The NBA has eight games on the schedule for Friday night, with the return to action of a former league Most Valuable Player highlighting some of the greater player prop picks bettors can wager on.
Here's a look at three player props with high upside, including Kevin Durant of the Phoenix Suns following a three-game absence as he looks to connect on an OVER from 3-point range at plus money (+104).
Kevin Durant OVER 2.5 Made 3-Pointers vs. Utah Jazz (+104)
Preview: Phoenix Suns vs. Utah Jazz, 9:30 p.m. ET
Hitting the hardwood once again after missing time with an ankle injury, Durant will look to hit the OVER on 2.5 made 3-pointers against a Utah Jazz team which ranks 26th in opponent's 3-pointers made (14.1) and last in attempts (40.1) at the Delta Center.
Prior to going down, Durant had drilled three or more triples in five of his last six appearances for Phoenix, and the one time he didn't was when he sprained his ankle and only played 16 minutes before exiting on Dec. 3 versus the San Antonio Spurs.
Durant made 10-of-17 3-pointers in two appearances last season in Salt Lake City, hitting six and four 3-pointers, respectively, at a 58.8-percent clip. Even though he's been cleared, the 36-year-old forward may elect to not test his ankle and focus more on a perimeter-based attack which could help an OVER get reached here.
Rudy Gobert To Record 14+ Rebounds vs. Los Angeles Lakers (+185)
Preview: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Minnesota Timberwolves, 8 p.m. ET
We're going to have some fun here and go above and beyond the rebounds prop currently established for Rudy Gobert, with FanDuel Sportsbook having his number locked in at 11.5 with -128 odds. That's a fine payout for the Stifle Tower, but Gobert could be in store for even greater numbers on the glass against a Los Angeles Lakers team ranking 28th in rebounds allowed to opposing centers.
Gobert secured 14 boards versus Los Angeles back in the season opener on Oct. 22, and while he only had 12 in the rematch on Dec. 2, the Minnesota Timberwolves blew the game out of the water with a 29-point win, so had the score been tighter and Gobert seen more minutes, it likely would have been another 14-rebound performance.
While the 7-footer hasn't grabbed 14 or more boards since Nov. 26, his numbers against a vulnerable Lakers team lacking size and mobility in the frontcourt, on top of the fact that we've already seen Gobert hit this prop once already this season, makes the +185 odds all the more sweet.
Carlton Carrington OVER 1.5 Made 3-Pointers vs. Cavaliers (-115)
Preview: Washington Wizards vs. Cleveland Cavaliers, 7 p.m. ET
No one in their right mind anticipates this game being relatively close, with the Washington Wizards having dropped the previous two matchups by an average margin of 25 points. Should this get away from the visitors early, which it could easily do considering how putrid the Wizards have been, someone like rookie Carlton Carrington could get trigger happy from the perimeter and get to the OVER on 1.5 3-pointers.
Carrington has gone OVER 1.5 makes from deep in three of his last four games and has done so twice already versus Cleveland, knocking down four of his 10 attempts with two makes in each outing. The Cavaliers are a middle-ground team in terms of how opponents fare from 3-point range, so even in what will undoubtedly be another loss for Washington, Carrington can at least give bettors something to be happy about.
