Nov. 18 NBA Player Props & Picks (Nov. 18) Including Hornets vs Cavaliers, Magic vs Bulls

• Friday night provides 11 NBA games for bettors to get stuck into
• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (31.5) has the highest over/under point total on Nov. 18
• Read below for tonight’s NBA player props and best bets

Friday’s slate begins in the capital with Bradley Beal and Kristaps Porzingis welcoming the 7-8 Miami Heat. Half an hour later, LaMelo Ball’s Hornets take on the impressive Cleveland Cavaliers, and the Milwaukee Bucks matchup with Joel Embiid, who has been playing sensational basketball of late.

There’s a meeting of dynamic guards in Memphis as Ja Morant and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander go toe-to-toe. Rebuilders Indiana and Houston meet in Texas with an array of young talent on show from Tyrese Haliburton to Alperen Sengun.

Luka Doncic’s Dallas Mavericks host a weakened Nuggets team, with Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray both in health and safety protocols. The scorching Celtics are in New Orleans to take on Brandon Ingram and the Pelicans before the slumping Utah Jazz face Devin Booker and the Phoenix Suns.

The evening’s action wraps up with the Knicks in San Francisco and the Pistons taking on the lowly Lakers.

NBA Player Props – November 18th

Odds as of November 18th at FanDuel Sportsbook. Claim the FanDuel Sportsbook promo code.

The players with the highest over/unders for the night are Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (31.5 points), Joel Embiid (10.5 rebounds), and Tyrese Haliburton (10.5 assists).

FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK

Offer

T&Cs

Bet $5 & Get $250 in Bonus Bets if Your Bet Wins

Must be 21+. T&C Apply. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.

LOCK IN PROMO

SIGNUP PROMO

BET $5
GET $250

BET NOW

Pick #1: Buddy Hield Over 3.5 Threes

Coming off four wins in five games, the Indiana Pacers are five-point favorites over the Houston Rockets on Friday night. Part of Indiana’s surge has been the continued knockdown shooting of Buddy Hield, who is third in the NBA in three-point makes per game behind Steph Curry and Donovan Mitchell. Only Curry and Anfernee Simons are getting up more perimeter shots per contest than Hield.

Hield faces a Houston Rockets defense which is 24th in threes allowed, and 26th in the share of shots which are non-corner threes. Giving up above-the-break three-point shots is preferable to corner looks, but this plays in Hield’s favor, as the vast majority of his attempts are above-the-break. A whopping 55% of Hield’s shots are non-corner threes.

"I just try to get to the gym four hours [early]…get my mind, my body going before everybody gets here."

Buddy Hield has a new pregame routine this season, and it's paying off. He's averaging a career-high 4.2 threes per game on 42% shooting from behind the arc and 18.7 PPG.📹 pic.twitter.com/jkLeOMZxlv

— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) November 9, 2022

Houston has ridden some luck with poor opponent outside shooting. Teams are hitting just over 35% of their threes against the Rockets, and they are in trouble against a Pacers offense which is seventh in offense and fifth in three-point attempts per game.

Hield has had a slight drop in production of late, but he has reached double digits in three-point attempts in six of his last eight. The former King has gone over this number in six of his last nine. Even at -130, there is value here against this Houston defense.

Pick: Buddy Hield over 3.5 threes (-130)

Pick #2: Jalen Brunson Over 19.5 Points

Despite winning three of their last four, the Knicks are seven-point underdogs on the road against the underachieving Golden State Warriors. New York has gone 4-4 on the road this season, and Jalen Brunson has passed this points line in four of their last five away from Madison Square Garden. He has scored 20 or more in seven of the last nine games.

On reputation, Golden State are an elite defense. The reality in 2022-23 is very different. The Dubs are 18th in opponent effective field goal percentage and 25th in defensive rating. Brunson scored 19 or fewer points in three of his five postseason games against the Warriors earlier this year, but this Golden State team is much less dominant on the defensive end and Brunson has a considerably bigger role in the Knicks offense.

Jalen Brunson tonight vs the Jazz:

25 PTS, 3 REB, 8 AST, 3 STL

Knicks got the W on the road. pic.twitter.com/SywnlMffdx

— NBA (@NBA) November 16, 2022

The New Jersey native has an unusual skillset for an undersized guard, relying on mid-range attempts and using his body to score inside. There is no blistering acceleration or knockdown three-point shooting. Brunson works his way into the paint or post, and uses an array of fakes and hesitations to create space.

He is in the 100th percentile among guards for the share of his shots from mid-range, the majority of which are between four and 14 feet. Golden State gives up the second-most such attempts, and is 23rd in field goal percentage allowed on short mid-range shots.

The Dubs are also the second-worst in the NBA when it comes to conceding free throws. Brunson hasn’t missed a free throw in his last seven games, and has jumped from 2.7 attempts per game to 4.7. This is a good matchup for the former Maverick — take the over.

Pick: Jalen Brunson over 19.5 points (-106)