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Cade Cunningham is undoubtedly the cheese that tops the Detroit Pistons' pizza, but have you seen what Jalen Duren has done this season? The 22-year-old specimen has had a breakout season, averaging a career-high in scoring (18.8 points per game) while emerging as a potential NBA All-Star. He's a large (6-foot-10, 250 pounds to be exact) reason why the Pistons (19-5) own the best record in the Eastern Conference and second-best record in the entire league.

If you haven't seen Duren yet this season, you'll get a chance on Friday when he and Detroit take on the Atlanta Hawks at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit.

Duren's success shouldn't be a surprise; he has displayed freaky athleticism for years. 

Behind Duren and Cunningham, the Pistons rank fourth in the NBA in defensive rating (111.3). On Friday, they will square off against a Hawks team they've already beaten twice in two meetings this season. Atlanta has lost three of its last four games but is coming off a 15-point win at the Wizards.

Detroit is a 7.5-point favorite against the Hawks.

While Pistons vs. Hawks is the marquee attraction on Friday, there are other options on a sporting landscape that includes seven NBA matchups and 13 college basketball games. Below is a snapshot of what to watch and bet for Friday, Dec. 12. All times Eastern.

NBA best bets, where to watch

Hawks at Pistons

Time: 7 p.m. | Location: Detroit | TV: NBA TV | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)

SportsLine picks -- Model: Hawks +234

While Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic are the leading candidates for the NBA MVP award, Cunningham certainly is making a case to be considered. He ranks second in the league in assists per game (9.3) and 11th in points per game (27.5) while also averaging 6.4 rebounds a game for the top team in the East. In the two previous matchups against the Hawks this season, he has averaged 21.5 points, 9.0 assists and 7.0 rebounds. Meanwhile, Atlanta may have found something offensively over the last week. In two games against the Nuggets and Warriors, the Hawks had an offensive rating of 127.5, which ranks fourth in the league over that time. The SportsLine Projection Model, which simulates every game 10,000 times, says Atlanta has a 40% chance to win and assigns a moderate B grade to Hawks money line (+234).

Timberwolves at Warriors

Time: 10 p.m. | Location: San Francisco | TV: NBA TV | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)

SportsLine picks -- Model: Over 230.5 | Expert: Warriors -120 (Matt Severance)

Splash Brother Steph Curry is on track to return on Friday after missing the last five games with a left quad contusion and muscle strain. Meanwhile, Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards is listed as questionable because of right foot soreness, and if he can't go, that would obviously be a significant absence for Minnesota. Over his last 10 games, Edwards is averaging 31.4 points per game (while shooting 53.0% from the field), which ranks fourth in the league over that time, behind only Luka Doncic, Gilgeous-Alexander and Jokic. "If he sits, then I believe this for sure cashes," Severance says. Meanwhile, the SportsLine Projection Model says there's a 55.2% chance the teams combine for 231 points or more and gives a B grade to Over 230.5.

College basketball best bets, where to watch

Missouri State at Xavier

Time: 7 p.m. | Location: Cincinnati | TV: truTV | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)

SportsLine picks -- Model: Missouri State +17.5 | Expert: Xavier -18.5 (Bruce Marshall)

Tre Carroll and the Xavier Musketeers are on a bit of a roll. The Musketeers (7-3) have won four in a row and five of their last six, with the one loss being a one-point defeat to Georgia. Meanwhile, over the last two games Carroll averaged 25.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists in ‍wins over Cincinnati and Saint Francis. The performances earned him the Big East Player of the Week award. Meanwhile, Missouri State coach Cuonzo Martin and the Bears (4-4) have struggled recently, losing four of their last six games. Marshall notes that Missouri State has lost its two road games this season by an average of 21.0 points a game. "Cuonzo's team also isn't helping itself with subpar 29.7% shooting beyond the arc," he says. However, the SportsLine Projection Model says the Bears have a 52% chance to cover and assigns a C grade to Missouri State +17.5.

Texas at No. 5 Connecticut

Time: 8 p.m. | Location: Hartford | TV: FOX | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)

SportsLine picks -- Model: Over 145.5 | Expert: Texas +13.5 (Chip Patterson)

The fifth-ranked UConn Huskies (9-1) face a familiar foe on Friday when they take on Sean Miller and the Texas Longhorns (7-3). Over the last three seasons, the Huskies faced Miller seven times when he was the head coach at Xavier. The Huskies went 4-3 against Miller and the Musketeers. (Connecticut lost just 19 times in its other 107 games.) Patterson notes the Huskies could be set up for a letdown after pulling out a 77-73 victory over defending national champion Florida on Tuesday at Madison Square Garden. "This spread considers Texas way too much of a pushover given the spot and the familiarity in the coaching matchup," Patterson says. Meanwhile, the SportsLine Projection Model says there's a 68.9% chance the teams combine for 146 points or more and gives a B grade to Over 145.5.

Looking ahead

College football: Army vs. Navy

Time: 3 p.m. Saturday | Location: Baltimore | TV: CBS | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)

SportsLine picks -- Model: Over 38.5  | Expert: Over 38.5 (Mike Tierney)

Joe DiMaggio's 56-game hitting streak. UCLA's seven straight men's basketball titles. And ... the Under hitting 16 straight times in the Army Navy game from 2006-21? Certainly to sports bettors, the Army-Navy Under run ranks as one of the greatest streaks in sports history. But the Over has hit in two of the last three years, including last year when the teams combined for 44 points. This year, Navy (9-2) owns the 31st-best scoring offense in the country (32.5 points per game) while Army (6-5) is 99th at 23.0. Tierney also notes that Army has picked up the pace on offense, ranking 67th in snaps per game. "Unless the coaches go scared conservative on play-calling, this matchup should easily find the 40s in points," he says. The SportsLine Projection Model agrees. It says the teams combine for 39 points or more and assigns a B grade to Over 38.5.