Ahaan Rungta
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With the In-Season Tournament out of the way, we are back to a normal rhythm in the association with regular-season action and teams vying to get through a lengthy season without adding to a long list of injuries. One of the toughest jobs is ours: finding value in 8-game slates where there are uncertainties across the board. However, I have done the work for you. These are my favorite NBA player prop bets for Friday, December 15, and make sure you also read our NBA picks for tonight’s games.
Buddy Hield, SG, IND Over 2.5 assists (-120)
Line available at DraftKings Sportsbook at time of publishing. Recommended 1u wager.
The Pacers are coming off a road spanking at the hands of the Bucks, but their bounce-back spot tonight is against a broken Wizards defense that doesn’t do much well on defense. Over the last 7 games, Washington allows the second-most assists per game. On the season the Wizards allow the most assists per game overall. Washington’s only defensive strength is limiting above-the-break 3s; it ranks bottom 10 in every other zone of the court (restricted area, paint, mid-range and corner threes). That should mean a great spot for everybody other than Buddy Hield — who is primarily a catch-and-shoot 3-point shooter — to score at will.
Ever since Hield was inserted into the starting lineup, he averages 2.5 assists per 30 minutes when Haliburton plays. Even in the case of a blowout, it is a good buy to ask him to clear that number at this price in a game with a 260-point Vegas total.
Read our Indiana Pacers vs Washington Wizards predictions
Dillon Brooks, SF, HOU Over 1.5 3-pointers made (-110)
Line available at BetMGM Sportsbook at time of publishing. Recommended 1u wager.
The Dillon Brooks experience is far from smooth sailing, but in this case it is the right bet as he faces his former team — the Grizzlies. The Rockets and Grizzlies have already met twice this season, including in their last game, and Brooks stayed under this line in both games. However, both games were blowouts and he still got decent volume. With a 3.5-point spread tonight, when Desmond Bane is expected to make his return to the Memphis lineup, now would be the perfect opportunity for Brooks to toss up a plethora of attempts from deep yet again.
On the season, Brooks averages 1.72 makes on 4.29 attempts per 30 minutes from 3 when Houston is able to field its preferred starting lineup. Since losing Marcus Smart, their best perimeter defender, the Grizzlies are allowing the 7th-most above-the-break 3s made on the 10th-highest efficiency. This is the area from where Brooks gets most of his attempts. I project him for 6 attempts in this matchup, and given how open his looks usually are this is a fantastic price to ask him to make 2.
Check out our New York Knicks vs Phoenix Suns Same Game Parlay for tonight
