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The Boston Celtics are in for a big night Friday.

Boston will welcome the new-look Brooklyn Nets to town with tip-off scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET from TD Garden. The Celtics enter the showdown after taking down the Cleveland Cavaliers in impressive fashion Wednesday night at home, 117-113. 

The Celtics already have faced off against the Nets three times this season and have come away with wins in each contest. Friday's will look a little different as Brooklyn no longer has Kyrie Irving or Kevin Durant on the roster so the Celtics will get their first look at the club. 

Brooklyn enters the tilt losers of each of its last four contests and currently sit in sixth place in the Eastern Conference after looking at one point like title contenders when both Durant and Irving were in town. 

Here are three interesting prop bets from Sports Illustrated Sportsbook to consider ahead of Friday's Celtics-Nets matchup: 

Brooklyn Nets +10.5 (+100)
The Celtics are the heavy favorite to win Friday's contest and they should be. Boston has been the best team in the NBA for the majority of the season and will be at full strength when it welcomes the Nets to town Friday night. With that being said, a 10.5 point spread is large and the Nets still are a solid team in itself even without Durant and Irving. 

Boston is the favorite and should win Friday night, but it might not be a large margin. If the Celtics come out flat, Brooklyn could keep it close. If you were to place a $100 wager and Brooklyn either wins the game Friday and loses by no more than 10 points, the payout would be $100.

Jayson Tatum Over 28.5 Points Scored (-110)
The young Boston start was in a short scoring slump but broke out in a major way in the Celtics' win over the the Cavaliers on Wednesday night. Tatum poured in 41 points and should have plenty of opportunities to score Friday night. 

Tatum is averaging over 30 points per game on the season so far so it wouldn't be surprising in the least bit for him to top 28 points. If you were to place a $110 wager down and Tatum scores 29 or more points, the payout would be $100. 

Marcus Smart Over 4.5 Assists (-150)
Smart's assist numbers have seen a dip since returning from an ankle injury but he's due for a big game. The Boston point guard has failed to record four or more assists in each of his last four games, but still is averaging 6.7 assists per game on the season. 

If you were to place a $150 wager down and Smart records five or more assists, the payout would be $100. 

Further Reading

Jayson Tatum on Load Management: 'I Just Think About the Young Kid, the Kid Inside Me from St. Louis That Dreamed About Being in the NBA'

Celtics Star Jayson Tatum Opens up About Taking Down Cavaliers After OT Losses

Joe Mazzulla Speaks on Decision to Bench Grant Williams

Joe Mazzulla Discusses How Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown Set the Tone for the Celtics in Win Over Cavaliers

Jayson Tatum Shares the Keys to His 41-Point Performance in Celtics Win vs. Cavaliers

Here's What Stood Out in Celtics' Win vs. Cavaliers: Jayson Tatum's 41-Point Performance Propels Boston to Bounce-Back Victory

A Top Celtics Free-Agent Target Signs Elsewhere, Where Does Boston Go from Here?

Jayson Tatum Unveils Jordan Tatum 1's