Filip Tomic
Show Bio
The weekend is almost here, but before that we have a tasty 8-game night on a Friday in the NBA. NBA TV will have a double-header coming our way, with the Cavs vs Timberwolves matchup at 8:00 pm ET. The 76ers and Lakers conclude the action at 10:30 pm. I have settled on 3 teams in my NBA mega parlay. Check it out below!
I would also encourage you to visit our NBA picks page for predictions on the side and total for the rest of Friday’s games.
Now let’s dive into my bet!
Cavaliers ML (+198)
Warriors -5 (-108)
LA Lakers -8.5 (-110)
NBA parlay odds: +995
Cleveland Cavaliers ML over Minnesota Timberwolves (+198)
These 2 teams actually played each other less than 2 weeks ago in Cleveland and the Cavaliers came out on top 113-104 in OT. Minnesota’s injury situation has gotten a lot worse since that game. Rudy Gobert played in only one game since that loss in Cleveland and he is questionable to play with a rib injury. Backup Naz Reid is also a game-time decision with a head injury, missing both their big men will be a major issue. Jarrett Allen had 33 points and 18 rebounds in that first meeting.
Donovan Mitchell is also out for the Cavs, but that didn’t seem to bother them in the first head-to-head matchup. Darius Garland and company are 10-10 SU without their best player this season, boasting impressive wins over Indiana, Boston, Dallas and Denver in those games. With the Cavs covering in their last 6 of 9 visits to the Target Center, I think they have what it takes to sweep the season series from the injury-riddled Timberwolves.
Golden State Warriors -5 over Indiana Pacers (-108)
Over his last 10 outings Tyrese Haliburton is shooting just 17% from downtown and averaging 15.7 points per game. Indiana has also lost Bennedict Mathurin to a season ending shoulder injury, he was their leading scorer off the bench this season with 14.5 points per game. A balanced attack will be needed to get a result at Chase Center tonight, the Warriors won the first meeting 131-109 back in early February in Indianapolis.
Golden State returned to winning was with a 137-116 win over Memphis on Wednesday. They enter tonight’s game on a 13-7 ATS/SU run over their last 20 games. Three-point shooting might just give the Warriors the edge. They have drained 19, 14 and 14 triples over their last 3 games, while Indiana has made single-digit threes in 4 of its last 6 games. These 2 teams are in similar situations. I personally would favor the Warriors. They’re the healthier team, Andrew Wiggins is starting to contribute and they have more 3-point shooting available at the moment.
Read our full Indiana Pacers vs Golden State Warriors predictions
Los Angeles Lakers -8.5 over Philadelphia 76ers (-110)
Philadelphia dominated the first meeting 138-94, but that game was played back in November. From today’s perspective it carries very little weight. Joel Embiid, Tobias Harris, De’Anthony Melton and Robert Covington could all be out for Philly; that’s a massive blow to its hopes on Friday. The Sixers just lost to Phoenix 115-102 and this team seems incapable of putting up big numbers on offense. Against the high-flying Lakers, that could be a problem.
Playing the 76ers at home hasn’t been a pleasant experience for the Lakers, as they are just 1-6 SU in the last 7 meetings there. However, LA is currently on a run of 7 consecutive wins against teams from the Eastern Conference and is the much healthier team. I’m looking at Anthony Davis specifically. With Embiid out and the 76ers being very thin on the inside, AD should assert his dominance. Although their defense has lacked consistency, the Lakers are one of the most prolific offenses in the league still. I don’t think the 76ers will be able to stay in this game for long.
Read our full Philadelphia 76ers vs Los Angeles Lakers predictions
