If you’re an NBA fan, every Friday is a good Friday.
Hopefully we can get your weekend started off on the right foot with some solid picks on PrizePicks.
There are 14 NBA games on the schedule Friday, so we have plenty of projections to choose from.
After scouring the PrizePicks lobby, I have narrowed it down to my four favorite picks for Friday night.
Dejounte Murray (Hawks vs. Pacers) more than 5.0 assists
Murray has averaged 10.3 potential assists per game this season. Over the last three years, he has a 54% conversion rate on his potential assists.
With Friday’s game featuring a close spread, we can assume he’ll play his usual allotment of minutes.
Even before factoring in the matchup, I have Murray projected for 5.6 assists. But it’s not just any ordinary team he’s facing — it’s the Pacers.
Indiana is second in pace and 28th in defensive rating.
This projects to be the fastest-paced game on the schedule Friday, so there should be plenty of assist opportunities for Murray.
Jalen Johnson (Hawks vs. Pacers) more than 29.5 points + rebounds + assists
I always like targeting the overs in fast-paced games, especially when they feature two bad defensive teams.
As noted above, the Pacers-Hawks game projects to be the fastest-paced on the slate and both teams are bottom five in defensive rating this season.
The Hawks have already ruled out De’Andre Hunter, which gives Johnson a higher minutes floor. Johnson has had 38 and 41 points + rebounds + assists in each of the last two games.
I like his chances to have another big game Friday at home.
Jarrett Allen (Cavaliers vs. Wizards) more than 13.5 rebounds
The Cavaliers have already ruled out Darius Garland, Ty Jerome and Evan Mobley for Friday’s game.
With Mobley out, we have seen Allen’s playing time go up over the last couple of weeks.
In fact, he has played at least 34 minutes in three of the last five games.
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And on Friday, he draws an elite matchup against the Wizards, who are first in pace and last in rebounding rate.
These teams faced each other Wednesday, and even though the game turned into a blowout, Allen was still able to pull down 19 rebounds in only 29 minutes.
Mike Conley (T-Wolves vs. Rockets) fewer than 6 assists
I am an optimist at heart, so I generally like to take the “more than” sides of these projections.
However, I have Conley projected for 4.6 assists Friday, so I couldn’t resist going with the “fewer than” on his assist projection.
He has only averaged 9.0 potential assists per game this season and has an average conversion rate on those chances of 57% over the last three seasons.
To make matters worse, he’s facing a Rockets team that is 27th in pace and third in defensive rating.
Cheers to the weekend. Good luck!