Things have not gone as planned for the Phoenix Suns this season. It feels a distant memory of this team getting off to an 8-1 start, playing good team basketball, and looking potentially dangerous in the Western Conference. Instead, Devin Booker and company will look to claw out of their 11th-place hole and have the opportunity to at least qualify for the playoffs.
The Suns will now turn their attention to the Denver Nuggets who are looking to be a dangerous team once again this season. Nikola Jokic’s squad has climbed to third place in the Western Conference with their 40-22 record and are 7-3 in their past 10 games. Jokic’s post skills and finishing ability around the rim are especially noteworthy considering this is a weakness on this Suns team.
Even still, the biggest issues with this Suns team are internal. There is no doubt that this roster has not been maximized based on the caliber of talent that is there and they do not have long to correct this. There has been a level of desperation in Phoenix’s play of late that must continue if they are able to even have a chance at the playoffs. While this will be a difficult matchup, it also could be the type of result that causes a spark if things break their way.
The Nuggets enter this matchup as 6.5-point favorites and -278 on the Moneyline on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Suns hold +225 odds on the Moneyline with the game total set at 238.5.
With the stage set, here are my favorite Devin Booker prop bets for the Friday night matchup.
Best Devin Booker Prop Bets on DraftKings Sportsbook
Devin Booker’s props are listed at over/under 25.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 7.5 assists, 2.5 made three-pointers and 36.5 combined points, rebounds and assists.
Devin Booker to Record Over 7.5 Assists (+110)
There were hopes coming into the season that the Suns’ addition of Tyus Jones could further unlock Devin Booker as an off-ball scorer. Point guard play has been a question mark for this star-studded Suns team, but Jones has not been the answer as was hoped. Recently, Devin Booker has taken on the challenge more as an on-ball creator with his assist numbers showing as such.
On the season overall, Booker is averaging 6.9 assists per game. But across his last 11 games, the Kentucky product is averaging 8.0 assists per game and has recorded over 7.5 assists in nine of these matchups. Booker has tallied over 7.5 assists in 26 total games this season with his recent stretch being his most encouraging level of play from a playmaking perspective.
This is a great matchup for Booker to continue building off his recent success with defense being the biggest concern on this Nuggets team. Denver ranks 22nd in opponents’ points per game and 28th in assists allowed to opponents. In addition, Bradley Beal is listed as questionable which could further grow Booker’s on-ball opportunity if Beal is unable to suit up. Look for him to take control in this matchup and for Booker to record over 7.5 assists for the 10th time in the past 12 games.
Devin Booker to Record Over 2.5 Made Three-Pointers (-115)
At his core, Devin Booker remains most comfortable operating in the mid-range for his shot of choice. But the NBA is launching perimeter shots at an all-time high and Booker has been forced to keep up with this trend. The four-time All-Star is attempting a career-high 7.7 three-point attempts per game and connecting at a 34.6% rate. This comes out to an average of 2.7 made three-pointers per game and he has recorded over 2.5 made threes in 29 of the 56 games he has played.
This is another area of the floor in which Denver is vulnerable defensively. The Nuggets rank 18th in three-point attempts allowed and 21st in opponents’ three-point percentage allowed. Booker missed two of the previous three games against the Nuggets this season but shot 3-for-8 from the perimeter as a part of his 24-point performance in the game he was active for.
The desperation in Booker and the team’s play has also been evident in his three-point volume of late. Booker has connected on over 2.5 made three-pointers in five of his past seven games
Looking at the season as a whole, Devin Booker has underwhelmed relative to expectations. He has to wear some of the responsibility for the team falling short of expectations but could change this if he finishes the year strong. Expect Booker to be locked in and ready to make a statement with his play tonight with the Nuggets’ weakness in three-point defense being a factor. Count on him to be active from beyond the arc and connect with over 2.5 made three-pointers for the 30th time this season and the sixth time in the past nine games.
