We have an eight-game slate on tap in the Association on Friday night, which presents us with no shortage of enticing player prop opportunities with 16 teams in action. The stage could be set for a multitude of standout individual performances if projected totals are any indication.
In this article, we’ll strive to highlight a handful of under-the-radar NBA prop plays involving players that are a tier below the top stars but have reliable minutes, an appealing matchup, and solid outlooks for production in their expected role that particular night.
NBA Betting Preview & Picks: Friday, Nov. 22
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We have a rare 245-point figure attached to the Hawks-Bulls clash, unsurprising given Chicago is allowing the second-most points (122.9) and averaging the second-most possessions (107.2) per game, and Atlanta checking in third in both categories with respective figures of 119.6 and 107.1.
The Celtics-Wizards and Pacers-Bucks showdowns carry projected totals over 235 points. Although Boston’s status as expansive road favorites (-15.5) implies a blowout and potentially limited minutes for the Celts’ big stars, we’ve already seen the defending champs get more than they bargained for from big underdogs on a couple of occasions.
The Mavericks-Nuggets tilt also has some intrigue attached, considering Luka Doncic is ruled out with a wrist injury while Nikola Jokic could possibly miss his fourth straight game for Denver due to personal reasons.
Payton Pritchard Higher Than 3.5 3-Pointers Made
Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown rightfully draw the majority of the headlines, but Payton Pritchard has rather quietly turned himself into a legitimate second-unit asset during the early stages of his fifth pro season.
We already saw hints of his evolution during last year’s championship campaign, when Pritchard improved virtually across the stat sheet and then turned in six double-digit scoring efforts during the Celtics’ playoff run.
This season, Pritchard is clocking a career-high 15.3 points per game while shooting a career-best 46.9%, including a blistering 42.3% from behind the arc. Pritchard’s aggressiveness has been a microcosm of Boston’s overall approach, which has resulted in the Celts taking a league-high 50.5 three-point attempts per contest.
Pritchard is contributing 8.7 tries from deep per game himself, a full four additional shots from distance per contest than last season. Friday, Pritchard draws a matchup that appears highly conducive for another fruitful night, as the opposing Wizards are allowing 37.6% three-point shooting, including 42.6% over the last three games.
Pritchard already drained five of his 10 three-point tries against Washington in the first meeting of the season back on Oct. 24, and he’s recorded at least four three-pointers in seven of 15 games while falling just short with a trio of made threes on four other occasions.
Where to play: Payton Pritchard higher than 3.5 3-Pointers Made | 1.13x payout at Underdog
Kris Dunn More Than 8.5 Points
Dunn continues to hold down the starting shooting guard role on a Clippers team in need of offense, even as the veteran has had a couple of down games recently.
Dunn has scored just seven points apiece in his last pair of contests. However, that was preceded by three straight double-digit scoring efforts in his first trio of starts, a span during which he shot 48.4% from the field.
Dunn has been especially sharp from long range in recent seasons, as he’s shooting 39.4% from behind the arc since the start of the 2022-23 campaign. Friday, Dunn happens to be facing a Kings team that’s been vulnerable to long-distance shooting, allowing a 38.6% success rate from three-point range, including 42.5% in their last three games.
Sacramento is also surrendering 39.4% 3-point shooting to two-guards specifically, and with a major source of offense in Norman Powell now ruled out for Los Angeles due to a hamstring injury, Dunn should have plenty of opportunities to put up some extra shots in a game that’s projected to be very competitive (2.5-point spread).
Where to play: Kris Dunn more than 8.5 points | PrizePicks
