Bryan Armetta shares his three favorite player prop bets on DraftKings Sportsbook for Friday’s nine-game NBA slate.
A loaded nine-game slate is set to tip off across the NBA on Friday. Among the must-watch matchups, the 76ers visit the Pistons in a battle of Eastern Conference contenders. Later, the Warriors will hope to upset the Spurs for the second time in three days.
Who is in line for a dominant performance during tonight’s NBA Cup festivities? Are there any names that might fall short of their projected totals? Here are my three favorite NBA player prop picks on DraftKings Sportsbook for Friday’s contests.
Top NBA prop bet picks
Mikal Bridges 19+ points (-105)
Jalen Brunson (ankle) could miss the next few weeks. That means the rest of New York’s stellar core will need to handle more usage on offense. In addition, the Knicks are without their main ball handler. If anyone else can take over as a scorer and passer, its Mikal Bridges. The two-way force is off to a terrific start, averaging 15.6 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game. To boot, he’s delivered efficient 52/45/85 shooting splits.
The Knicks will host the rival Heat tonight for what appears to be an evenly-matched NBA Cup contest. Miami is coughing up the eighth-most points (120.7) and sixth-most three-pointers (14.5) per game to opponents. To make things more enticing, this is a spot Bridges has thrived in before. In ten of his 16 games played without Brunson last season, the guard notched at least 19 points. Against a spotty defense with less competition for touches, the wing is poised for a productive outing at MSG.
Amen Thompson under 0.5 three-pointers made (-137)
Since Fred VanVleet’s preseason injury, the Rockets have gone without a traditional point guard. So far, so good for Houston. Taking on a large chunk of ball handling duties has been Amen Thompson. The third-year pro, known primarily for his defense, is emerging as a menace on both ends of the floor. Over ten games played, he’s posted 17.6 points, 6.1 rebounds and 5.6 assists on 50% shooting. The biggest weakness in the youngster’s skillset? An inability to make teams pay from deep. Thompson is a career 23% shooter from three-point range.
With that being said, Thompson’s new role has given him increased opportunity on offense. As a result, the wing has taken a career-high 2.4 three-point attempts per game. In half of his appearances this season, he’s managed to knock down at least one trey. Still, that may prove difficult on Friday against the Trail Blazers. Teams have knocked down an NBA-low 11.1 three-pointers per game vs. Portland. It’s not a shock; finding an open shot is difficult against defenders such as Jrue Holiday and Toumani Camara. Betting on Thompson from beyond the arc was already a coin flip. Against an elite perimeter defense, I’d rather back the under.
Moussa Diabate 10+ rebounds (+101)
Ryan Kalkbrenner (personal) has been ruled out of Friday’s contest. That leaves an already thin Hornets front court in desperate need of some size. Fortunately, backup Moussa Diabate is up for the task. Despite coming off the bench in every game this season, the center is averaging 21.2 minutes of playing time. As a result, he’s put up 9.8 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.5 blocks. In addition, the Frenchman has shot a stellar 65% from the field.
Points are nice, but Diabate’s greatest contributions are typically found on the glass. In six of his 11 appearances so far, he’s managed to snag at least nine boards. The Bucks have coughed up 59.3 rebounds per game to their opponents, fourth-worst in the NBA. When these two teams met on Wednesday, Diabate hauled in 13 boards. That was with Kalkbrenner playing over 26 minutes. Now, with a clear path to the starting lineup, Charlotte’s big man is a steal at even money.