Jordan Horrobin, Author at The Boost

Bucks vs. Spurs prop picks Jan. 31: Fade Victor Wembanyama and Khris Middleton

Two of the most talented bigs in the NBA — Victor Wembanyama and Giannis Antetokounmpo — will share the court tonight as the San Antonio Spurs host the Milwaukee Bucks.

The pregame narrative: Wembanyama is blossoming into a superstar, but there are still justifiable reasons to bet the under on his prop markets. I’m backing a Wemby under tonight, along with predictions for Khris Middleton and Harrison Barnes.

Check out my Bucks vs. Spurs prop picks for Jan. 31.

Bucks vs. Spurs prop picks

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Best bet: Wembanyama under 15.5 rebounds/assists (-112)

In practically every way, Wembanyama’s sophomore season has been an improvement over a remarkable Rookie of the Year campaign.

He’s playing more minutes. He’s shooting more efficiently. And his rebounding and steals numbers are up, while his turnover numbers are down.

But even with all of that said, I can’t automatically select overs on Wembanyama whenever I peruse his prop markets. Some lines are a bit too lofty, and this is one of them.

Wembanyama has 10+ rebounds in six straight games, which is his longest streak of the season. Even so, he only went over 15.5 rebounds/assists twice in those matchups.

He’s hit this under in 12/18 games since Dec. 19.

On the season, Wembanyama is averaging 14.5 reb/ast.

In the first week of January, Wembanyama had 41 rebounds in a two-game span. So it’s possible that he goes nuclear on the boards and ruins my bet that way.

But I don’t see it against the Milwaukee Bucks, who allow the 10th-fewest rebounds to opposing centres, per Betting Pros.

Milwaukee also allows the fifth-fewest assists to centres.

Key stat: Wemby has gone under 15.5 RA in both career games against the Bucks. That includes a matchup on Jan. 8 (10 rebounds, one assist).

Quick picks

Middleton under 11.5 points (-112): As recently as the 2021-22 season, Middleton was an all-star averaging 20.1 PPG.

His numbers dipped a bit in the two seasons that followed, and now he’s out of the starting lineup while averaging his lowest scoring total since his rookie year (11.9 PPG).

Middleton has played nine consecutive games off the bench, averaging just 10.8 PPG in that span — despite a blistering 55.1% FG rate. He’s been held scoreless in two of his past three.

I can’t trust this guy right now, and certainly not in this matchup. The Spurs, who held Middleton to eight points earlier this month, allow the fourth-fewest points to opposing small forwards.

Barnes over 1.5 threes (-134): I was originally eyeing the over on Barnes’ points prop (12.5), but I think this is a simpler way to back a guy who’s been ultra-efficient from deep recently.

Over his past 13 games, Barnes is shooting 44.8% from 3-point range, averaging 2.0 makes.

He’s canned 2+ threes in three straight games, as well as 8/13 since Dec. 29.

Barnes went over 1.5 threes when he faced the Spurs earlier this month, and he deserves enough looks to hit the over again.

San Antonio allows the 11th-most made 3s in the NBA.

Picks made at 9:30 a.m. ET 01/16/2025.

Suns vs. Warriors same-game parlay predictions Jan. 31: Ride with Golden State to cover, Curry to collect rebounds

Coming off their best win of the season, the Golden State Warriors host the Phoenix Suns in a late-night matchup on Friday.

The pregame narrative: Golden State and Phoenix are both in the play-in tournament zone, so this is an important game. The Warriors are worth backing on an alt spread, and I’ll group that with props on Devin Booker and Steph Curry for a +285 ticket.

Check out my Suns vs. Warriors same-game parlay predictions for Jan. 31.

Suns vs. Warriors predictions

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Parlay: Warriors +4.5 | Booker 25+ points | Curry 4+ rebounds (+285)

Warriors +4.5 (-162): Phoenix and Golden State have split their season series, 1-1, with both squads winning at home. I think an outright win for the Warriors is a reasonable straight bet tonight, but for the SGP I’ll add some cushion.

Golden State is coming off a top-of-the-resume win over the Oklahoma City Thunder, who lead by 14 after the first quarter on Wednesday night. Ultimately, the Warriors clawed back for a 116-109 victory at Chase Center.

That win was as surprising to me as it was impressive. But it gives me faith in Golden State to win (or at least lose close) tonight.

Phoenix has a -4.0 net rating on the road this year, as well as a 9-13 record.

Other SGP legs

Booker 25+ points (-177): Will Booker play harder after being what some consider a snub for this year’s all-star game?

Probably not, but he’s playing well enough as it is for me to back him at this milestone anyhow.

Booker is averaging 25.5 PPG.

He has 25+ points in 23/41 games (56.1%).

Against the Warriors, he has 25+ points in eight straight games (dating back to the 2022-23 season).

He also seems to be doing his best work in road arenas right now. In his past six games as a visitor, Booker has hit the 30-point mark five times.

Curry 4+ rebounds (-210): Curry has taken a step back as a rebounder in the past handful of games, but this is still a total he’s generally good for.

The veteran guard is averaging 4.7 rebounds and has cashed this bet in 24 of 38 games (63.2%).

Though he’s had fewer than four rebounds in four of his past five, the Suns are a plus matchup that should get him right.

Phoenix has the 10th-lowest rebounding rate (49.3%) and allows the seventh-most rebounds to opposing point guards (6.5), per Betting Pros.

Also, Curry has cashed this bet in four straight games against Phoenix, grabbing 13 boards in two games this year.

Picks made at 1:00 p.m. on 01/31/25.

Bucks vs. Spurs prop picks Jan. 31: Fade Victor Wembanyama and Khris Middleton

Two of the most talented bigs in the NBA — Victor Wembanyama and Giannis Antetokounmpo — will share the court tonight as the San Antonio Spurs host the Milwaukee Bucks.

The pregame narrative: Wembanyama is blossoming into a superstar, but there are still justifiable reasons to bet the under on his prop markets. I’m backing a Wemby under tonight, along with predictions for Khris Middleton and Harrison Barnes.

Check out my Bucks vs. Spurs prop picks for Jan. 31.

Bucks vs. Spurs prop picks

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Best bet: Wembanyama under 15.5 rebounds/assists (-108)

In practically every way, Wembanyama’s sophomore season has been an improvement over a remarkable Rookie of the Year campaign.

He’s playing more minutes. He’s shooting more efficiently. And his rebounding and steals numbers are up, while his turnover numbers are down.

But even with all of that said, I can’t automatically select overs on Wembanyama whenever I peruse his prop markets. Some lines are a bit too lofty, and this is one of them.

Wembanyama has 10+ rebounds in six straight games, which is his longest streak of the season. Even so, he only went over 15.5 rebounds/assists twice in those matchups.

He’s hit this under in 12/18 games since Dec. 19.

On the season, Wembanyama is averaging 14.5 reb/ast.

In the first week of January, Wembanyama had 41 rebounds in a two-game span. So it’s possible that he goes nuclear on the boards and ruins my bet that way.

But I don’t see it against the Milwaukee Bucks, who allow the 10th-fewest rebounds to opposing centres, per Betting Pros.

Milwaukee also allows the fifth-fewest assists to centres.

Key stat: Wemby has gone under 15.5 RA in both career games against the Bucks. That includes a matchup on Jan. 8 (10 rebounds, one assist).

Quick picks

Middleton under 11.5 points (-112): As recently as the 2021-22 season, Middleton was an all-star averaging 20.1 PPG.

His numbers dipped a bit in the two seasons that followed, and now he’s out of the starting lineup while averaging his lowest scoring total since his rookie year (11.9 PPG).

Middleton has played nine consecutive games off the bench, averaging just 10.8 PPG in that span — despite a blistering 55.1% FG rate. He’s been held scoreless in two of his past three.

I can’t trust this guy right now, and certainly not in this matchup. The Spurs, who held Middleton to eight points earlier this month, allow the fourth-fewest points to opposing small forwards.

Barnes over 1.5 threes (-118): I was originally eyeing the over on Barnes’ points prop (12.5), but I think this is a simpler way to back a guy who’s been ultra-efficient from deep recently.

Over his past 13 games, Barnes is shooting 44.8% from 3-point range, averaging 2.0 makes.

He’s canned 2+ threes in three straight games, as well as 8/13 since Dec. 29.

Barnes went over 1.5 threes when he faced the Spurs earlier this month, and he deserves enough looks to hit the over again.

San Antonio allows the 11th-most made 3s in the NBA.

Picks made at 9:30 a.m. ET 01/16/2025.

Lakers vs. Wizards same-game parlay predictions Jan. 30: Bet on Kyle Kuzma, Max Christie in +370 SGP

The Washington Wizards look to snap a mile-long losing streak on Thursday night in a home matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers.

The pregame narrative: In spite of a notable injury for the Lakers, I still expect them to win by at least a handful of points. I also have prop bets on Max Christie and Kyle Kuzma to round out this +370 ticket.

Check out my Lakers vs. Wizards same-game parlay predictions for Jan. 30.

Lakers vs. Wizards predictions

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Embed: #107963

Parlay: Lakers -4.5 + Christie over 1.5 threes + Kuzma over 6.5 rebounds (+370)

Lakers -4.5 (-235): No one expected great things from the Wizards this season. Even so, their spiral has been staggering.

Washington is on a 15-game losing streak — the team’s second losing streak of 15-plus games this year — to sink to 6-40 overall.

Awful teams can still excel against the spread though, right? Well … that’s not the case here either. Washington is 17-27-2 ATS (38.6%) on the year and 2-5 ATS when playing on zero rest.

I don’t expect much out of the Wizards on the second leg of a back-to-back. They scored 82 points at home last night in a 24-point loss to the Toronto Raptors.

On Jan. 21, the Lakers won comfortably over the Wizards out west, 111-88.

Other SGP legs

Christie over 1.5 threes (-148): Christie takes the majority of his shots from beyond the arc, and now that he’s seeing starter minutes, this should be an attainable prop on a nightly basis.

Splitting Christie’s season in half, we can notice the uptick in his 3-point shot volume and production:

First 22 games (1 start): 18.9 minutes, 2.0 3PA, 29.5 3PT%

Past 22 games (22 starts): 30.7 minutes, 5.0 3PA, 39.1 3PT%

The third-year guard has cashed this bet in 12 of his past 17 games and draws a dream matchup tonight.

Washington allows the most 3s per game to its opponents (14.5) at a solid shooting clip (36.4%).

Kuzma over 6.5 rebounds (-127): I love this as a straight wager with Anthony Davis (11.9 RPG) ruled out for the Lakers.

Kuzma, a former Laker, should be able to fill the void and grab some rebounds that AD isn’t around for.

Last night, Kuzma had 10 rebounds for Washington. He now has 7+ rebounds in 5/6 games since Jan. 19, averaging 8.3 rebounds in that span.

Kuzma has 7+ rebounds in all six career games vs. the Lakers, including a nine-rebound performance last week.

Is this still a revenge game for Kuzma, given that he’s played as many seasons in Washington (four) as he did in Los Angeles? I’m not sure, but I know he’s capable of cashing this over.

Picks made at 10:15 a.m. on 01/30/25.

59 Super Bowl Stats for Super Bowl 59

Want to be the smarty pants of your Super Bowl party?

Well, you’re in the right spot. From against-the-spread trends and player data, to national anthem run times and Gatorade shower colours, we’ve compiled a wide-ranging list of insightful tidbits for the NFL’s big game.

Before the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs kick off on Feb. 9, check out our 59 Super Stats for Super Bowl 59, and use our NFL Team and Player Stats pages when doing research before placing your bets.

Super Bowl 59 stats

Player/Coach stats

1. Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts has 22 rushes inside the five-yard line this season (second-most in the NFL).

2. Hurts, who had three rushing TDs in the NFC championship, also had three rushing TDs vs. the Chiefs in Super Bowl 57.

3. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes averaged just 3.4 air yards per attempt during the regular season (32nd among quarterbacks with 250+ attempts).

4. Mahomes’ stats in four Super Bowls: 267.8 yards/game, 7 TDs, 5 INTs.

5. Hurts has eight passing TDs and nine rushing TDs in his postseason career (eight games).

6. Hurts threw two interceptions in his playoff debut back in 2021, but he hasn’t been picked off in the postseason since. His 206 consecutive INT-free postseason passes are just nine shy of Drew Brees’ NFL record (215).

7. Mahomes has 6+ rush attempts in five straight playoff games. In 20 career playoff games, he’s averaged 5.4 carries and 29.1 rush yards.

8. Mahomes is 17-3 in his playoff career. He’s second all-time among QBs in playoff wins, trailing only Tom Brady (35).

9. Eagles running back Saquon Barkley has 4+ red zone carries in eight of his past nine games.

10. Barkley has 13 carries of 20+ yards in his past 10 games.

11. During the regular season, Barkley averaged an NFL-high 3.8 yards per rush before contact.

12. Barkley has rushed for 205+ yards twice this season (including in the divisional round). The Super Bowl rushing record is 204 yards, set by Washington’s Timmy Smith in Super Bowl 22.

13. In Kansas City’s AFC championship win over Buffalo, Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce had just 19 yards on two catches. But before that, he had posted 70+ receiving yards in 14 straight postseason matchups.

14. Kelce recently made his 10th consecutive Pro Bowl, but did so while posting career lows in receiving yards (823), TDs (three) and yards per reception (8.5).

15. Kelce has only been targeted inside the 10-yard line once in his past nine games.

16. Eagles kicker Jake Elliott is 1-for-8 on field goals from 50+ yards (including a miss in the NFC championship game).

17. Over the past three postseasons, Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker is 23-for-23 on PATs and 21-for-22 on field goal attempts (his lone miss came in Super Bowl 57 against the Eagles).

18. Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt has a rushing TD in all six career postseason games.

19. In the past 15 Super Bowls, 11 MVP winners have been quarterbacks (including Mahomes in three of the past four). In that time, two defensive players have been MVP — but none since Denver edge rusher Von Miller in Super Bowl 50.

20. A running back hasn’t been Super Bowl MVP since Terrell Davis in 1998.

21. Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert has 4+ catches in nine straight playoff games. He had six catches for 60 yards against the Chiefs in Super Bowl 57.

22. In the NFC championship win over Washington, Eagles receiver A.J. Brown had six catches for 96 yards and a touchdown … and that was his exact stat line against the Chiefs in Super Bowl 57.

23. Eagles receiver DeVonta Smith has caught all 12 of his targets this postseason (exactly four in each game). His 76.4% catch rate ranks in the 92nd percentile.

24. From Weeks 1-12, Chiefs receiver Xavier Worthy had zero games with 5+ catches. He has since recorded 5+ catches in seven straight games (excluding Week 18 when he was among KC’s resting starters).

25. Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco has averaged fewer than 4.0 yards per rush in six straight games.

26. Kansas City’s Andy Reid and Philadelphia’s Nick Sirianni will be the fifth head coaching duo to meet in multiple Super Bowls. In the previous four instances, the head coach who won the first matchup also won the second (including Reid last year vs. 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan).

Super Bowl team stats

27. Both the Chiefs (32 points) and the Eagles (55 points) set their season-high scoring totals in the conference championship round.

28. The Chiefs have won nine straight playoff games (one shy of the Patriots’ record, which was set between 2001-05).

29. The Chiefs have only lost four fumbles this season (tied for the second-fewest in the NFL).

30. The Eagles forced 22 fumbles this season (tied for most in the NFL).

31. The Chiefs have won 17 consecutive one-score games.

32. The Eagles allowed the fewest pass yards per attempt (5.5) and the lowest dropback success rate (41.5%).

33. The Eagles led the NFL in rushing TDs (39), run play percentage (56.52%) and EPA per rush.

34. Only five of the Eagles’ 20 opponents have amassed 250+ passing yards.

35. Philly is third in the NFL in fourth-down conversion rate (73.33%). KC is right behind in fourth (70.0%).

36. The Chiefs have struggled to prevent conversions on third down (43.9%. 28th in the NFL). The Eagles have struggled to prevent opponents from converting on fourth down (62.5% conversion rate allowed, 23rd in the NFL).

37. KC ranks fourth in blitz rate (31.6%) and second in QB knockdown rate (12.8%).

38. Philly generates 2.7 seconds of pocket time per dropback for Jalen Hurts (No. 1 in the NFL).

39. These are two of the least-penalized teams in the NFL. Philly averages the third-fewest penalty yards (45.1), and KC averages the fifth-fewest (46.3).

40. Both teams tend to force their opponents to run the ball out on kickoffs. Philly averages the fewest opponent touchbacks per game (2.1) while KC allows the second-fewest (2.4).

41. This is only the second time a pair of teams have met twice in the Super Bowl in three years. The other instance was Bills vs. Cowboys, which was the matchup in 1992 and ’93 (Dallas won both).

Novelty stats

42. In the past 20 years, Super Bowl teams wearing white jerseys are 16-4. The Chiefs will wear white jerseys, while the Eagles will wear green (same jersey matchup as Super Bowl 57).

43. Heads has been the coin toss winner in three of the past four Super Bowls.

44. Tails (30-28) holds a slight edge, historically, in Super Bowl coin toss results and is 7-4 since Super Bowl 48.

45. Purple has been the Gatorade colour in back-to-back Super Bowls (both won by the Chiefs, of course). The Chiefs used orange Gatorade for the celebratory bath in Super Bowl 54.

46. Blue Gatorade has been the colour of choice in three of the past six Super Bowls.

47. The last time a Gatorade colour was used three-plus years in a row was 2005-08 (clear).

48. When the Eagles won Super Bowl 52, they used yellow Gatorade for the celebratory bath. That’s the only time yellow Gatorade has been used in the past 15 Super Bowls.

49. Last year, Reba McEntire performed the U.S. national anthem in 1:35. That was the shortest anthem length in the past 12 Super Bowls.

50. Seven of the past 10 national anthem performances have lasted more than two minutes.

51. Dating back to Super Bowl 33, no national anthem performance has gone under 1:30.

Super Bowl betting stats

52. Underdogs are 5-7 SU and 7-5 ATS in the postseason this year.

53. KC is 9-10 ATS this year, while Philly is 13-7 ATS.

54. Collectively, unders were 22-17 (56.4%) in Chiefs and Eagles games this season.

55. Since 2017, underdogs are 59-39 ATS in the playoffs.

56. Super Bowl underdogs are 11-6 SU and 13-4 ATS in the past 17 years.

57. Overs are 7-5 in the past 12 Super Bowls, and the over has cashed in back-to-back title games.

58. Three of the past four Super Bowl underdogs were given three or fewer points. They all earned SU victories.

59. When playing as either a favourite of three or fewer points, or as an underdog, Mahomes is 28-9-1 ATS in his career.

In addition to NorthStar’s stats pages, Super Bowl stats info in this article was gathered from the following sources: Team Rankings, RBSDM.com, TheLines.com, RotoWire, Fantasy Pros, Action Network, VegasInsider.com.

Best NBA prop bets Jan. 29: Bet on Victor Wembanyama, fade Julius Randle

Victor Wembanyama and Julius Randle are featured in my NBA prop bets for Wednesday.

The pregame narrative: Wemby always sees a high line on his blocks prop, but tonight it comes with a price (and a matchup) that entices me. Elsewhere, I expect Randle’s shooting woes to continue against the Phoenix Suns.

Check out the best NBA prop bets for Jan. 29.

Best NBA prop bets

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Best bet: Randle under 1.5 threes (-112)

Randle had one of the best games of his season when he last faced the Suns, amassing 35 points on 11-of-20 shooting — including a 5-of-11 clip from 3-point range.

But that was back in mid-November, and I won’t let one game overshadow the rough stretch Randle is currently on.

Here’s what Randle has accomplished beyond the arc since Jan. 4 (13 games):

0.8 3PM
4.2 3PA
18.5 3PT%
2+ threes in 1/13 games

The ex-Knick is coming off a 3-for-8 effort from deep on Monday. But that was his first time hitting over 1.5 threes in more than three weeks.

Yes, he torched the Suns when he last faced them, but they aren’t a particularly enticing matchup. Phoenix allows the 13th-lowest 3PT% and the 15th-fewest attempted 3s in the NBA.

Randle is attempting 4.7 threes per night this season, and the way he’s shooting it right now, it’s best to side with this under.

Key stat: Randle has gone under 1.5 threes in 30 of 46 games (65.2%).

Quick pick

Wembanyama over 3.5 blocks (+115): This is a Wemby-sized line that should be attainable for the Defensive Player of the Year frontrunner.

Wembanyama paces the NBA in blocks (3.9/game) and has swatted 12 shots across his two matchups against the Los Angeles Clippers.

Since Dec. 15, the second-year superstar has cashed this bet in 10 of 18 matchups, averaging 4.7 blocks in that span.

L.A.’s opponents only average 4.7 total blocks, which are the 12th-fewest in the NBA. But Wemby changes the equation.

Picks made at 9:05 a.m. ET on 01/29/2025.

Thunder vs. Warriors same-game parlay predictions Jan. 29: Bet on Steph Curry, Golden State at home

Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors host the Western Conference-leading Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday night.

The pregame narrative: I’ve got a Curry prop bet and a Warriors alt spread in my +285 SGP for this matchup. From the Thunder’s side, Isaiah Hartenstein is a capable rebounder worth backing.

Check out my Thunder vs. Warriors same-game parlay predictions for Jan. 29.

Thunder vs. Warriors predictions

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Embed: #107829

Parlay: Warriors +13.5 + Curry over 29.5 points/rebounds/assists + Hartenstein over 11.5 rebounds (+285)

Warriors +13.5 (-186): Backing the Warriors to cover might seem like a tough sell on a back-to-back, but it’s important to apply some context regarding how Golden State played its cards.

The Warriors sat Steph Curry last night, which has become common practice when the schedule gets squishy. The 36-year-old guard has now rested for a game in five straight back-to-backs.

With their star expected back on the court tonight, I think the Warriors can cover this hefty spread.

OKC has failed to cover three consecutive double-digit spreads.

Golden State is 1-0-1 ATS vs. OKC this year (including an upset win).

The Warriors have covered a +13.5 spread in nine of their past 10 games.

Golden State has been a so-so ATS squad this year (22-23-1), but it rarely has this much cushion to work with — especially at home.

Other SGP legs

Curry over 29.5 points/rebounds/assists (-230): As mentioned, Curry rested last night and is expected to draw back in for this marquee matchup.

Assuming that happens, he should be able to clear this fairly modest PRA line.

Curry averages 33.5 PRA on the season.

He’s amassed 30+ PRA in 10/14 games since Christmas Day.

In his lone game against the Thunder this season, which was back in November, Curry dazzled with 36 points (7-of-13 from deep), five rebounds and seven assists.

Hartenstein over 11.5 rebounds (+108): Hartenstein returned from a five-game absence on Sunday and immediately reclaimed a full workload. Against the Trail Blazers, he finished with 14 points and 12 rebounds in 33 minutes.

When healthy, the 7-footer has provided exactly what the Thunder had been missing: size and rebounding acumen.

Playing roughly 30 minutes per game, the ex-Knick is averaging a career-high 12.2 rebounds. No other active OKC player is averaging even half that volume.

In November, Hartenstein snagged a game-high 14 boards against the Warriors. He cashed this bet in 15 of 25 games.

Picks made at 11:20 a.m. on 01/29/25.

Best NBA prop bets Jan. 29: Bet overs on Devin Booker, Victor Wembanyama

Victor Wembanyama is the headliner of my Wednesday NBA prop bets, featured alongside two picks from the Minnesota Timberwolves versus Phoenix Suns matchup.

The pregame narrative: Wemby always sees a high line on his steals/blocks prop, but tonight it comes with a price (and a matchup) that entices me. In Phoenix, look for Devin Booker to star and fade Julius Randle.

Check out the best NBA prop bets for Jan. 29.

Best NBA prop bets

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Embed: #107799

Best bet: Randle under 1.5 threes (-117)

Randle had one of the best games of his season when he last faced the Suns, amassing 35 points on 11-of-20 shooting — including a 5-of-11 clip from 3-point range.

But that was back in mid-November, and I won’t let one game overshadow the rough stretch Randle is currently on.

Here’s what Randle has accomplished beyond the arc since Jan. 4 (13 games):

0.8 3PM
4.2 3PA
18.5 3PT%
2+ threes in 1/13 games

The ex-Knick is coming off a 3-for-8 effort from deep on Monday. But that was his first time hitting over 1.5 threes in more than three weeks.

Yes, he torched the Suns when he last faced them, but they aren’t a particularly enticing matchup. Phoenix allows the 13th-lowest 3PT% and the 15th-fewest attempted 3s in the NBA.

Randle is attempting 4.7 threes per night this season, and the way he’s shooting it right now, it’s best to side with this under.

Key stat: Randle has gone under 1.5 threes in 30 of 46 games (65.2%).

Quick picks

Booker over 29.5 points/rebounds (-120): Booker has strung together a bunch of nice scoring performances recently, so getting this line for his points and rebounds total feels like gravy.

Booker has scored 30+ points in 7/11 games since Jan. 7.

In that span, he’s averaging 29.2 points and 4.5 rebounds.

Booker went off against the Timberwolves earlier this season, finishing with 44 points (15-of-29 shooting) and six rebounds.

Minnesota isn’t an amazing rebounding matchup overall, but the T-Wolves allow the fourth-most rebounds to opposing shooting guards (6.8), per Betting Pros.

Kevin Durant (thumb) is questionable, and his absence would only make this pick more compelling.

Wembanyama over 4.5 steals/blocks (-103): This is a Wemby-only line for steals/blocks, but I still find myself riding with the over on a semi-regular basis.

The NBA blocks leader (3.9/game) swatted nine shots when he faced the Los Angeles Clippers in November. And he chipped in three steals, too.

Wembanyama’s more recent performance against the Clips was a bit more modest (three blocks, one steal), but he’s still been very reliable against this line in recent games.

Since Dec. 15, the Defensive Player of the Year favourite has cashed this bet in 13 of 18 matchups. He’s averaging 5.7 “stocks” in that span.

The Clippers allow the sixth-most steals per game to opponents, which should help if Wemby falls a bit short on the blocks.

Picks made at 9:05 a.m. ET on 01/29/2025.

Lakers vs. 76ers same-game parlay predictions Jan. 28: Bet on L.A. to cover, LeBron to shine

The Los Angeles Lakers look to claim a five-game win streak on Tuesday night in a road matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers.

The pregame narrative: Despite L.A.’s rest disadvantage, I like the visiting squad to cover a modest spread as the favourite. I’m also looking for LeBron James and Tyrese Maxey to rack up assists.

Check out my Lakers vs. 76ers same-game parlay predictions for Jan. 28.

Lakers vs. 76ers predictions

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Embed: #107680

Parlay: Lakers -3.5 + LeBron over 7.5 assists + Maxey over 5.5 assists (+275)

Lakers -3.5 (-114): L.A. played last night in Charlotte, while Philly has been off the past two nights. But I’m not worried about the rest disadvantage working against the Lakers.

The Lakers are 4-1 straight up and 3-2 ATS when playing on zero rest.

The 76ers are 5-6 straight up and 2-9 ATS when holding a rest advantage.

If Joel Embiid was playing, this spread would look a lot different and I wouldn’t be so bullish to back the Lakers. But … he’s not.

L.A. has covered this spread in back-to-back games against Philly, including a 116-106 win earlier this season. Embiid had a courtside seat for both matchups.

Overall this season, the Sixers have the NBA’s worst ATS record (15-27-2).

Other SGP legs

LeBron over 7.5 assists (-230): It’s amazing how much the Lakers still ask of 40-year-old LeBron — and he continues to answer.

The King isn’t scoring at quite as high of a clip as he used to, but he’s still remarkably productive across the board. That includes averaging 9.0 assists, which is the third-highest mark of his 22-year career.

Since Dec. 23, LeBron has 8+ assists in 13/15 games. He’s averaging 9.1 APG in that span.

Against the 76ers back in November, LeBron had 13 assists as part of a triple-double.

LeBron averages 16.2 potential assists per game, which accounts for all passes that lead directly to a shot. On any given night, I like the odds that at least half of those turn into assists.

Maxey over 5.5 assists (-295): Like LeBron, Maxey is a do-it-all player with a lot of responsibility on his shoulders.

And though he’s taking off as a scorer this season, the point guard still does his part as a passer.

Since Dec. 23, Maxey has 6+ assists in 14/17 games. He’s averaging 7.3 APG in that span.

At home, Maxey is averaging 6.3 APG in 16 games.

Though Maxey didn’t play when the Sixers faced the Lakers earlier this year, I like tonight’s matchup for him. L.A. allows the sixth-most assists per game to opposing PGs (9.6), per Betting Pros.

Picks made at 11:20 a.m. on 01/28/25.

Best NBA prop bets Jan. 28: Bet on Giannis Antetokounmpo to score in bunches vs. Trail Blazers

I’m keying on tonight’s matchup between the Milwaukee Bucks and Portland Trail Blazers for two of my three prop bets.

The pregame narrative: Giannis Antetokounmpo is a walking, breathing 30-piece these days. I expect another nice scoring output from him tonight. Portland’s Toumani Camara also has my attention — as does Amen Thompson in the early slate.

Check out the best NBA prop bets for Jan. 28.

Best NBA prop bets

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Best bet: Giannis over 31.5 points (-130)

Giannis is on an impressively consistent run of hitting the 30-point threshold. In a plus matchup, I like his chances of doing just a little bit more.

Let’s start by highlighting what the Greek Freak has accomplished over his past 20 games, dating back to Dec. 4:

30.5 PPG
30+ points in 14/20 games
59.3 FG%
11.0 FTA

The NBA MVP race looks like a two-man competition with Giannis as an outsider, but the two-time award winner is still putting on quite a show leading up to the all-star break.

Now he’ll face the Portland Trail Blazers, who’ve struggled on defence throughout the season:

26th in defensive rating
23rd in opponent FG%
23rd in opponent FTA
22nd in opponent PPG

Giannis landed on exactly 31 points when he faced Portland earlier this month in a game where he went 3-for-4 from the free throw line.

Given that the Blazers allow more free throw attempts than most teams — and Giannis averages 11.0 FTA alone — any uptick in that regard should boost his overall scoring potential.

Key stat: Giannis has cashed this bet in 10 of his past 18 games.

Quick picks

Camara over 17.5 points/rebounds (-118): Coming off his best game of the season, and facing a team he’s performed well against recently, I really like this over for Camara.

You might not have heard of Camara, a second-year pro who was one of the final picks of the 2023 draft. But he’s been a starter for the Portland Trail Blazers all year, filling the role of an undersized but athletic big who can shoot.

Two nights ago, Camara went 5-for-5 from deep as part of a 24-point, nine-rebound performance. He’s now cashed this bet in three of his past five games.

And earlier this month (Jan. 4), Camara had 15 points and six rebounds against the Milwaukee Bucks. That’s who he’ll see tonight, and he should remain prominently involved.

Thompson over 28.5 points/rebounds (-120): I’m willing to be a prisoner of the moment with Thompson. Because he’s having quite a moment.

On Monday night, Thompson hit a game-winning floater to knock off the Boston Celtics. That capped off a career-best night for the 21-year-old, who finished with 33 points and nine rebounds.

Since joining the Houston Rockets starting lineup 10 games ago, Thompson has averaged 19.2 points and 11.5 rebounds.

The Atlanta Hawks allow the fourth-most points and seventh-most rebounds per game.

It’s not that Atlanta’s defence is particularly poor, but the Hawks tend to play really, really fast. In a game that could turn into a track meet, Thompson looks like a strong pick to hit this over.

Picks made at 9:15 a.m. ET on 01/28/2025.