A thrilling finish in the Warriors-Kings matchup capped off an exciting night of hoops Thursday. Friday features another exciting slate of NBA action with eight games to take fans into the weekend. Let's get to our six plays for the night.
Mavs @ Hawks (+2.5, O/U 244.5)
The Mavericks are desperate for a win. They've lost three straight, all to superior opponents, and they're slipping in the Western Conference standings. A matchup against the struggling Hawks is the perfect bounce-back spot. Atlanta has also lost three straight and is eight games below .500.
While the Mavs' offense functions at a high level when Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving share the floor, their porous defense puts them in precarious situations.
The Hawks have the league's fifth-worst defense and an average offense. Dallas should score frequently, while Atlanta won't be able to keep up. After the Mavs' last loss, head coach Jason Kidd called out their lack of focus. Expect a focused and hungry Dallas squad Friday night.
Plus, there should be plenty of points in Atlanta as both teams rank in the top 10 in pace.
Pick: Mavs -2.5 and over 244.5
Clint Capela: Over 9.5 rebounds
We're staying in the Mavs-Hawks game for an enticing player prop. Clint Capela is one of the league's top rebounders. He's averaging 10.4 rebounds per game while only playing 25 minutes a night.
Capela has grabbed at least 10 rebounds in four of his last six contests. The Mavs are the NBA's second-worst rebounding team and allow the fourth-most boards per game to centers. Capela's sporadic minutes could impact his rebounding numbers, but the Hawks should use him to exploit Dallas' weakness on the glass.
Odds: -135
Luka Doncic: Over 9.5 assists
We're throwing a ton of marbles into this Mavs-Hawks game, so let's hope it's as high scoring and entertaining as expected. I've already mentioned the Hawks' defensive weakness, but they especially struggle at the point of attack.
That should create many blow-by opportunities for Doncic to drive in the lane and dish to his teammates. He's averaging around 10 assists over the last two months, and Atlanta allows the third-most assists per game to point guards.
Odds: -140
Kevin Durant: Over 28.5 points
The beauty of having three of the league's best scorers on one team is that guys can take a back seat on certain nights as their teammate takes over. That happened in the Suns' last win over Dallas when Kevin Durant only scored 12 points and attempted 10 shots as Devin Booker went off for 46.
Durant's still averaging 29 points on the season and has had two 40-plus scoring outings over the last week. The Pacers - the Suns' opponents Friday night - have the NBA's fourth-worst defense. The game total is also 243.5, meaning there'll be plenty of scoring opportunities. Plus, Indiana allows the second-most points per game to small forwards and most to power forwards.
Phoenix will exploit Durant's matchup, and he'll assuredly take more than 10 shots on his way to an impressive performance.
Odds: -125 (playable to -140)
Brandon Ingram: Over 4.5 rebounds
Brandon Ingram's scoring is down this month, but that's led to an increase in rebounds. He's averaging five boards per game in January and has recorded at least five in five of the last six games.
The Thunder have the third-worst rebounding percentage. If Ingram's shots aren't falling, he'll put a greater emphasis on crashing the glass like he has the past few weeks. I'd also consider taking an alternate Ingram rebounding line for a better price.
Odds: -140
Sam Oshtry is a sports betting writer at theScore. You can follow him on X @soshtry for more betting coverage.
