Category: NBA

Clippers vs. Warriors same-game parlay predictions Oct. 27: Curry, Hield should drive offence for Golden State

Clippers vs. Warriors predictions

The Los Angeles Clippers and Golden State Warriors wrap up tonight’s NBA action at San Francisco’s Chase Center.

The pregame narrative: My +330 SGP is all about offence. I’m backing Steph Curry to put up a better performance than we saw in his first two games of the season, and for Golden State teammate Buddy Hield to keep on firing from the 3-point line.

Check out my Clippers vs. Warriors same-game parlay predictions for Oct. 27.

Clippers vs. Warriors predictions

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Parlay: Over 215.5 points + Curry over 24.5 points + Hield over 2.5 threes (+330)

Over 215.5 points (-200): Last year, the Clippers and Warriors cruised past this total in all four of their matchups, averaging 237.0 cumulative points.

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The Clippers’ offence has looked fine without Kawhi Leonard so far, ranking 12th in field goal percentage (47.1%). And the Warriors are off to a fantastic start, surpassing the 125-point mark in both games.

Last year’s head-to-head history indicates that this should be a perfectly attainable number to clear.

Also, the over was 24-17 in Golden State’s home games a season ago.

SGP legs

Curry over 24.5 points (-122): It’s interesting to see how well the Warriors’ offence has clicked given that its main star hasn’t found his rhythm yet.

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Curry is just 11-of-30 from the floor through two games and finished under this number both times. He also played fewer than 30 minutes in both games, to be fair, because Golden State won in blowout fashion.

A blowout is possible again tonight, but either way, I expect a bounce-back effort from arguably the greatest shooter of all time.

Curry averaged 29.7 PPG against the Clippers over the two previous seasons, and he cashed this bet in 47 of 74 (63.5%) games last year.

At home in 2023-24, Curry averaged 27.3 PPG.

Hield over 2.5 threes (-129): Hield’s first two games with the Warriors went as well as they possibly could have, and I know he won’t be on a super-heater forever. But I’m riding the wave today.

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Just look at the 3-point volume and production from Hield on Wednesday and Friday:

  • Oct. 23: 5-of-7 (71.4%)
  • Oct. 25: 7-of-9 (77.8%)

Even when Hield falls back to Earth, I could see him clearing this 3-pointer total consistently. Since the 2018-19 season, Hield has averaged 3.4 threes per game on 39.9% shooting.

Once upon a time, Hield was a lottery pick out of Oklahoma because of his 3-point prowess. That has fuelled a lengthy career for the 31-year-old, and it’s clear he hasn’t lost his touch.

Picks made at 12:30 p.m. on 10/27/24.

Best NBA prop bets Oct. 27: Fade Trae Young, back Jalen Williams in Hawks vs. Thunder matchup

NBA prop bets

The Oklahoma City Thunder host their home opener tonight against the Atlanta Hawks, and I’ve got player props on both sides of the matchup.

The pregame narrative: Trae Young feasted on some plus matchups in his first two games of the year, but I think he’s worth fading on Sunday. As for OKC, I like Jalen Williams to find his scoring touch after some encouraging shot volume.

Check out the best NBA prop bets for Oct. 27.

NBA prop bets

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Best Bet: CJ McCollum over 3.5 threes (-114)

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Last season, for the first time in his 12-year career, McCollum fired more attempts from 3-point range than he did from 2-point range. And it worked out quite well.

McCollum shot 42.9% from beyond the arc on 8.4 attempts. That was the best 3PT% of his career, and it was the sixth-highest among players who attempted at least 3.5 threes per night.

So it shouldn’t surprise anyone that McCollum came out of the gate firing from deep in the first week of the new season. After a 5-for-11 effort in the opener, he followed up with a 4-for-9 showing on Friday.

Will he keep up that volume all year? Perhaps not, but he should have a green light right now to keep heaving — and not just because it’s going well.

Dejounte Murray, who averaged 7.1 attempted threes last year, is out for four-to-six weeks with a fractured hand. And Trey Murphy, who averaged 7.8 3PA, is sidelined with a hamstring strain.

The Trail Blazers don’t profile as a plus matchup for 3-point shooters, as their opponents last year shot just 35.1% from deep (third-lowest in the NBA).

But this is a sheer volume play for a stellar outside shooter, and 3.5 threes are well within his range.

Key stat: McCollum has cashed this number in three straight games against the Blazers, including their most recent matchup this past Friday.

Quick picks

Williams over 20.5 points (-125): Is there a Year 3 leap coming for Williams on a rising Oklahoma City Thunder squad?

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It’s too soon to tell, but the shooting guard has already taken 38 shots in his first two games, which is fantastic volume for a points prop like this. He hasn’t found an efficient stroke yet, but I think that’ll happen tonight at home against the Atlanta Hawks.

Atlanta allowed the third-highest 3-point percentage last year (38.4%), as well as the third-most points to opposing shooting guards (23.7/game), per Betting Pros.

Williams shot 56.4% from the floor on OKC’s home court last year, which includes a blistering 45.0% from 3-point range.

Young under 36.5 points/assists (-118): Young has 30-plus points and 10-plus assists in both games so far, so you might be hesitant to fade him.

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I get that, but it’s important to note that he had a pair of cupcake matchups at home against two hapless squads (Nets, Hornets). A road date against the Thunder is a much different ballgame.

OKC posted the fourth-best defensive rating last year while holding opposing point guards to the fourth-fewest PPG (22.9).

Over the two previous seasons, Young hit this under in three of four matchups against the Thunder.

Picks made at 10:00 a.m. on 10/27/2024.

Mavericks vs. Suns same-game parlay predictions Oct. 26: Back Doncic and Durant at +390

Mavericks vs. Suns predictions

The Dallas Mavericks and Phoenix Suns meet for a star-studded matchup in the desert tonight.

The pregame narrative: Luka Doncic has routinely torched the Suns and I expect him to lead the Mavs to a road win tonight. A prop bet on Kevin Durant rounds out this +390 same-game parlay.

Check out my Mavericks vs. Suns same-game parlay predictions for Oct. 26.

Mavericks vs. Suns predictions

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Parlay: Mavericks moneyline + Doncic over 3.5 threes + Durant over 21.5 points (+390)

Mavericks moneyline (-148): Dallas came out of the Western Conference last season before losing in the NBA Finals and I expect it to establish dominance early.

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The Mavericks picked up a tidy 11-point road win against the San Antonio Spurs in their opener and now get a Suns team playing on the second leg of a back-to-back.

Phoenix lost to the Los Angeles Lakers last night and barely scraped by an injury-riddled Los Angeles Clippers team in overtime on Wednesday.

Dallas is fully healthy and Klay Thompson looked vintage against San Antonio on Thursday, scoring 22 points on 6-of-10 shooting from deep. I think Phoenix will have its hands full between Thompson, Doncic and Kyrie Irving.

SGP legs

Doncic over 3.5 threes (+110): Way back in 2018, Phoenix made a franchise-altering blunder when it selected Arizona product Deandre Ayton over Doncic in the NBA Draft. The Suns have done well since but Doncic tends to let them know what they missed out on.

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The Slovenian superstar is averaging 34.1 points in his last 10 games against Phoenix, excluding one contest where he left early due to an injury.

Luka has turned up the heat recently, scoring 41, 34 and 50 points in his last three games against the Suns while clearing this line in each contest.

He averaged the second-most 3-point attempts (10.6) and makes (4.1) last season. Thompson is going to cut into that volume a bit but with revenge on his mind, I expect Doncic to clear this total.

Durant over 21.5 points (-295): Durant can usually blow by this line in his sleep.

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The four-time scoring champion hasn’t averaged 25.0 points per game since his rookie season and has put up north of 27.0 in both of his full seasons with the Suns.

KD has scored 25 and 30 points through two games and cleared this line in 57 of 75 starts (76.0%) last season.

He did go under this mark in two of three games against the Mavericks but I’m not going to let that small sample cloud my judgment of what KD is: A walking bucket.

Picks made at 3:15 p.m. on 10/26/24.

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Raptors vs. Timberwolves same-game parlay predictions Oct. 26: Back DiVincenzo, Minnesota at +290

Raptors vs. Timberwolves predictions

The Toronto Raptors battle the Minnesota Timberwolves for the first road game of their young season.

The pregame narrative: Toronto beat an injury-riddled Philadelphia 76ers team last night but is a massive underdog against the Western Conference juggernaut T-Wolves. I’m backing Minnesota to cover an alternate spread alongside props on Donte DiVincenzo and Scottie Barnes.

Check out my Raptors vs. Timberwolves same-game parlay predictions for Oct. 26.

Raptors vs. Timberwolves predictions

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Parlay: Timberwolves -9.5 + DiVincenzo over 2.5 threes + Barnes under 7.5 rebounds (+290)

Timberwolves -9.5 (-220): Don’t let Toronto’s win yesterday fool you, this team is not good.

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Philadelphia didn’t have Joel Embiid or Paul George in the lineup and Tyrese Maxey shot an awful 6-for-23 from the floor… and the Raptors still only won by eight.

Two days before that Toronto was blown out by 30 points on its home court by the Cleveland Cavaliers and I expect another rout tonight.

The T-Wolves were one of the best home teams last season, boasting a 30-11 record and a +8.2 net rating (fourth-best in the NBA). They’ve started 1-1 on the road with a loss to the Los Angeles Lakers and a close win over the Sacramento Kings.

Back within the friendly confines of Target Center things should come much easier.

Toronto had the worst net rating post-trade deadline last year (-11.3) and is likely without RJ Barrett again tonight.

SGP legs

DiVincenzo over 2.5 threes (+120): DiVincenzo is a pure shooter and I expect him to have a field day against Toronto’s defence.

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He hasn’t found his footing with the T-Wolves just yet but is still averaging 7.0 three-point attempts per game. DiVincenzo was a lightning rod for the New York Knicks last year, cashing in 3.5 triples per game at an impressive 40.1% clip.

If the volume is there the shots will begin to fall.

Toronto had the sixth-highest opponent 3-point percentage last year and gave up the fifth-most triples to opposing SGs per game, per Fantasy Pros.

Barnes under 7.5 rebounds (-200): Yesterday, I missed a +320 SGP with Barnes over 7.5 rebounds being the losing leg. I’m taking the other side of that wager tonight but just know it’s not out of spite.

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The Timberwolves are a nightmare matchup for Barnes, whose regular line is set at over/under 6.5 and slightly shaded toward the over (-125).

Minnesota was eighth in rebounding rate last year and allowed the 12th fewest boards per game to opposing small forwards. And that was before the squad added Julius Randle, who is a menace on the glass.

Barnes is 0-2 against this line with six and five rebounds in his two games.

Picks made at 1:20 p.m. on 10/26/24.

Best NBA prop bets Oct. 26: Fade Anthony Davis, back Franz Wagner and Nikola Vucevic

NBA prop bets

The NBA contributes 10 games to a jam-packed Saturday night in sports.

The pregame narrative: Nikola Vucevic headlines today’s prop bets and I have additional recommendations on Franz Wagner and Anthony Davis.

Check out the best NBA prop bets for Oct. 26.

NBA prop bets

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Best Bet: Vucevic over 10.5 rebounds (-130)

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A few days ago I backed Nikola Jokic to go over 12.5 rebounds against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

He fell just shy with 12 in a losing effort but I’ll go back to the well tonight … except with Vucevic. The logic for this pick is the same: The Thunder have a big rebounding problem.

Last year, OKC ranked inside the top four for offensive rating, defensive rating, and effective field goal percentage but was 28th in rebounding rate.

Sam Presti acquired Isiah Hartenstein in free agency to address that issue but he’s out for the foreseeable future with a hand injury.

That means Chet Holmgren will be Vucevic’s dance partner which should be a recipe for success (on the glass, at least). The 7-foot-1, 208-pound Holmgren has a unicorn skillset but is far from an imposing rebounder.

Vucevic has nearly 60 pounds on Holmgren and has recorded 11 and 10 rebounds in his two starts this year. He also cleared this mark in six of his last eight games to close out the 2023-24 season (play-in included).

Key stat: Last season, OKC allowed the fifth-most rebounds per game to centres (15.47), according to Fantasy Pros.

Quick picks

Wagner over 1.5 threes (-110): Wagner is coming off a solid season which ended on a bad note.

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The German forward shot 1-for-15 from the field in Game 7 of the opening round and went 0-for-5 from deep. It exacerbated his 3-point struggles throughout the year and gave him something to focus on during the offseason.

We’re only two games into the season, but so far, so good.

Wagner has gone 3-for-6 from beyond the arc in both games and the Magic are 2-0.

Tonight he gets to play a Memphis Grizzlies team which had the fourth-highest opponent 3-point percentage last season.

Davis under 25.5 points (-115): Fading Davis after his red-hot start is a bold move but I’m here for it.

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The Brow dropped 36 and 35 points through his first two games while making 13 free throws in each contest. Getting to the line is a skill but AD only averaged 6.8 free throw attempts per game last year so I’m banking on some regression.

However, this is more about Davis’ opponent than his success at the charity stripe.

He’s going up against the Sacramento Kings and that’s proven to be a tough matchup. Davis is 1-4 against this line since he joined the Lakers and Domantas Sabonis joined the Kings, averaging 19.8 points in those contests.

Sacramento allowed the 13th-fewest paint points per game last season.

Picks made at 12:23 p.m. on 10/26/2024.

Best NBA prop bets Oct. 25: Expect big nights from Brandon Ingram and Ja Morant

NBA prop bets

Friday marks a busy night on the NBA calendar, providing us with plenty of choices on the prop market.

The pregame narrative: My favourite target is Brandon Ingram, and I’m also recommending plays on Ja Morant and Donovan Mitchell.

Check out the best NBA prop bets for Oct. 25.

NBA prop bets

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Best Bet: Ingram over 19.5 points (-107)

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The Pelicans forward is coming off a 33-point season opener and now gets a Portland Trail Blazers team that surrendered 140 in its first game. 

On top of that, the Pelicans are without key offseason acquisition Dejounte Murray, who was set to complicate the offensive output of several players on this deep roster. 

With Murray (hand) out of the equation, we’re looking at a similar situation to last season in terms of the offensive pecking order. 

Zion Willamson, CJ McCollum and Ingram all averaged 20-plus points per game. They did the year before that, too. 

Ingram’s scoring average did drop considerably from 24.7 to 20.8, marking his lowest production in five seasons with New Orleans. But the gifted scorer is just 27 years old and has routinely cleared this number, averaging 23.1 points per game as a Pelican. 

Part of the dip last season can be attributed to injuries (a common theme with Ingram) and reduced shot volume. 

He took nearly three fewer shots per game compared to his career-best scoring year in 2022-23. And he’s not a big 3-point shooter, either. 

While it’s only one game, which I’m certainly not drawing conclusions from, Ingram did take 23 shots and attempt five triples in the Pelicans’ season-opening win. 

Portland, a bottom-10 team in defensive rating last season, allowed 20 long balls in its 36-point loss to the Golden State Warriors.

Key stat: Even in a down year, Ingram topped this number in 53% of his games a season ago.

Quick picks

Morant over 29.5 points/assists (-125): Morant delivered a 22-and-10 performance in his first game since January. 

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The Memphis Grizzlies’ all-star guard was limited to nine games last season but picked up where he left off. 

I unsuccessfully recommended Morant on this prop at a 33.5 line for the season opener and have no concerns going back to it at a reduced number.

Morant and the Grizzlies get the Houston Rockets, who were a strong defensive team a season ago and held the Charlotte Hornets to 110 points in their first game. 

But Hornets point guard LaMelo Ball lit up the Rockets for 34 points and 11 assists and the Grizzlies will once again be without 20-plus-point-per-game scorer Jaren Jackson Jr. 

That means Morant and Desmond Bane should continue to shoulder a larger load on the offensive end.

Morant has averaged at least 33.0 points/assists per game in each of the last three seasons.

Mitchell over 2.5 threes (-117): If Mitchell shoots from distance the way he has the last few seasons, you won’t be able to get him at this price. Not on a 2.5 line, anyway. 

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The Cleveland Cavaliers’ scoring threat has made more than three triples per game in each of the last four seasons on an average of 9.2 attempts.

He nailed 2-of-5 in Cleveland’s first game but only played 28 minutes in a blowout 30-point win.

There’s risk of another blowout tonight versus the Detroit Pistons, but Mitchell should carve them up as long as he’s on the court.

Picks made at 1:11 p.m. on 10/25/2024.

Suns vs. Lakers same-game parlay predictions Oct. 25: LeBron, Durant should shine in L.A.

Suns vs. Lakers predictions

The Phoenix Suns are on the road to face the Los Angeles Lakers tonight in a star-studded matchup.

The pregame narrative: Kevin Durant and LeBron James spent the summer striking gold together in Paris, and now they’ll square off for the first time in the 2024-25 season. My +250 SGP for Friday’s game features both Durant and LeBron.

Check out my Suns vs. Lakers same-game parlay predictions for Oct. 25.

Suns vs. Lakers predictions

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Parlay: Over 220.5 points + Durant over 21.5 points + LeBron over 7.5 assists (+250)

Over 220.5 points (-200): The Lakers were one of the most overs-friendly teams in the NBA last season, cashing that side in 54.6% of their games. That was the fourth-highest rate in the league, per Team Rankings.

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L.A. and Phoenix averaged 223.4 total points in their five matchups last year, clearing this alt total three times. In the two games that went under, Bradley Beal was sidelined (and Devin Booker missed one of the games, too).

Thankfully, nobody from Phoenix’s Big Three is expected to miss tonight. In the Suns’ season opener, Beal, Booker and Kevin Durant combined for 64 points on 55.3% shooting.

SGP legs

Durant over 21.5 points (-220): With Year 17 underway, Durant is showing no signs of slowing down.

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In Phoenix’s season opener, Durant played a game-high 44 minutes and finished with 25 points on 8-of-17 shooting. The four-time scoring champ has averaged 25-plus points in every year except his rookie campaign.

Last year, KD averaged 29.6 PPG in five matchups against the Lakers. He cleared this total four times.

The Suns’ offensive half-court can get crowded at times, but Durant still looks and plays like the leader of the pack.

LeBron over 7.5 assists (-113): LeBron was pretty quiet in the Lakers’ season opener. Maybe the distraction of Bronny James’ debut contributed to that, or maybe it was just a down game.

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Either way, I like the King to bounce back tonight, and I think his assists prop is the perfect way to back him.

LeBron averaged a team-high 8.3 assists last season. He only had four helpers on Tuesday, but no other Laker had more than five. LeBron should remain the team’s primary facilitator.

Few teams know what that looks like better than the Suns. Last season, LeBron averaged 9.4 APG against them and cashed this bet in four of five matchups.

Picks made at 12:00 p.m. on 10/25/24.

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76ers vs. Raptors same-game parlay predictions Oct. 25: Back Barnes, Oubre in +300 ticket

76ers vs. Raptors predictions

The Toronto Raptors host a Joel Embiid-less Philadelphia 76ers squad on Friday night.

The pregame narrative: Toronto had a rough season opener but should cover an alternate spread with Embiid and Paul George sidelined. Back Scottie Barnes on the glass and Kelly Oubre Jr. from deep to round out this +300 ticket.

Check out my 76ers vs. Raptors same-game parlay predictions for Oct. 25.

76ers vs. Raptors predictions

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Parlay: Raptors +8.5 + Barnes over 7.5 rebounds + Oubre over 1.5 threes (+300)

Raptors +9.5 (-250): Philadelphia has championship aspirations, but it won’t win anything if Embiid and George don’t play. Those two will return to the lineup at some point (Embiid is aiming for Oct. 30), but until then, I’ll happily fade.

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The Sixers got blown out, 124-109, by the Bucks in Milwaukee in their season opener, shooting a collective 41.8% from the field and 25.8% from deep.

They’re now 16-28 without Embiid since the start of last season with a -3.7 net rating, according to Stat Muse.

The Raptors are a bad team but this should be a game they keep close. Barnes shot 3-of-14 from the field on Wednesday against a tough Cleveland Cavaliers defence and was pulled from the game early in a blowout.

All we need is for him to avoid another disastrous performance so that this can be within reach.

SGP legs

Barnes over 7.5 rebounds (+102): Barnes collected six rebounds in 26 minutes two days ago and would’ve been right around this number had he gotten a regular workload.

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The Cavs don’t give up much on defence or on the glass, but the Sixers are a different story — especially without their MVP candidate in the lineup.

Philadelphia ranked 14th in road defensive rating last year and 25th in road rebounding rate.

Barnes is coming off a season in which he averaged a career-best 8.2 boards per game, going over this mark in two of three games against the Sixers with seven rebounds in the outlier.

Oubre over 1.5 threes (-205): One of the many things Toronto did horribly in its opener was a failure to defend the 3-point line. Cleveland shot 14-of-30 (46.7%) from beyond the arc, with four players bagging multiple threes.

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Oubre is the No. 2 option right now and I expect him to act like it. The guard’s 18 shots against the Bucks were second to Tyrese Maxey, and while he only went 1-for-6 from deep, the volume is encouraging.

Toronto gave up the fifth-most 3-pointers per game to shooting guards last year, according to Fantasy Pros.

Picks made at 8:55 a.m. on 10/25/24.

Thunder vs. Nuggets same-game parlay predictions Oct. 24: Back Westbrook vs. former team in Denver debut

Thunder vs. Nuggets predictions

Thursday is a light night in the NBA but ends with a heavyweight tilt between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Denver Nuggets.

The pregame narrative: I have plays on two of the league’s top MVP contenders — Nikola Jokic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander — as well as a Russell Westbrook prop as part of a +360 SGP.

Check out my Thunder vs. Nuggets same-game parlay predictions for Oct. 24.

Thunder vs. Nuggets predictions

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Parlay: Jokic over 11.5 rebounds + Westbrook over 16.5 points/rebounds/assists + Gilegous-Alexander under 1.5 threes (+360)

Jokic over 11.5 rebounds (-152): Oklahoma City was among the worst rebounding teams in the NBA last season. And its big offseason acquisition to help in the interior, Isaiah Hartenstein, is facing a month-long absence. 

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That means the Thunder’s best rebounder on the court tonight will be Chet Holmgren, who has height but not size and will be no physical match down low for Jokic. 

Jokic is a top-five rebounder in the NBA, averaging 12.4 boards last season and getting to this number in 45 of 79 contests. 

In a game featuring the Western Conference’s top two teams from a season ago, Jokic’s rebounding could certainly tip the scales in the Nuggets’ favour. 

Look for the big man to eat in a plus rebounding matchup that he didn’t take advantage of last season (he averaged 10.0 boards in three games versus the Thunder).

SGP legs

Westbrook over 16.5 pts/reb/ast (-162): Making his Nuggets debut tonight, Westbrook will kick off his 2024-25 season against his longtime former team.

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The veteran guard should see healthy minutes in a sixth-man-type role and be able to inject the Nuggets’ second unit with a scoring punch. He should also contribute in other areas.

Westbrook has averaged a combination of 9.0-plus rebounds/assists in every season of his career and scored in double figures in all of them, too.

His lowest PRA average came last year when he averaged 20.6 per game.

That’s comfortably above this number, helping alleviate concerns about a matchup with last season’s No. 4 team in defensive rating.

For what it’s worth, Westbrook averaged 19.6 PRA over as many minutes per game in his final three preseason contests. He should see at least 20 minutes tonight.

Gilgeous-Alexander under 1.5 threes (-155): The Thunder star may very well lead this game in scoring but don’t expect much of that damage to come from deep. 

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Gilgeous-Alexander is a midrange star who gets to the line at an elite rate. But his back-to-back seasons averaging north of 30.0 points were not propped up by his 3-point shooting.

He averaged under four 3-point attempts in each of the last two seasons and has never converted more than 2.0 made threes per game in any season. 

Denver was a top-five team in opponent 3-point percentage last season and the year before.

The Canadian star played 85 games last season, including the playoffs, and topped this line just 33 times.

Picks made at 1:51 p.m. on 10/24/24.

Best NBA prop bets Oct. 24: Back Nikola Jokic on glass, fade Kyle Kuzma against Celtics

NBA prop bets

Nikola Jokic headlines Thursday’s NBA prop bets.

The pregame narrative: The reigning MVP makes his season debut against an undersized Oklahoma City Thunder squad, which should be a recipe for a big rebounding night. Elsewhere, I’m fading Kyle Kuzma and backing Mike Conley.

Check out the best NBA prop bets for Oct. 24.

NBA prop bets

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Best Bet: Jokic over 12.5 rebounds (+102)

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The biggest knock on OKC last year was its inability to rebound.

The Thunder ranked inside the top four for offensive rating, defensive rating, and effective field goal percentage but were 28th in rebounding rate. That came back to bite them in the playoffs and was why Sam Presti acquired Isiah Hartenstein in free agency.

But Hartenstein is out tonight, meaning 7-foot-1 Chet Holmgren is OKC’s lone big man. Holmgren is skilled but is hardly an imposing presence in the paint at 208 pounds.

Jokic is a grown man who plays grown-man basketball and I expect him to feast tonight.

The Serbian superstar averaged 12.4 rebounds per game (the second-highest mark of his career) en route to winning his third MVP in four seasons.

This is a big number but it’s one Jokic is more than capable of clearing. He went over this mark in 39 of 79 starts and should get plenty of run in what’s projected to be a close game.

Key stat: OKC gave up the fifth-most rebounds per game to centres (15.47) last season, according to Fantasy Pros.

Quick picks

Kuzma under 5.5 rebounds (+118): One team that didn’t have a rebounding problem, or any problem really, was the Boston Celtics.

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Boston had the fifth-best rebound rate en route to winning its 18th NBA title, meaning Kuzma shouldn’t get any easy boards tonight.

Kristaps Porzingis is out tonight but Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Al Horford can hold their own on the glass. That group just out-rebounded a New York Knicks team that led the league in rebounding rate last year.

Also, Kuzma isn’t expected to be Washington’s top rebounder. The Wizards acquired Jonas Valanciunas in the offseason and drafted 7-foot-0 power forward Alex Sarr with the No. 2 overall pick.

Conley over 1.5 threes (-107): Let’s throw Conley’s season-opening performance out of the window.

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The veteran point guard went 0-for-5 from deep against the Los Angeles Lakers with three times as many turnovers (three) as made field goals (one).

That’s ugly, but I’ll buy low on a guy who shot an incredible 44.2% from deep last year while averaging 2.4 makes per game.

Conley has a solid matchup tonight against a Sacramento Kings team that had the second-highest opponent 3-point percentage last year (38.6%).

Picks made at 10:53 a.m. on 10/24/2024.