The first Friday night of the NBA season is here, with 12 games taking place across the slate.
The action will kick off in an afternoon matinee between the Milwaukee Bucks and Chicago Bulls, taking place at 4:00 p.m. ET. There are five games in the 7:00 p.m. ET window, one game tipping off at 8:00 p.m. ET, and five games starting at 9:30 p.m. ET or later. The night will conclude with a triple-header of Western Conference action starting at 10:00 p.m. ET.
There are plenty of ways to get involved in the action on DraftKings Sportsbook. Here is a look at my top three player prop bets on the Friday night slate.
Best NBA Prop Bets Today:
Caleb Wilson Over 17.5 Points (-118)
The Chicago Bulls selected Caleb Wilson with the fourth overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, hoping he can grow into the face of the franchise. He made his NBA debut on Wednesday, when Chicago was trounced 135-92 by the Toronto Raptors. Wilson finished with 16 points in his first NBA game, shooting 7-for-21 from the field and 1-for-8 from beyond the three-point arc. It is too early in the season to draw firm conclusions from defensive metrics, but Toronto has the personnel to develop into one of the league’s better defensive teams.
Expect better shooting tonight as the Bulls take on the Milwaukee Bucks. In the first year in the post-Giannis Antetokounmpo era, and coming off a 32-50 record last season, expectations are not high for Milwaukee. They suffered a 128-116 loss to the Washington Wizards in the opener, and will likely end the year on the other side of the defensive equation. Wilson will most likely face Kyle Kuzma as his primary defensive matchup and should be licking his chops at this.
The usage and freedom Wilson received in Chicago’s offense were among the most encouraging takeaways from his debut. He attempted 21 shots in 32 minutes and should continue to receive plenty of opportunities as the Bulls invest in his development. The North Carolina product stands 6-foot-10 and moves fluidly with the ball in his hands. Expect some positive regression from a shooting standpoint while his shot volume remains high. There should be plenty of strong scoring nights ahead for Chicago’s rookie, and this could be an opportunity to get back on track. 17.5 is too low of a scoring bar based on the volume of opportunities he will receive and the favorable matchup at hand.
Jayson Tatum Over 15.5 Assists & Rebounds (-102)
For much of the opening matchup of the NBA season, Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics had plenty to feel positive about. But the Detroit Pistons came storming back, outscoring the Celtics 76-55 in the second half to complete the comeback win. Tatum finished the matchup with 13 points, 11 assists, and four rebounds, shooting 6-for-23 from the field and 0-for-7 from beyond the three-point arc. Boston will search for their first win of the season against the defending champion New York Knicks tonight.
But what was made clear in the opener is the extreme rate at which Tatum will see the ball in his hands. His former co-star Jaylen Brown is suiting up for the Philadelphia 76ers this season, one year removed from putting up career-best numbers as the clear offensive engine of this Celtics team while Tatum recovered from his Achilles tear for the bulk of the season. Tatum will take over as the lead creator, attacking the paint and finding shooters. Brown posted a career-best assist output last year, and Tatum is more gifted as a natural playmaker. The Duke product has averaged as many as 6.0 assists per game over a season and pulled in 10.0 rebounds per game across the 16 regular season games he played last year.
Expect his rebounding output to grow in the second matchup of the season; Tatum has averaged at least 7.0 rebounds in every season since 2019-20, and there’s a clear need for this skill set in the Celtics’ production. Tatum has also had success in matchups against the Knicks in his career, averaging 27.6 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 6.5 assists per game across his past 10 meetings with New York. Count on a more effective effort in stuffing the stat sheet in the second matchup of the season as Boston looks to bounce back to get in the win column. He looked much more physically healthy than when he returned last season, and the production will come. Count on 15.5 combined rebounds and assists to be too low of a bar based on the level of usage he will receive, and for this to be a bit of a statement performance from the Celtics’ star tonight.
Luka Doncic Over 7.5 Assists (-115)
The LeBron James era is over in Los Angeles, making Luka Doncic the clear face of the franchise. Doncic kicked off the season with 28 points, seven assists, and eight rebounds in the season-opening victory over the Warriors. He will look to build off this in the favorable matchup with the cross-town Clippers tonight.
With James now in Philadelphia, Los Angeles has built its roster around Doncic’s ability to create opportunities for his teammates. The Lakers have added lob threats and perimeter shooters who can benefit from the defensive attention Doncic commands, giving him several options when he draws multiple defenders. This is especially the case with the Clippers lacking proper interior protection following the decision to trade Ivica Zubac last season and the big-man rotation being dependent on Isaiah Jackson and Brook Lopez. Doncic’s ability to draw defenders into the paint and find open teammates should create opportunities for the Lakers to generate quality looks.
The six-time All-Star is one of the most gifted playmakers in the league, averaging 8.2 assists per game throughout his career and 8.3 last season with the Lakers. He is only scratching the surface with his seven assists in the opener, and the Clippers’ defense offers a favorable matchup. Count on plenty of defensive attention to be sent in Doncic’s direction and for him to masterfully make the right reads against an inferior opponent. Expect the 7.5 assist line to be too low, and I also have my eyes on some alternate lines such as 10+ assists at +236 odds on DraftKings Sportsbook.
