Tyrese Maxey and Paolo Banchero headline Monday’s NBA prop picks.
Tonight’s NBA props narrative: Maxey has established himself as an upper-echelon scorer and should feast tonight with Joel Embiid and Paul George sidelined for the Philadelphia 76ers. Elsewhere, Banchero is worth fading on the second leg of a home-and-home against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Check out these NBA prop picks for Jan. 26.
-> Join NorthStar Bets & start betting on the NBA!
NBA prop picks Jan. 26
Best bet: Maxey 4+ threes (+100)
This is my preferred way to back Maxey, because I think his 31.5 point total is a tad too steep.
Why? Defensive menace Ryan Kalkbrenner will be patrolling the paint for the Charlotte Hornets, and I don’t think attacking the basket repeatedly against the 7-footer is a good recipe for success.
Maxey is a great 3-point shooter, anyway, and Charlotte has the seventh-worst 3-point defence in the NBA (36.9%).
- Maxey is averaging a career-high 3.5 threes on 8.9 attempts per game (39.2%).
- He has hit 4+ threes in 10 of 19 games without Embiid this season (also 10-9 vs. this line without George).
-> Bet on tonight’s NBA slate now!
Philly’s point guard is also playing an NBA-high 39.5 minutes a night, meaning he will have ample opportunities to let it fly in what should be a close game.
Charlotte is a 3-point home favourite at the time of writing, and Maxey cleared this line against the Hornets back in October when he shot 4-of-9 from deep in a 125-121 win.
Key stat: Maxey is shooting 44.0% from 3-point range on the road this season.
Best NBA picks
Banchero under 23.5 points (-125): Banchero is having his best scoring month of the year, but he’s still performing well below last year’s baseline.
- The forward is averaging 23.2 points on 48.2% shooting in January, going 5-5 against this line.
- On the season, Banchero is averaging 21.1 PPG with a 45.5 FG% (96th in NBA).
-> At NorthStar Bets: Wager on NBA props, futures & more
Banchero did have 27 points against the Cavaliers in Orlando on Saturday, but he made just seven field goals and cashed in 10 points at the line.
I’m not sure he’ll get such a favourable whistle in Cleveland with reigning DPOY Evan Mobley guarding him all night.
Banchero is averaging 21.4 PPG on 34.5% shooting in his last five regular season games against the Cavs.
NBA prop picks made at 9 a.m. ET on Jan. 26, 2026.
-> Sign up to NorthStar Bets today!
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.