The NBA regular season is back with a solid slate of games on Friday night, with a total of seven matchups scheduled for today, featuring and excellent nationally televised doubleheader on NBA TV, as Hawks vs Pistons takes center stage at 7:00 p.m. ET, followed by Timberwolves vs Warriors at 10:00 p.m. ET.
Our staff of basketball betting experts dug into the latest odds and identified five NBA picks for tonight's matchups.
Continue below for our NBA picks, odds, props, and predictions for Friday, December 12.
NBA Picks, Odds, Props, Predictions: Friday, December 12
| Game | Time (ET) | Pick |
|---|---|---|
  | 7 p.m. | |
  | 7 p.m. | |
  | 7 p.m. | |
  | 8 p.m. | |
  | 10 p.m. | |
Specific betting recommendations come from the sportsbook offering preferred odds as of writing. Always shop for the best price using our NBA Odds page, which automatically surfaces the best lines for every game. | ||
Cavaliers vs. Wizards
By Joe Dellera
The Cavaliers face off against the Wizards as massive favorites on Friday night.
I’m targeting Darius Garland after a bit of an extended rest for this Cavaliers team.
Garland draws a great matchup against the Wizards, who have the league’s worst defense while playing at the fourth-fastest pace.
He also scored 20 against them earlier this season in a 33-point win. So, I’m not all that concerned about losing time in a blowout.
Furthermore, given that Garland has been dealing with some health issues, having the extra time off should have him feeling fresh and ready to rock tonight.
Pick: Darius Garland Over 16.5 Points (-115)
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Hawks vs. Pistons
By Bet Labs
The NBA system titled "Contrarian Overs, Good Road Teams" in totals betting is built on the idea that strong traveling teams can drive pace and scoring in matchups where the market leans too heavily toward the under.
By focusing on regular season games outside of division play, the system avoids slower rivalry environments and taps into contests that tend to be more open and less physical.
It targets overs specifically when the betting public and money trends show a clear lean toward the under, creating a contrarian opportunity where expectations are suppressed but conditions for scoring remain strong.
The away team must be early enough in its season to still carry energy and identity, and it must also be coming off a decisive win, a signal that its offense and confidence are functioning at a high level.
When these elements align, strong road teams often set the tone, push pace, and elevate scoring beyond market expectations, making the over more attractive precisely when it is being overlooked.
Pick: Over 233.5 (-110)
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Bulls vs. Hornets
By Nick Galaida
According to the RotoGrinders CourtIQ tool, Moussa Diabaté is averaging 7.3 rebounds per 20 minutes this season with LaMelo Ball off of the floor.
In the last five games that Ball has been unavailable, Diabaté has four games with 11+ rebounds, with 19+ rebound chances in each of those contests, too.
In the lone outlier, he had three rebounds on 13 rebound chances against the Lakers.
Tonight, he draws a favorable matchup against Chicago — a team that has been slightly worse than the league average on the boards this season.
Recent centers to face the Bulls — Alex Sarr, Noah Clowney, Jay Huff, Nic Claxton, Wendell Carter Jr., Day'Ron Payne — have all posted 12+ rebound chances.
The opportunities should be there for Diabaté on Friday night.
Pick: Moussa Diabate Over 6.5 Rebounds (-140)
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Jazz vs. Grizzlies
By Bet Labs
The NBA system titled "Visitor Recent 'Dogs Losing Streak" focuses on regular season matchups where struggling road underdogs offer hidden value.
Teams on short losing streaks both straight up and against the spread often become undervalued in the market, as public sentiment turns sharply against them.
These spots tend to produce inflated lines that fail to reflect the small margins separating most teams, especially when the visiting side has already been in the role of the underdog for consecutive games.
Such teams frequently respond with higher energy and focus after a string of poor performances, particularly when traveling, where distractions are limited, and motivation is heightened to end a skid.
This system capitalizes on market overreaction to recent losses, finding edges where perception diverges from reality and resilient road teams quietly bounce back to outperform expectations.
Pick: Jazz +7 (-110)
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Timberwolves vs. Warriors
By Bet Labs
This NBA system identifies regular season matchups where efficient but undervalued teams face opponents with poor defensive metrics.
When a team’s underlying performance indicators, such as Pythagorean strength, exceed public perception, the betting market often undervalues them against weak defensive opponents who allow high scoring efficiency.
These games typically feature modest moneylines that signal balance but overlook the defensive mismatch.
Slight movement toward the undervalued side reinforces that bettors are slowly recognizing the edge, yet the market remains mispriced.
Over recent seasons, this pattern has rewarded teams whose true performance levels are masked by variance while exploiting opponents that consistently fail to contain efficient offenses, creating a steady opportunity on the moneyline.
Pick: Warriors Moneyline (-130)
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