Zach Thompson details his best player prop bets on DraftKings Sportsbook for Friday’s matchup between the Knicks and the Pistons.

The NBA starts the last weekend before the All-Star break with six games on the schedule, beginning with a pair of games that tip off at 7:30 p.m. ET. In the first game of the Prime Video doubleheader, the New York Knicks visit the Detroit Pistons in a matchup of two of the top teams in the Eastern Conference. Each side of this contest brings some fascinating storylines and fun players to cheer for, so let’s break down the matchup and find some Knicks-Pistons player prop bets to include on your betting card this Friday night.

In the big picture, the Pistons are 3.5-point home favorites with the point total at 219.5 on DraftKings Sportsbook.

The Pistons are coming off a strange loss to the Wizards on Thursday, after they had won five of their previous six. They still have the best record in the East at 37-13. The Knicks are tied for second in the conference at 33-18, after winning eight straight games, including two games earlier this week with over 130 points.

The injury report will be important to watch for this contest. For the Knicks, Karl-Anthony Towns is doubtful, Josh Hart is probable, OG Anunoby is questionable, and recent acquisition Jose Alvarado is out since he is not yet with the team. Alvarado will help fill in for Miles McBride for the next few weeks after McBride needed sports hernia surgery. On the Pistons’ side, Jalen Duren is questionable after leaving Thursday’s loss with knee soreness, but Tobias Harris and Duncan Robinson are probable.

Let’s take a look at the top player prop bets from both the Knicks and Pistons in this Friday night matchup. These picks can be used as standalone plays or combined in a Same Game Parlay (SGP), as indicated at the bottom of the post.

Knicks at Pistons Best Prop Bets on DraftKings Sportsbook

Josh Hart O25.5 Points + Rebounds + Assists

With McBride out and KAT likely joining him, Hart should pick up as much work as he can handle in the Knicks rotation on Friday. He was upgraded from questionable to probable while OG Anunoby (toe) was downgraded from probable to questionable. Hart missed the team’s double-overtime game on Wednesday after he left in the third quarter of Tuesday’s game against Washington.

Before leaving, He only had 18 PRA (points, rebounds and assists), but he had gone over this PRA prop line in three straight games before that and in four of his previous five. He had at least 30 PRA in three of those games as well.

He played one game this season without Towns, and in that game, he posted 30 PRA in 33.6 minutes. In his 10 games without Anunoby, he produced 31.7 PRA, so if OG is less than a full go or ultimately out in addition to KAT, Hart should get even more work.

His injury is a concern, which is why I’m not chasing the alternate 30+ PRA at +183, but that’s a solid option as well if you want to be more aggressive than just taking his over at 25.5 PRA.

Jalen Duren O15.5 Points (-110)

If he plays through the questionable tag, I like Duren’s over in this matchup, especially with KAT likely sidelined. Duren only had four points in 13 minutes before his exit against the Wizards, but before that, he had scored at least 16 points in eight of his previous nine games and 14 of his last 19.

Duren is averaging 17.7 points per game overall this season and 18.3 points per game in his 22 home games. He missed the first meeting between these teams this season, and if he’s able to play in this rematch, he should be able to score at least 16 points.

He and Cade Cunningham are clearly the top options in the offense, and they’ll look to bounce back from Thursday’s loss with a big Conference statement on Friday.

Jordan Clarkson O8.5 Points (+102)

Clarkson has averaged 9.5 points per game on the season, and he has scored 12 and 11 points in his last two games. He’s been helping pick up the scoring load with all the Knicks injuries, and with Calderon not ready yet, Clarkson should fill lots of McBride’s minutes on Friday.

Clarkson is typically aggressive on offense and takes plenty of shots. He may need to step into a very active role, depending on whether OG is out and Hart is less than 100%. He actually started Wednesday’s game and finished with 11 points in 24 minutes, making five of his seven field goal attempts.

For now, he seems to be the preferred option over Tyler Kolek, although both could step into bigger roles on Friday.

Bonus Parlay Pick: Ausar Thompson O18.5 PRA (-124)

If you’re building an SGP (Same Game Parlay) from this Friday night matchup, adding in the over on Ausar’s PRA takes the SGP to a spicy +1100.

Thompson has put up at least 19 PRA in three straight games and in six of his last nine. He is averaging 19.4 PRA per game on the season, and if Duren is out, he could end up with even more work on the glass. Kevin Huerter could eventually take some of the minutes on the wing from Thompson, but he only played six minutes in his debut on Thursday, while Thompson had 13 points, nine rebounds and three assists for 25 PRA in 33 minutes, going comfortably over this prop line.