NBA Best Player Prop Picks, Odds, Predictions for Friday, May 1, 2026
Thursday night in the NBA Playoffs saw both the Knicks and Timberwolves punch their second-round ticket, while the 76ers improbably pushed the Celtics to a Game 7 with a second straight win. Friday night brings us another trio of Game 6 clashes where the Magic, Cavaliers and Lakers could all vault themselves into the semifinals.
With another intriguing night of hardwood action, we’ll dive into three player props worth considering.
Also, be sure to check out our daily NBA betting trends page for odds and data on every game.
Friday’s Best NBA Player Props
- Tobias Harris (DET) – Over Points + Rebounds
- James Harden (CLE) – Over Points + Assists
- Jabari Smith Jr. (HOU) – Over Points + Rebounds
2026 Playoff Prop Bet Tracker: 21-17 (+2.11 units)
Tobias Harris (DET) – Over Points + Rebounds
Much like we wrote about the Knicks’ OG Anunoby on Thursday, Harris has been a virtual lock for an Over throughout this first-round series, and dating back to the regular season against the Magic for that matter. The veteran forward has been a key source of complementary production alongside the likes of Cade Cunningham in the first round, averaging 27.4 points + rebounds across 34.6 minutes per contest over the five-game sample. Harris’ offensive usage has been impressive, as he’s put up at least 15 shots in each contest.
During the regular season, it was more of the same for Harris when it came to facing his old squad. He averaged 26.0 points + rebounds over 31.0 minutes per game in three contests versus Orlando, shooting 56.5% in that sample. While his efficiency hasn’t been anywhere near the same during the current series — Harris is shooting only 44.6% over the last five games — the forward’s volume combined with his 80.8% success rate on 5.2 free-throw attempts per contest gives him a very good chance of cashing this prop yet again.
Original Line Publish: 23.5
James Harden (CLE) – Over Points + Assists
Harden has provided plenty of his signature versatility over the first five games of a hard-fought series against the Raptors. The Beard has delivered 32.6 points + rebounds + assists across 35.6 minutes per game, displaying impressive efficiency with a 48.6% success rate from the field, including 41.0% from behind the arc. Harden is draining 80% of his 6.0 free-throw attempts as well, and he’s gone 4-1 to this points + assists prop thus far by furnishing totals of 32, 32, 27 and 28 for the 27.5 points + assists prop.
The Raptors have given up at least 115 points to the Cavaliers in three of the first five games of the series, and Cleveland has a solid 112.5-point implied total for Friday’s critical Game 6. Harden also averaged 36.5 points + assists across 37.5 minutes over two regular-season encounters with Toronto, making his current success in the series additional legitimacy and pushing Harden’s record to this prop to 6-1 vs. Toronto.
Original Line Publish: 27.5
Jabari Smith, Jr. (HOU) – Over Points + Rebounds
Much like Anunoby and Harris, Smith is another forward who’s been a steadfast source of scoring and rebounding in the first round, particularly when Kevin Durant has been off the floor. The future Hall of Famer’s absence will persist Friday for Game 6 due to his ankle injury, which tees up Smith to add to his current average of 27.0 points + rebounds across 42.0 minutes per contest.
Smith has only shot 40.5% overall in that span, but he’s helped his cause plenty by posting a 40.0% success rate from downtown and 78.3% from the charity stripe. Smith has posted points + rebounds totals of 28, 30, 24 and 29 in the four games that Durant has missed in the series thus far and is pulling down 62.9% of his 12.4 rebounding chances per game during the entirety of the series. Additionally, during the regular season, he put up 25.4 points + rebounds over three games against the Lakers with KD available for each one of those contests.
Original Line Publish: 25.5
Photo Credit: AP/Karen Warren
