Our NBA player props today are chosen from among the rosters of the 20 teams in action on Friday night. We are isolating those players that we feel will have either a distinct advantage or disadvantage based on their opponents.
It’s important to scour the injury report and understand the historical matchups of each game and how the players have performed in those outings. Let’s begin with two woefully inept defensive teams as the Pelicans travel to DC to tip off against the Wizards tonight.
Pelicans’ Zion Williamson (Over 25.5 Points -110) at Bovada
New Orleans Pelicans vs. Washington Wizards – 7:00 PM ET
The Pelicans’ leading scorer, Zion Williamson, should feast tonight against the second-worst defensive team in the league, the Washington Wizards, allowing over 124 points per game. Williamson is averaging 22.4 points per game, but if every game he played was against the Wizards, he’d be hovering around 30 PPG.
But we should also consider that the other vital cog in the Pelicans’ scoring engine, Trey Murphy, may not play tonight after being sidelined on Wednesday in New Orleans’ 117-100 loss to the Hawks. Williamson will get many of the opportunities that would normally be reserved for Murphy, which should only add to his scoring total.
Let’s watch Zion zap the Wizards and get 30 or more tonight.
Raptors’ Scottie Barnes (Under 18.5 Points -115) at Bovada
Toronto Raptors vs. Boston Celtics – 7:00 PM ET
Tonight, we will see a battle of two of the best Eastern Conference defenses going toe-to-toe with each other at the TD Garden in Boston. The Celtics are the second-best defensive team in the league, allowing just 110.6 points per game, trailing only the world champion Oklahoma City Thunder.
It’s a tall order for anyone to score early and often on the Green, especially when they are playing at home. And that is precisely what we are anticipating, as Toronto’s Scottie Barnes is being tagged with a total that seems a bit steep in this spot.
We should understand that although Barnes is expected to play tonight, he will be doing so with a sprained right knee. Bad for him, good for us. Although Barnes is averaging 19.1 points per game, he’s playing an elite defensive team on the road tonight after two previous meetings with Boston this year in which he scored 18 and, most recently, 12 points, both games being played in Toronto.
Let’s go low with gimpy Scottie Barnes in this one.
Grizzlies’ Jaren Jackson (Under 20.5 Points -120) at Bovada
Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Memphis Grizzlies – 8:00 PM ET
The Thunder have won and covered both games against the Grizzlies this season, and Memphis’s scoring leader, Jaren Jackson, failed to produce much offense on either occasion. On November 9th, he led the team with 17 points in a 114-100 loss to OKC.
In the rematch on December 22nd, it was a complete power outage for Jackson as he tallied just 11 points in 32 minutes of play in the 119-103 setback to the Thunder. It’s not all that surprising considering Oklahoma City owns the stingiest defense in the league, surrendering just 108.1 points per game.
I’m not sure how Jackson will fare much better in this Friday night showdown, considering those easy layups off rebounds that he’s prone to getting will be hard to find against this OKC club.
Let’s go low with Jackson in this one.
Place Your NBA Player Props
The lines and odds on my NBA player props today, including the Pelicans’ Zion Williamson, the Raptors’ Scottie Barnes, and the Grizzlies’ Jaren Jackson, will not remain stagnant forever. Odds, point spreads, totals, and player props are dynamic, which means the lines on the player props you see here may not be around by gametime.
Therefore, it is important that you get the sharpest line available, and the only way to do that is to get down immediately on the games and make sure you have an active account.
That’s right, make certain your account is funded, and perhaps get accounts at two or more sportsbooks so you can compare the numbers. Make sure to get down at a place you trust and at the best lines or odds available.
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