Derrick White and Donovan Clingan headline Saturday’s top NBA prop bets.
Tonight’s NBA props narrative: White is one of the league’s premier 3-point shooters and has a great matchup when the Boston Celtics visit the Los Angeles Clippers. Elsewhere, Clingan should feast on no rest against the Victor Wembanyama-less San Antonio Spurs.
Check out my top NBA prop picks for Jan. 3, featuring a pick on Chicago Bulls forward Matas Buzelis.
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NBA prop picks Jan. 3
Best bet: White 4+ threes (+107)
White had an uncharacteristically poor start to his season as a 3-point shooter, but the guard has put that in the rear-view.
Check out what he has done from deep since Dec. 1:
- 4.0 makes/game
- 10.6 attempts/game
- 37.7 3PT%
That’s more in line with what we’re used to seeing.
The Celtics are a notoriously 3-point-heavy offence, ranking third in attempts this year after leading the league in the 2024-25 season. White averaged a career-high 3.5 threes on 38.4% shooting last year.
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The Clippers own one of the worst perimeter defences in the NBA, allowing opponents to shoot 37.2% from deep (26th out of 30 teams).
White has gone under this mark in five straight games, but is still shooting with volume, and landed on three 3s twice.
He should get right in this matchup.
Key stat: White has cleared this mark in three straight games vs. L.A. while shooting 44.8% from deep.
Best NBA picks
Clingan to record a double-double (–109): Clingan is almost always the tallest man on the court, and that will remain true tonight with Wembanyama sidelined.
The 7-foot-2 centre, 280-pound centre still has to contend with Luke Kornet and Kelly Olynyk, but neither is as imposing as Wembanyama defensively, or on the glass.
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Clingan is averaging a double-double this year (10.8 points, 10.5 rebounds), and I expect him to over-index in both categories tonight.
The Spurs are giving up the ninth-most points and 11th-most rebounds to opposing centres in the last 15 days. That is largely with Wembanyama playing, albeit on a minutes restriction.
Clingan has also done his best work on no rest, averaging 13.0 points and 14.0 rebounds in six games this year.
NBA player prop predictions
Buzelis over 16.5 points (-112): Chicago is missing its two top scorers, Josh Giddey and Colby White, tonight, putting Buzelis in a solid position to take the reins against the Charlotte Hornets.
The Lithuanian power forward is enjoying a solid sophomore season, starting all 33 games played while averaging 14.1 points — up considerably from his 8.6 PPG mark last year.
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Buzelis has cleared this mark in consecutive games while averaging 15.5 field goal attempts. That type of volume should lead to a big night against Charlotte.
The Hornets are allowing the second-most PPG to opposing power forwards.
Buzelis is technically slated to start at small forward with Chicago’s injuries, but I’m not worried about that. Standing at 6-foot-8, he’s the modern NBA’s stereotypical positionally fluid wing.
NBA prop picks made at 8:54 a.m. ET on Jan. 3, 2026.
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Avery joined NorthStar Gaming as an intern in 2022 before stepping into a full-time role soon after. He loves betting on and analyzing golf — mainly because it’s easier than actually playing — but is a fan of all sports, from the NFL to the UFC.