This article is part of our NBA Picks series.
Alex Barutha
Killian Hayes OVER 22.5 points+rebounds+assists (-120) vs. DEN -- FanDuel (3:35 PM CT)
The Pistons will, at best, have nine players available for Friday's game. Denver doesn't seem to be taking this contest seriously, as they're resting Facundo Campazzo, Aaron Gordon and Paul Millsap. Hayes is still erratic and turnover-prone, but Detroit has handed him the reigns down the stretch. Over his past seven appearances, he's averaged 9.6 points, 7.4 assists and 4.0 rebounds, with those numbers inflating to 14.7 points, 7.0 assists and 4.7 rebounds across the past three games. I still might end up sweating this one out, but it's a low number for a player who is expected to handle the ball most of the time and play upwards of 35-40 minutes against a team that's focused on energy conservation.
Jacob Lebowitz
Raul Neto OVER 11.5 points (-127) vs. CLE -- DraftKings (2:02 PM CT)
With Bradley Beal (hamstring) set to miss his third consecutive game, the Wizards will continue to rely heavily on scoring from Neto. Since Beal's injury, Neto has gotten over his points line, scoring 12 on Monday and 14 on Wednesday. In Neto's two games against the Cavaliers this season, he was able to score 14 points in the first contest and 17 in the second. The guard also averages 15.5 points per 36 minutes in games that Beal has missed.
Joe Bartel
WAS (vs. CLE) + DEN (at DET) to win + over/under 209.5 points between Raptors/Mavericks (+118) -- DraftKings (2:47 PM CT)
There's simply far too many players sitting out due to injuries Friday for me to feel comfortable betting many props, so it's time to pivot to yet another plus-odds parlay. The Wizards and Nuggets are both comfortable parlay builders and can get you in the -160 range outright, but take on an altered point total like the one mentioned above and you're able to achieve plus odds pretty easily. Personally I went with the TOR/DAL matchup only because this is "relatively" close to the normal starting lineup for both teams (at least recently in the case of Toronto), but you could easily go with GS/NO if everyone is healthy.
