It’s another fun Friday night in the NBA with 12 games, which presents a lot of player props to choose from. Only 2 games have lines of double-digits and 8 games have lines of 4.5 points or lower. Five games have a total of 225 points or more. Bets may be added throughout the day if there are additional spots that arise, so be sure to check back later in the day. My season record is 5-1 (+4.58 units). Here are my picks for tonight.
Desmond Bane over 21.5 points (-110 on DraftKings)
It was a matter of time before Bane got going. After shooting 13-for-49 in the first 3 games of the season, Bane is back to shooting the ball well. In the last 4 games, Bane is shooting 43-for-78 from the field, including 22-for-36 from 3-point range. Bane is averaging 24.9 points per game and has scored 38, 31, 32 and 29 points over the last 4 games. Memphis is 27th in defensive efficiency and both Charlotte and Memphis are Top 8 in pace. The Hornets will be without LaMelo Ball, Terry Rozier, Gordon Hayward and Cody Martin.
Jayson Tatum over 33.5 points+rebounds (-125 on BetMGM)
Tatum is coming off his worst shooting performance of the season against one of the best defensive teams in Cleveland and still scored 26 points in 43 minutes. The Celtics forward is averaging 30.1 points and 8 rebounds per game. Tatum is averaging 19.2 shots per game from the field, while shooting 55.7% from the field, including 40.8% from 3-point range. In 7 games, Tatum has gone over this total in 6. The one he fell short was due to a blowout when Tatum had 23 points and 4 rebounds in 27 minutes in a 112-94 win. The Bulls struggle to defend forwards and Tatum had 26 points and 8 rebounds against them on October 24th in a 120-102 loss in Chicago. Expect a better game from Tatum at home.
Bradley Beal over 21.5 points (-115 on BetMGM)
Beal is off to a slow start in scoring compared to the past few seasons. The Wizards guard is averaging 21.8 points per game. Beal has gone over this total in 4 of 8 games, but has had some difficult matchups in the games he fell short. He is shooting 52.8 percent from the field, averaging 15.6 shots from the field per game. He tends to play big minutes in the 37-38 minute range outside of one game in which he left early with back tightness and was limited to 22 minutes. When facing a bad defense, Beal tends to excel. Against bottom 8 teams in defensive efficiency this season, Beal has scored 23, 31, 20, 29 and 13 points. The 13 points came in 22 minutes. The Wizards face the Nets, who rank 29th in defensive efficiency, tonight. The Nets allow 118.8 points per game.