but Memphis isn't that. At home on Friday night, they should take care of business.
Pick: Lakers -4 (-110)