I’ve got prop bets on three point guards around the NBA on Monday.
The pregame narrative: Ayo Dosunmu has a strong matchup against the Toronto Raptors. Elsewhere, I like picks on star PGs LaMelo Ball and Cade Cunningham.
Check out the best NBA prop bets on Dec. 16.
NBA prop bets
Go to full NBA betting markets.
Best bet: Dosunmu over 14.5 points (-108)
Zach LaVine is questionable tonight and this would be a smash play if he’s out, so that’s worth monitoring.
Even if LaVine is available, this is a great spot for the Bulls’ PG.
Without Scottie Barnes, the Raptors defence has been awful. Toronto’s 118.8 defensive rating sans Barnes would be among the worst in the league (Utah is 30th with a 119.8 rating), and the team is 2-10 in his absence.
For context, the Raps have a 115.9 defensive rating in 14 games with Barnes.
Besides that, Dosunmu has been playing at a high level.
Since becoming the starting PG on Nov. 22, he is 6-4 against this line while averaging 16.1 points on 61.8% shooting.
When he goes under this line lately, it isn’t due to poor play but rather a bad game script. That shouldn’t be the case on Monday against the Raptors.
Key stat: Point guards score 25.5 points per game against Toronto, according to Betting Pros.
Quick picks
Ball over 30.5 points/assists (-120): Ball is listed as questionable at the time of this writing, so there’s some caution with this pick.
But I had to jump in when I saw this line. There’s a shot he’s on a minutes restriction if he plays, but I’m not sure it matters.
Firstly, Ball is averaging 38.0 PA on the season and was on a tear before going down with an injury. Let’s take a look at his most recent stat lines:
- Nov. 27 vs. Miami: 32 points, 7 assists
- Nov. 25 vs. Orlando: 44 points 7 assists
- Nov. 23 vs. Milwaukee: 50 points, 10 assists
- Nov. 21 vs. Detroit: 35 points, 9 assists
Ball also leads all players in usage rate (38.5%), so I’m confident he’d be heavily involved if available.
Cunningham over 9.5 assists (-112): Cunningham has taken his playmaking to another level.
He has double-digit assists in eight of his last 10 games, which has boosted his season average to 9.3.
The former first-overall pick tallied 10-plus assists in just four of his first 12 games but has taken more of a playmaking role recently.
Miami is good at limiting point guards’ scoring production, holding the position to 22.5 points (fifth-fewest in the NBA).
That could force Cunningham into even more passing than usual, which should lead to an uptick in assist opportunities.
Picks made at 12:02 p.m. ET on 12/16/2024.
Spencer is a true sports junkie. A graduate of the Sports Journalism program at Centennial College, he first joined NorthStar Gaming as an intern in 2023. He is now a contributing writer. He loves finding the edge to bet on in all sports but has a deep passion for the NBA and UFC. Previous stops include Sportsnet.