The 2024-25 NBA regular season rolls on with a busy Friday night. We have 10 games on tap, with two nationally televised games. The Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks square off at Madison Square Garden at 7:30 p.m. ET, and the front end of the doubleheader is televised on ESPN. The Phoenix Suns and the Los Angeles Lakers meet at 10 p.m. ET in the second end of the doubleheader.
View the best player prop bets for tonight’s slate with our NBA Prop Bet Cheat Sheet
NBA DraftKings & FanDuel DFS Primer
NBA DFS Core Plays
- DraftKings: $9,300
- FanDuel: $10,100
LaMelo Ball is a strong player to build around. While the price tag is a little high, it’s worth it in what could be a high-scoring affair. The Hawks allowed 116 points against the Nets in the opener, another Atlanta over result, if you’re also a bettor.
Ball was on fire in the 110-105 opening game win in Houston, going for 34 points, 11 assists, eight rebounds, four three-pointers, one steal and one blocked shot. Ball should post plenty of counting stats in Hotlanta. In his only game against the Hawks last season, Ball posted 15 points with 10 assists and six rebounds, while hitting four triples.
- DraftKings: $7,800
- FanDuel: $8,200
Evan Mobley and the Cavaliers play host to the Detroit Pistons in the home opener at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse on Friday night. The Cavaliers were red-hot in the opener in Toronto, rolling up a 136-106 victory in Toronto on Wednesday. Mobley was an efficient 9-of-14 from the field with 25 points, nine rebounds, three assists, three blocked shots and two steals, while also hitting a three-pointer.
Mobley tore up the Pistons last season, going for 13.5 points per game (PPG), 10.3 rebounds per game (RPG), 3.4 assists per game (APG) and 1.0 steals per game (SPG) in four games. The Pistons allowed 115 points in their opening game loss against the Pacers, while Indiana hit 51% (42-of-83) from the field.
- DraftKings: $8,100
- FanDuel: $8,900
Zion Williamson is expected to make his season debut after missing Wednesday’s game against the Chicago Bulls. The Pelicans offense managed 123 points against the Bulls. They should have another strong showing against the Trail Blazers with Williamson. Portland coughed up 140 points in the opener Wednesday at Moda Center, with Portland allowing seven players to hit double digits in points, while nine players grabbed four or more rebounds. Look for Williamson to debut with a strong stat line.
- DraftKings: $6,800
- FanDuel: $6,900
Andre Drummond had a strong showing in Wednesday’s setback against the Milwaukee Bucks, seeing a starting role with Joel Embiid (knee) on the shelf with an injury. Drummond finished with a double-double against the Bucks, going for 10 points with 13 rebounds in 25 minutes by hitting 4-of-8 from the field, including 2-of-2 from the free-throw line. As long as Embiid is sidelined, the veteran big man should have a solid, yet unspectacular stat line as long as he stays out of foul trouble.
- DraftKings: $8,800
- FanDuel: $9,200
Alperen Sengun’s price is sky-high, but he is still worth playing with the Memphis Grizzlies visiting town. He was good for 25 points on 10-of-22 shooting, with 2-of-3 from behind the arc, while going for 18 rebounds, five assists, four steals and a blocked shot. The Grizzlies outlasted the Utah Jazz in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, winning 126-124.
The Grizzlies let Utah’s Walker Kessler go for 16 points and 14 rebounds with five blocked shots on Wednesday, so Sengun should be able to cook again.
- DraftKings: $7,000
- FanDuel: $7,200
Zach LaVine is a strong target at a moderate price against the Milwaukee Bucks. He opened with 27 points, five rebounds, three assists and five triples while hitting 10-of-17 (58.8%) from the field in 37 minutes. He faced the Bucks just once last season, in Milwaukee, going for 20 points, eight rebounds and five assists with two triples, a blocked shot and a steal in 39 minutes. Look for LaVine and the Bulls to score in the 110-115 neighborhood, so there is plenty of room for LaVine to fill up the stat sheet.
NBA DFS GPP Targets
- DraftKings: $4,900
- FanDuel: $5,300
With Paul George still sidelined with a knee injury, Caleb Martin is part of a triumvirate seeing increased playing time in George’s stead. Martin suffered a right calf contusion in Wednesday’s opener, but he posted 12 points with nine rebounds on 5-of-10 shooting in 37 minutes off the bench. He is listed as probable, but if he suffers a setback and cannot go, change your target to Guerschon Yabusele.
- DraftKings: $7,800
- FanDuel: $8,100
Lauri Markkanen opened the season with 35 points, nine rebounds and two assists with four three-pointers in 35 minutes in a 126-124 loss against the Memphis Grizzlies. He was an efficient 9-of-15 from the field, too. He should have another strong stat line against a Golden State Warriors team that could be very giving in its second road game of the season.
- DraftKings: $7,000
- FanDuel: $7,700
Franz Wagner opened the season with a strong game Wednesday in Miami, going for 23 points on a very efficient 10-of-16 shooting, including 3-of-6 from downtown. He also chipped in with four rebounds, four assists, two steals and a blocked shot in his 23 minutes. Against a Brooklyn Nets defense that was very giving against Atlanta in the opener, Wagner is a tremendous target at a mid-tier price.
NBA DFS Value Plays
- DraftKings: $4,200
- FanDuel: $4,400
Jose Alvarado is a tremendous value for Friday’s game in Portland. He is expected to divvy up the minutes with Jordan Hawkins with Dejounte Murray sidelined for at least the next month due to a fractured left hand. At this price, Alvarado could exceed salary expectations by a ton.
- DraftKings: $4,400
- FanDuel: $4,400
In addition to Alvarado, Jordan Hawkins should see plenty of minutes and provide production that exceeds salary expectations. Not only will Hawkins see some added run with Murray sidelined, but Trey Murphy is also sidelined for at least two more weeks with a hamstring issue. Expect Hawkins to be able to fill in for both players.
- DraftKings: $3,200
- FanDuel: $3,900
Moses Moody was able to score 15 points with two assists, two rebounds and three triples in just 15 minutes off the bench in Portland. The Warriors blew out the Trail Blazers in Portland in the opener, so Moody saw a little more time than he might normally see. We should see a closer game, but even if Moody sees half of the stats he had in the opener, he’ll still exceed his salary expectations.
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