There are just three games on the Friday Night NBA slate. After 13 games last night, the league is still returning to a normal schedule following the conclusion of the NBA Cup this week.
At 7:10 PM EST, the Philadelphia 76ers will host the Charlotte Hornets. The Sixers are still digging out of their self-created hole from the slow start to the season. They enter this game with an 8-16 record, with three of their wins coming over the Hornets already this season. The Sixers are 10.5-point favorites, while the Hornets are +390 odds on the Moneyline on DraftKings Sportsbook.
At 7:40 PM EST, the Milwaukee Bucks will carry the momentum of their NBA Cup victory and face the 23-4 Cleveland Cavaliers. This will be a great test for Milwaukee, which looks to have turned things around from its slow start to the year and has begun climbing up the Eastern Conference standings. Cleveland enters as 9.5 points favorite while the Bucks are +320 on the Moneyline.
In the final matchup of the night, the Oklahoma City Thunder will look to bounce back from their NBA Cup title loss and face the Miami Heat. This also will be the second night of a back-to-back after the Thunder defeated the Magic 105-99 last night, and their third game in four nights. This game will be taking place in Miami, with the Heat listed as a one-point favorite and -118 on the Moneyline. The Thunder are -102 underdogs on the Moneyline.
You can check out each matchup and all prop bets on DraftKings Sportsbook. Here is my favorite prop bet in each matchup on the Friday slate.
Paul George Over 19.5 Points (-115)
The max contract free agent the Sixers believed they signed this summer has finally arrived in Philadelphia. After two bone bruises in his knee and a tough overall start to the season, Paul George is settling in for this Sixers team. Across the nine games George played in November, he averaged just 14.4 points per game with a 49% true shooting percentage and 28.6% shooting from beyond the three-point arc. In the five games he played in December, George is averaging 22.0 points per game on 64% true shooting and connecting on 46% of his three-point attempts while launching at a higher volume.
George is coming off his Sixers’ career-high on Monday, when he dropped 33 points in a victory over this same Hornets team. He also dropped 29 points in the previous matchup against Charlotte, and is shooting 53.7% and 48.1% from beyond the three-point arc against them in the three matchups this season. George and the Sixers have been off since Monday, so he will have rested legs, which should be factored in with him at this stage of his career and on the first night of back-to-back games for the Sixers.
Philadelphia also received some positive injury news. Joel Embiid was upgraded to questionable following his sinus fracture. This injury report will be one to monitor leading up to tip-off, but there is a growing belief the three stars will be available for the Sixers. To this point, the trio of Tyrese Maxey, Paul George, and Joel Embiid have only started and finished one game together this season. With or without Embiid, expect George to be incredibly active in the Sixers’ attack. He has settled in from the start of the season and played more in attack mode in recent games. After only scoring over 19.5 points once in his first nine games, George has gone over this number in three of the past five games. Look for him to continue to attack and score 20+ points again tonight against a Hornets team that he has had success against.
Giannis Antetokounmpo Over 31.5 Points (-115)
While the Bucks deserve credit as a team for their turnaround, Giannis Antetokounmpo is fully spearheading the effort. The two-time MVP is in the running to pull in the award for the third time in his career. He currently is third in MVP odds at +500 on DraftKings Sportsbook, trailing Nikola Jokic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Antetokounmpo is averaging a league-leading 32.7 points per game as well as 11.5 rebounds and 6.1 assists this season.
Over his past 10 games, Antetokounmpo is averaging 34.4 points per game and has recorded over 31.5 points in seven of the 10 games. Looking at this matchup, the Cavaliers are known for being a defensive-minded team. However, they have dropped to 11th in opponents points per game and ninth in defensive efficiency after ranking in the top three for nearly the entire first part of the season. This will be the third matchup between these two teams this season. While Antetokounmpo missed one of these matchups, he dropped 34 points in the other game.
Part of what makes Antetokounmpo special is that you will never find another player who wants it as bad as him on a night-to-night basis. While this shows up in the biggest moments, it is even more impressive when it’s also clear on the random regular season games. While the Cavaliers are better equipped to match up with the Bucks star than most teams, Antetokounmpo will still get his in bunches. The Cavaliers also rank 15th in transition points allowed, and this is an area where Antetokounmpo is especially dangerous. Look for the Greek Freak to assert himself throughout this game and score over 31.5 points for the eighth time in the past 11 games and the second consecutive time against the Cavaliers.
Isaiah Hartenstein to Record a Double-Double (-115)
The Oklahoma City Thunder are the youngest team in the NBA, with their roster holding an average age of 24.15. While young legs bounce back quicker, fatigue is destined to show up at some point. Three games in four nights is difficult for any team and has made me hesitant about most of the player props. However, look for Isaiah Hartenstein to continue asserting himself and playing a major role in the interior tonight.
Hartenstein has played 11 games since returning from his fractured hand. Across this time, he is averaging 12.5 points and 12.4 rebounds in his 30.4 minutes per game. Hartenstein has provided some necessary help on the boards and produced a double-double in seven of these 11 games.
Looking at the matchup, the Miami Heat ranks sixth in opponents points per game and 13th in rebounding. They also are 16th in opponents’ points in the paint and 14th in opponents’ rebounds per game. Bam Adebayo has underwhelmed this season and offers Hartenstein a size advantage in this matchup. Hartenstein has been a perfect fit for what the Thunder needed and has already built some chemistry with the ball-handlers by having success creating looks off the short roll. Expect him to continue to impose himself and be active all around the basket tonight. Oklahoma City will continue to count on him as their primary rebounder, and there will be second-chance point opportunities for Hartenstein against the Heat. Count on him to make his presence felt in the box score and record the eighth double-double of his young Thunder career.
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All odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.
I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is seanbarnard) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.
