It's the final Friday of the NBA regular season, and there's still a lot to shake out, particularly in the Eastern Conference.
The Cavaliers currently hold the fourth seed and are a game up on the Pacers, who they host tonight. That should be music to the ears of Cavs star Donovan Mitchell.
The Knicks, meanwhile, own the third seed in the East thanks to a comfortable victory over the Celtics yesterday. Tonight, they return home to face the Nets, where you can expect Josh Hart to contribute all over the court.
In the West, the Lakers find themselves in a three-way tie for the eighth seed, though they're currently occupying the 10th seed because of tiebreakers. They'll be in Memphis to take on the shorthanded Grizzlies, and LeBron James may pile up the assists in that one.
Let's dive into my top three NBA player props and picks for Friday's games.
NBA Player Prop Picks for Friday
In the table below, you'll find each of our NBA staff's top player prop picks from today's slate of games. Click on any pick or team logo to navigate to a specific bet discussed in this article.
| Time (ET) | Player Prop |
|---|---|
| 7:30 p.m. | |
| 7:30 p.m. | |
| 8 p.m. | |
Specific betting recommendations come from the sportsbook offering preferred odds as of writing. Always shop for the best price using our NBA Odds page, which automatically surfaces the best lines for every game. | |
Pacers vs. Cavaliers
Donovan Mitchell
Over 25.5 Points
Since the All-Star break, Donovan Mitchell has battled injuries and he has been trying to round back into form as the Cavaliers prepare for a playoff run.
In 10 games since the All-Star break, Mitchell is averaging just 18.1 points per game — a far cry from his 27.3 average since the start of last season or his 26.5-point average this season. However, he's coming off a 29-point outing on Wednesday night.
Mitchell may be able to string together another big scoring night considering his matchup against the Pacers. Mitchell has scored 26 points in four of his last five games against Indiana. In that span, he's averaging 33.2 points per game, which includes games of 41, 40 and 38 points.
The Pacers' defensive struggles have been well-documented this season, and we've had success fading them. Of note here is the fact they're allowing the eighth-most points to shooting guards over the past seven games.
Mitchell has also drained four 3s in three of his last five games against Indiana, and he made five on Wednesday against Memphis.
Coming off a big scoring night on Wednesday, I expect Mitchell to be aggressive — especially with this being an important game for seeding. Given his success against the Pacers, you can also back him to score 30-plus points at +165 at DraftKings.
Pick: Donovan Mitchell Over 25.5 Points (-120)
Nets vs. Knicks
Josh Hart
Over 16.5 Rebounds + Assists
With Julius Randle officially out for the season, Josh Hart continues to play big minutes and fill up the stat sheet.
Last night, Hart pulled down 16 rebounds and nearly hit this line with just his work on the glass. He also chipped in five assists to tally 21 rebounds and assists combined.
Hart has now hit this line in seven of his last 10 games. In one of those misses, he had 16 rebounds and assists, and in another, he was ejected in the first quarter on a very questionable flagrant foul. Remove that game, and Hart is averaging 18.8 rebounds and assists over the last nine games he's finished.
Plus, in his last game against Brooklyn, he had 18 rebounds and assists.
Hart played 44 minutes in that game, which has not been out of the norm for him of late. Last night, he played only 32 with the Knicks up 30 entering the fourth quarter.
The Knicks are double-digit favorites tonight, so they may pull away again. Either way, Hart has played 40 minutes in six of his last 10 games.
Against a Nets team that ranks 23rd in rebounds allowed, Hart should have plenty of minutes and opportunities to crash the boards.
Hart has also had five assists in eight of his last 10 games and eight assists in five of them. Additionally, he has posted six triple-doubles over the last few months.
Hart sits at +1300 at DraftKings if you want to sprinkle a little bit on him to record a triple-double tonight.
Pick: Josh Hart Over 16.5 Rebounds + Assists (-113)
Lakers vs. Grizzlies
LeBron James
Over 8.5 Assists
LeBron James is averaging 8.2 assists per game this season, but that number has been on the rise recently.
James is averaging 9.3 assists over his past 15 games. He has hit this line in 11 of those games and finished with eight in two others. He's not far off of an 86% hit rate in that span, but we'll still take a 73% hit rate at plus-money.
James had 11 assists in his last game against the Warriors on Tuesday and 12 assists in his last game against the Grizzlies.
Anthony Davis didn't play in either of those games, but he's listed as probable as he recovers from a swollen eye. It's also worth mentioning that James is questionable himself, as he often is at this stage of his career. However, he has played in eight of the Lakers' last nine games.
James is averaging 14.7 potential assists over his past 15 games. He also has had at least 10 potential assists in 14 of those games, with the lone exception being when he went for 40 points against the Nets on 13-for-17 shooting from the field. So, it's hard to blame him for not passing much on a night like that.
The Lakers rank eighth in offensive rating over their past 15 games and will be facing a Grizzles team they've averaged 127.6 points against this season. While James will contribute to that with his own scoring, he will also set up his teammates.
James comes in at +110 at DraftKings to record a double-double tonight, which he could also get with rebounds. He's also +185 to post 10 assists and +600 to dish out 12 at FanDuel.
Pick: LeBron James Over 8.5 Assists (+112)
