The 2022-23 NBA season is in full swing with another 12 matchups set for action on Friday night. One of those battles features the Chicago Bulls (5-4) and Boston Celtics (4-3) in a showdown between Eastern Conference playoff hopefuls.
Here are three of the'best prop bets'for the Bulls-Celtics game, courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook's'NBA odds.
Bulls vs Celtics Player Props
1. Marcus Smart – Points: Under 11.5 (-104)
The Celtics have a roster filled with players capable of driving to the rim or sinking outside shots, which has allowed point guard Marcus Smart to focus much more on dishing the ball out rather than trying to get the job done himself. The 28-year-old has tallied fewer than 12 points in five of his last six games and is in a major shooting slump, connectin g on just 34.3% of his field goals this year. The Bulls held Smart to 11 points when they last faced him on Oct. 24 and should be able to contain him again after allowing the third-fewest points per game to opposing point guards so far.
2. Jaylen Brown – Assists: Over 3.5 (-115)
There's a lot to like about Jaylen Brown's chances of finding his open teammates tonight. The Bulls are giving up the third-most assists per game overall (27.8) and the fourth-most assists to the shooting guard position (4.8). For his part, Brown has averaged at least 3.0 assists per game in each of his last three NBA seasons and has gone over this prop in three of his last five games. It's also worth mentioning th e Celtics love to share the ball at home, averaging the eighth-most assists per home game (27.0). Look for Brown to take advantage of the matchup in front of him on Friday.
3. Nikola Vucevic – Rebounds: Over 11.5 (-113)
It was just over a week ago that Nikola Vucevic put together his best performance of the season against this same Boston defense. The Chicago big man posted 18 points, 5 assists and a whopping 23 rebounds. Vucevic is now averaging 12.3 boards per game on the year and has gone over that mark in four of his last six games. The Celtics are allowing an opponent defensive rebounding percentage of 81.4% (No. 29 in NBA) and are giving up the fourth-most rebounds to opposing centers (17.7), to o. Without Robert Williams available to play, Boston is mainly relying on Al Horford to defend the rim. That won't work against a physical veteran like Vucevic.