There are eight games on the NBA schedule Friday, which means we have plenty of projections to choose from in the PrizePicks lobby.Â
There are some key injury situations that should open up minutes and usage.
Those are the areas I’m looking to exploit in my four favorite selections on PrizePicks for Friday night.Â
Luka Doncic (Mavs vs. Hawks) more than 37.5 points
Kyrie Irving has been ruled out, which means Doncic is going to be the Mavs’ first, second and third offensive option against Atlanta.Â
He has averaged 0.91 points per minute with a usage rate of 38% with Irving off the floor this season. He draws an elite matchup against the Hawks, who are fifth in pace and 26th in defensive rating.
Despite being without their second best scorer (Irving), the Mavs still have a team total that is 5.7 points higher than their season average. We could see a special game from Doncic on Friday in Atlanta.Â
Scottie Barnes (Raptors vs. Clippers) more than 6.5 assists
The Raptors have already ruled out Immanuel Quickley and Jakob Poeltl against the Clippers.
This is one of the worst matchups on the slate, but the expected increase in minutes and usage for Barnes more than makes up for it.
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He will likely take on more ball-handling and playmaking duties with Quickley out of the lineup, and he could play upwards of 40 minutes (he’s hit this mark two times in the last five games).
He’s dished out at least seven assists in three of the last four games, and I like his chances of doing it again Friday night at home.
Alperen Sengun (Rockets vs. Hornets) more than 15.5 rebounds + assists
A lot of people like to compare Sengum to Nikola Jokic, and it’s hard to look at his game log and disagree with the comparison. Like Jokic, he can fill up the stat sheet, he can shoot and he’s an amazing passer for a big man.
The Rockets square off against the Hornets, who are 26th in rebounding rate and last in defensive rating.
Sengun has racked up at least 20 rebounds + assists in each of the last three games, and this is one of his best matchups he’s had to date.
LaMelo Ball (Hornets vs. Rockets) more than 3.5 three-pointers made
If you look at the season-long numbers, the Rockets have been a difficult matchup.
However, over the last 10 games, they are 13th in pace and 23rd in defensive rating. They have also allowed the ninth-most three-point attempts of any team in the league.Â
Ball’s minutes are slowly trending upward and he has averaged nine three-point attempts over his last five games.