The Phoenix Suns and New Orleans Pelicans are set to square off for the second-consecutive night. Kevin Durant and company will be looking to bounce back after a 124-116 loss last night and will have the advantage of Zion Williamson being ruled out due to injury management.
The outlook for the season (and the future) has become increasingly bleak for the Suns. They currently hold a record of 27-32 on the season which puts them at 11th place in the Western Conference. Phoenix does not hold possession of any of its draft picks until the 2032 season and made their all-in push around this roster. The results have been incredibly underwhelming and the seat seems to be heating up for Mike Budenholzer. Although if the Suns were to go down this route, this would make their fourth coach in the past four seasons.
Regardless, the focus in the short term will be on salvaging the season and finding a pathway into the playoffs. They can’t afford not to capitalize on every opportunity for wins moving forward. It also should be noted that Bradley Beal has been ruled out for this matchup with a calf injury.
The Suns enter this matchup as nine-point favorites and -425 on the Moneyline on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Pelicans hold +330 odds on the Moneyline with the game total set at 230.
With the stage set, here are my favorite Kevin Durant prop bets ahead of the Friday night matchup.
Best Kevin Durant Prop Bets on DraftKings Sportsbook
Kevin Durant’s props are listed at over/under 28.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 2.5 made three-pointers and 38.5 combined points, rebounds and assists.
Kevin Durant Over 5.5 Rebounds (-115)
So far this season Kevin Durant is averaging 6.0 rebounds per game and has recorded over 5.5 rebounds in 25 of the 46 games he has played. The 15-time All-Star pulled in five rebounds last night against the Pelicans.
Look for Durant to have a better chance on the boards tonight with Williamson out. The Pelicans star pulled in 10 rebounds last night in just 31 minutes of play as a part of his triple-double. New Orleans’ team stats are ugly without a legitimate sample size of this team fully healthy. But, rebounding is one of their biggest weaknesses, ranking 27th in rebounding percentage and 27th in opponent rebounds allowed. These numbers have actually improved since Williamson’s latest return.
Phoenix made a move leading up to the deadline and added Nick Richards, who has stepped into the starting center role. The 9.3 rebounds he has produced have been solid, but Durant has needed to help out in this area on plenty of nights. He has recorded eight or more rebounds in two of his last four games.
With New Orleans being vulnerable on the boards and Durant’s 6-foot-11 frame plenty capable of taking advantage of this, look for him to assert himself tonight. Durant has cleared this number in 54.3% of the games this season, so expect an inspired performance from him and the team tonight as they (hopefully) have officially hit their low point.
Kevin Durant Over 28.5 Points (-105)
It feels a distant memory that the Suns started the season 8-1 and looked primed for a run in the Western Conference. Now in 11th place and not even in the play-in picture, desperation should officially be hitting the franchise. While the odds of this being Durant’s final campaign in a Suns uniform are increasingly likely, expect him to continue doing everything in his power to salvage this season.
So far this year Durant is averaging 26.9 points per game and has recorded over 28.5 points in 18 games this season. Even at age 36, Durant remains one of the most prolific scorers in the league and has four scoring titles to his name as evidence. He scored exactly 28 points last night despite shooting 12-for-23 from the field and just 4-for-13 on three-point attempts.
New Orleans ranks 26th in opponent points allowed, 28th in opponent field goal percentage, and 26th in opponent three-point percentage. Durant was held to 28 points last night and missed the lone other matchup with New Orleans, but expect a different outcome tonight. He is averaging 40.0 minutes per game across his past seven matchups and tallied 34 or more points twice in this stretch.
Look for Durant to be in attack mode against this poor defense and do everything possible to get the Suns back in the win column. Without Williamson, the outlook changes greatly and there is no player on the New Orleans roster that can cleanly match up with the former MVP. Expect better than the 4-for-13 three-point performance last night and for Durant to eclipse 28.5 points for the 19th time this season as their playoff hopes remain on life support.
