The NBA regular season is back in full swing with a loaded slate of games on Friday night, with a total of 12 matchups scheduled for today, featuring an excellent nationally televised doubleheader on Amazon Prime Video, as Lakers vs Celtics takes center stage at 7:00 p.m. ET, followed by Mavericks vs Thunder at 9:30 p.m. ET.
Our staff of basketball betting experts dug into the latest odds and identified seven NBA picks for tonight's matchups.
Continue below for our NBA picks, odds, props, and predictions for Friday, December 5.
NBA Picks, Odds, Props, Predictions: Friday, December 5
| Game | Time (ET) | Pick |
|---|---|---|
  | 7:30 p.m. | |
  | 7 p.m. | |
  | 7:30 p.m. | |
  | 8 p.m. | |
  | 9:30 p.m. | |
  | 8 p.m. | |
  | 8 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. | ||
Spurs vs. Cavaliers
By Joe Dellera
The Cavaliers face off against the Spurs tonight in a matchup where both teams are dealing with injuries.
The Cavaliers will be without both Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen, while the Spurs continue to be without Victor Wembanyama.
I expect the nature of the injury report to open up more opportunities for Evan Mobley in particular.
Mobley naturally sees a bit of a bump without Garland and Allen, which is amplified by the lack of Wemby.
He’s involved more, as not only a scorer, but also as a facilitator.
Considering the scoring remains strong without Allen, and there’s been a clear assists bump of late, I like the combo prop.
Pick: Evan Mobley Over 23.5 Points + Assists (-115)
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Lakers vs. Celtics
By Kyle Murray
This grades out as a great spot to back the Celtics.
Yes, they are on the second half of a back-to-back, but Jaylen Brown got the night off and the majority of key players played 30-32 minutes or fewer as Boston blew out the Wizards.
On the other side, the Lakers are also on the second half of a back-to-back, but they went down to the wire against the Raptors.
I am expecting both LeBron James and Luka Doncic to miss this game as well, as we have yet to see LeBron play a back-to-back this season, and Luka reportedly returned to Slovenia for the birth of his second child.
Head coach JJ Redick said they don't have a return date yet for Luka, but they hope to get him back soon.
That does not sound like they are planning to have him back for tonight's game, and I think the unknown statuses of both of those players is opening up a buying window, as this line could easily move once we get official news.
We could even look to middle this number if the line moves later on.
Pick: Celtics -6.5 (-110)
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Jazz vs. Knicks
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 240.5 (-110)
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Pacers vs. Bulls
By Kyle Murray
I gave out this prop on the Buckets podcast tonight.
Love this spot for White, as I am expecting this to be a competitive game that has a ton of pace.
The Bulls rank 2nd in my model in expected pace, while the Pacers sit at 10th.
The Pacers also set up as a great matchup for White, as they have allowed the 7th-most points per game to guards and the most free throw attempts per game.
Pick: Coby White Over 28.5 Points + Assists (-115)
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Mavericks vs. Thunder
By Joe Dellera
The Thunder face off against the Mavericks tonight, and I'll target Jalen Williams as he continues to ramp up in his return.
The Mavericks allow the most rebounds per game to their opponents. Plus, J-Dub has been very consistent with assists so far this season, with totals of eight, five, and six on 11.3 potentials per game.
I like the idea of the combo prop here since he has not truly popped off as a rebounder yet, but did average 5.7 last season.
Pick: Jalen Williams Over 9.5 Rebounds + Assists (-120)
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Clippers vs. Grizzlies
By Bet Labs
This system identifies NBA 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: Clippers Moneyline (-130)
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Suns vs. Rockets
By Bet Labs
This NBA system targets regular season situations where home favorites with strong rebounding form bounce back to cover the spread.
When teams control the boards across multiple games, it reflects sustained energy, interior presence, and second-chance scoring potential, all of which translate more effectively at home.
These teams tend to have stable home against-the-spread results and perform particularly well in early and midseason months when effort metrics like rebounding carry extra weight before fatigue or playoff pacing set in.
By focusing on home favorites that are not elite but consistently solid, this strategy captures undervalued stability where rebounding dominance, crowd momentum, and statistical reliability align to produce profitable covers.
Pick: Rockets -11.5 (-110)
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