Best PrizePicks NBA Picks for Tonight’s Playoff Games – 5/9/25

Friday’s NBA Playoffs slate brings us two exciting conference semifinal Game 3 matchups, one of which includes the top seed Cavs with a 0-2 deficit to overcome vs. the Pacers. 

We’ll give you the top NBA picks and predictions for NBA DFS on PrizePicks in Friday night’s Playoff games, including Thunder C Isaiah Hartenstein and Cavs SG Donovan Mitchell.

The Cavaliers lost both games at home, and now they are in a must-win situation as they take on the Pacers at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN. The Thunder were able to comeback in a big way with a 43-point win and now head to Denver to take on the Nuggets at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN with the series tied at 1-1. 

PrizePicks is the easiest way to cash in on your NBA Playoffs takes. Just pick More or Less on player stats across the NBA — from points to assists to combos — and lock in your Lineup. New to PrizePicks? Claim your $50 bonus and get started here.

Let’s break down some of the best NBA picks to target for the Friday NBA DFS slate on PrizePicks.

NBA DFS Picks Today for PrizePicks: May 9

Here are four of the top NBA DFS picks for Friday, May 9, on PrizePicks. Click each pick to read more.

• Cavaliers SG Donovan Mitchell — 43.5 Fantasy Score
• Pacers SF Aaron Nesmith — 18.5 Pts+Reb+Asts
• Thunder C Isaiah Hartenstein — 10.5 points
• Nuggets SF Michael Porter Jr. — 1.5 3-Pointers Made (Goblin)

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Cavs G Donovan Mitchell — 43.5 Fantasy Score

• Cavs SG Donovan Mitchell cleared this projection in both games in this series vs. the Pacers.
• The Cavaliers are dealing with injuries to several starters, including Evan Mobley, DeAndre Hunter, and Darius Garland — all missed Game 2. All three are expected to play tonight.
• Even with teammates back on the floor, Mitchell will be relied on heavily as they get back into form, as none are expected to be 100%.
• Mitchell is averaging 35 minutes per game vs. the Pacers, compared to 31.4 per game in the regular season.
• Mitchell has taken 30 shots in both games of this series.
• The Pacers are playing at the second fastest pace (98.32) of the remaining eight teams in the Playoffs.

Pacers SF Aaron Nesmith — 19.5 Pts+Rebs+Asts

• Pacers SF Aaron Nesmith has secured this PRA projection in five of his last six games, going for 19 in the game he missed.
• He’s excelled against the Cavaliers by hitting more than this projected PRA number in four of the last five games against Cleveland.
• Nesmith has been getting a wide array of minutes, from 25 up to 41 in the Playoffs. He’s gone more than this projection regardless of his minutes.
• He’s averaging 29 minutes so far vs. the Cavs in the Playoffs.
• He’s gone more than this projection in 55.6% of home games this season.
• Nesmith has scored at least 14 points in six straight Playoff games.

Thunder C Isaiah Hartenstein — 10.5 points

• Thunder C Isaiah Hartenstein has exceeded this projection in three straight games.
• Hartenstein is averaging 15.2 points in his last five games against the Nuggets. 
• Hartenstein played 29 minutes in a close Game 1 vs. the Nuggets, well above his 23.5 minutes vs. the Grizzlies in the first round.
• The Nuggets are 22nd in points allowed to centers this season.

Nuggets PF Michael Porter Jr. — 1.5 3-Pointers Made (Goblin)

• Nuggets PF Michael Porter Jr. has exceeded this 3-pointers projection in nine of the last 15 games.
• Porter Jr. has made at least two 3-pointers in 11 straight games vs. the Thunder, dating back to 2021. 
• In those 11 games, he averaged 8.0 attempts per game, hitting at least three 3-pointers in all but one game.
• The Thunder are allowing the seventh-most threes per game in the playoffs (34.5).
• He’s averaging 5.0 3-point attempts per game during the playoffs.

Note: Goblin picks reduce your payout on PrizePicks, as they are easier projections to hit.

Popular NBA Picks Tonight on PrizePicks

Here are the most popular NBA picks for Thursday’s NBA Playoffs games on PrizePicks.

• Pacers SF Aaron Nesmith – 13 Points
• Cavaliers SG Donovan Mitchell – 28.5 Points
• Nuggets PG Russell Westbrook – 13.5 Points
• Pacers SF Andrew Nembhard – 22.5 Pts+Reb+Asts
• Pacers C Myles Turner – 24.5 Pts+Reb+Asts
• Cavs PG Darius Garland — 15.5 Points

Make Picks on NBA Playoffs on PrizePicks

We have an intriguing playoff schedule on Friday night, with two Conference Semifinal Game 3’s on tap. The Thunder and Nuggets are now tied at 1-1, and the Cavaliers cannot afford to lose and face a 0-3 deficit.

With the NBA Playoffs heating up, there’s never been a better time to get in on the action with PrizePicks. There are plenty of NBA DFS options to pick for your PrizePicks NBA Lineups tonight, including players like Michael Porter Jr. and Donovan Mitchell. 

Just pick More or Less at least two NBA player stat projections to build your Lineup on PrizePicks. Create your account to get $50 in bonus funds when you play your first $5 Lineup.

Check out the Playbook daily for more NBA DFS picks all the way through the NBA Playoffs.