A pair of late rebounds from Nikola Jokić secured a split for us last night as the Nuggets pulled away from the Lakers. We moved to 7-2 for the week and will look to finish strong. The Nuggets are in action again tonight as they head to Sacramento, and Jamal Murray could be in for another big game.
The Rockets are continuing their road trip in Toronto tonight and will be looking to snap a two-game losing streak. In his second career start Tuesday, Amen Thompson was impactful all over the floor. He will look to put together a similar effort against the Raptors tonight.
However, first we will begin in Philadelphia, where the 76ers will be hosting Jalen Johnson and the Hawks. Let’s dive into my top three NBA player props for Friday, February 9.
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NBA Player Props Today | Picks for Friday, Feb. 9
Jalen Johnson Over 25.5 Points + Rebounds (-110, DraftKings)
7 p.m. ET | NBA TV
On a high-scoring Hawks team, Jalen Johnson has been one of my favorite players to back all season. He typically lands between 15 and 20 points, averaging 17.6 points per game over his last 10 contests. Johnson has hit his points line tonight (15.5) in eight of his last 10 games, so I lean towards the over there. However, he has been a major contributor on the glass as well.
In nine of his last 10 games, Johnson has pulled down at least seven rebounds. He has pulled down 11 in four of his past six games as well. Johnson is also +125 for a double-double on FanDuel, which he has done in both games against the 76ers this season. He had 18 points and 10 rebounds in the first meeting and 25 points and 16 rebounds in the second.
Johnson cleared this line in both games against Philadelphia and nearly got it with just his scoring in the second one. Joel Embiid did not play in that game, and he will not be patrolling the paint for the Sixers again tonight. That means Johnson should find a lot of success scoring inside. Embiid’s absence will also help him on the glass, as the Sixers are undersized in the frontcourt without him. Additionally, 76ers head coach Nick Nurse has had a quick hook for Paul Reed at times in the last few games.
With a favorable matchup against Philadelphia tonight, Johnson may be in line for another 20-point, 10-rebound game. That would help him comfortably clear this line. He has recorded 26 points + rebounds in seven of his last 10 games, and I like that trend to continue tonight.
Amen Thompson Over 13.5 Rebounds + Assists (-111, FanDuel)
7:30 p.m. ET | NBA League Pass
If you have watched Ausar Thompson, you’ll know that he has been one of the best rebounding wings this season despite inconsistent minutes. His twin brother, Amen, is regarded as a point guard but has the versatility of guarding four positions. Amen Thompson got the start at small forward Tuesday with Fred VanVleet and Tari Eason out of the lineup. Like his brother, he was all over the glass.
Against the Pacers, he had 13 rebounds in 34 minutes. In his first start, a couple of weeks ago, he had 14 rebounds against the Boston Celtics. Thompson has also averaged seven rebounds per game over his last 10 games despite averaging 21 minutes. His rebounds line tonight is 8.5 and I lean towards the over. However, he has also flashed his playmaking skills as well.
Thompson had six assists against the Pacers and it certainly helped that the Rockets scored 129 points. He also had eight assists against the Hornets a few weeks ago. Tonight, he will face a Raptors team that is 25th in assists allowed. They are also 27th in defensive rating over the past 10 games and will be shorthanded again after more Masai Ujiri trades.
That will help Thompson here, and if he has 10 rebounds again, he will likely have at least four assists as well. Thompson has smashed this line in both of his starts with 19 rebounds + assists. Even if he regresses a little or gets in foul trouble, we have some cushion since we only need 14 tonight. For additional value, he is +175 for 10 rebounds and +440 for 12 rebounds on FanDuel.
Jamal Murray Over 23.5 Points (-111, FanDuel)
10 p.m. ET | NBA League Pass
While I backed Nikola Jokić last night, Jamal Murray loves playing the Lakers as well. He averaged 32.5 points per game in the Western Conference Finals and had 29 last night. The Nuggets will complete their quick California trip in Sacramento tonight, and Murray has another great matchup against the Kings.
The Kings are 22nd in both points and assists allowed, which means the Jokić-Murray two-man game should be in full force tonight. Sacramento is also 25th in 3s allowed per game and 29th in 3-point percentage defense. Murray made five 3s last night and has knocked down at least three shots from distance in seven of his past 10 games. That is convenient since his 3-pointers made line is 2.5 (-135) tonight. However, Murray can also go off without a big game beyond the arc.
Last Monday, Murray scored 35 points against Milwaukee without making a 3-pointer. That game was in Denver, but Murray’s scoring average (22.2 PPG) is actually two points higher on the road. In addition to last night’s game, Murray has also scored 31 at Boston, 23 at Philadelphia and 31 at Indiana recently.
He has not seen much of the Kings lately, but he scored 25 in his last game against them in Sacramento. That would get us over this line tonight. Additionally, as I have outlined, when Murray goes over his points props, he tends to go off. If he does so tonight, you can back him at +300 for 30 points on FanDuel.