Best NBA Player Props for Friday 11/13/26

Nine games of NBA action will be tipping off across tonight’s NBA Cup action.

Starting at 7:00 p.m. ET, a doubleheader of Eastern Conference battles will be taking place as the New York Knicks face the Indiana Pacers while the Milwaukee Bucks face the Orlando Magic. A triple-header of games will tip off at 8:00 p.m. ET, before the Utah Jazz face off with the Houston Rockets a half hour later. In the late window, the Warriors will play the Spurs at 9:30 before the Trail Blazers and Kings play a half hour later, and the Thunder vs. Clippers close it down with a 10:30 start.

There are plenty of ways to get involved on DraftKings Sportsbook. Here are my top three player prop bets for Friday’s NBA slate.

Best NBA Prop Bets Today

James Harden Over 23.5 Points & Assists (-113)

The Cleveland Cavaliers have limped to a 6-6 start, with some underperformance from James Harden serving as a driving reason why. Through the opening 12 games, the three-time scoring champion is posting averages of 16.7 points, 5.6 assists and 4.6 rebounds while shooting just 39.0% from the field. Even with plenty of talent around him, Harden’s ball-dominant role makes the team’s outlook heavily dependent on his production.

But there has been some encouraging improvement from Harden in recent games as he has seemingly played himself into game shape. The former MVP is coming off a season-high 32-point performance against the Knicks, in which he knocked down five three-pointers and went 9-for-14 from the field. He also added four assists, finishing with 36 combined points and assists. He will look to build off that performance in tonight’s matchup against the Heat.

Miami has also gotten off to a tough start and has failed to reach its expected defensive level. The Heat enter this game ranked 26th in opponents’ points allowed and 25th in defensive rating while allowing the most made three-pointers per game across the entire NBA. Even as his burst has declined, Harden remains a threat from the perimeter and does an excellent job leveraging his scoring ability to create opportunities for others.

Cleveland made its commitment to Harden and must live with the ups and downs that come with it. But this feels like a great time to capitalize on a low prop line as he faces a defense that his skill set matches up well against. Count on Harden playing in attack mode again tonight, with it no coincidence that the team is at its best when this is the case. Expect the 23.5 combined points and assists prop line to be too low, and don’t be surprised if he surpasses it with his scoring alone.

Jalen Johnson Over 22.5 Points (-102)

The Atlanta Hawks sit in fourth place in the Eastern Conference with a 7-5 record to start the year. They will take on a Chicago Bulls team with plenty of defensive concerns that Atlanta is capable of exploiting. Jalen Johnson headlines the production for this Hawks attack, although the former All-Star has gotten off to a relatively slow start. Through his first nine games, the Duke product is posting averages of 19.2 points, 8.6 rebounds and 7.2 assists per game.

Johnson missed three games due to an ankle sprain but has looked more like his expected self since returning. He scored 30 points in his first game back against the Brooklyn Nets but was limited to 15 points on 14 field goal attempts in the previous game against the Los Angeles Lakers. Efficiency has been a problem for Johnson to start the season, with his 44.9% shooting from the field and 20.5% rate from beyond the three-point arc each representing career lows.

But this Bulls defense should help him get back on track, with Chicago showing little resistance on that side of the floor. The Bulls enter this game ranked 30th in opponents’ points allowed, 30th in defensive rating, 26th in opponents’ field goal percentage and 30th in opponents’ three-point percentage. They also play at the league’s fastest pace, which should provide more scoring opportunities for the Hawks’ star.

Johnson is at his best when pushing the tempo and getting out in transition. Expect plenty of those opportunities, and this will be a great chance for him to get his scoring back on track. The 24-year-old averaged 22.5 points per game last season, and he should be all over the floor in this up-tempo matchup. Back Johnson to take advantage of a vulnerable Chicago defense and get back above this scoring threshold.

Bennett Stirtz Over 1.5 Made Three-Pointers (-110)

Injuries have harmed the outlook for the Oklahoma City Thunder in a major way to start the season. Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren, Cason Wallace, Jaylin Williams and Thomas Sorber are listed out, while Ajay Mitchell is considered questionable for tonight. This has forced some unexpected names to make notable impacts on a nightly basis. 16th-overall pick Bennett Stirtz has been one of the bigger beneficiaries and has found a nice niche as a key floor spacer on this Thunder team.

The Iowa product is coming off an impressive final year of college basketball in which he served as the primary offensive engine, posting averages of 19.8 points and 4.4 assists per game. He has been able to play a much more complementary role at the next level, with his shot quality improving significantly as a result. Through his first 12 games, Stirtz is playing 18.7 minutes per game and posting averages of 7.9 points, 1.2 assists and 1.2 rebounds while shooting 45.5% from beyond the three-point arc on 3.7 attempts per game.

But he has seen his level of opportunity expand of late, playing 23.6 minutes per game across his past five matchups and averaging 11.6 points during that stretch. Stirtz enters this game having knocked down at least two three-pointers in seven consecutive games, shooting 18-for-35 from beyond the arc across this stretch. Don’t expect that streak to end against a Clippers defense that ranks 24th in opponents’ points per game, 25th in defensive rating and 23rd in opponents’ three-point percentage. With several key players sidelined, Oklahoma City has needed contributions from its younger players, and Stirtz has taken advantage of his expanded role. Count on him continuing to get quality perimeter opportunities in this matchup. Back Stirtz to knock down over 1.5 made three-pointers for the eighth consecutive game and remain a useful part of the Thunder’s effort to space the floor.