A future Hall of Famer and an all-star snub headline Friday’s NBA prop bets.
The pregame narrative: Kevin Durant should have no trouble filling the basket against his former team, the Golden State Warriors. Elsewhere, I like Norman Powell to produce in Charlotte.
Check out the best NBA prop bets for Jan. 31.
Best NBA prop bets
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Best bet: Durant over 25.5 points (-108): Father Time is undefeated but Durant is giving him the business right now.
The 36-year-old averages 27.3 points per game (fifth-most in the NBA) with a 29.7% usage rate. The latter ranks 18th, ahead of players like Jokic, Jayson Tatum and Jalen Brunson.
He’s playing a ton. He’s shooting a ton. And he’s making a ton — that’s what any overs bettor wants to see.
And now Durant gets to go up against a Golden State Warriors team with the second-worst mid-range defence in the league (46.7 FG% allowed), according to Cleaning the Glass.
Key stat: KD takes 57% of his shots from that area of the court, which ranks in the 100th percentile of all NBA players.
Quick pick
Powell over 21.5 points (-125): Powell should be playing in this year’s all-star game.
The veteran guard is averaging a career-best 24.0 PPG with 49.4/43.5/84.6 shooting splits. He’s the main reason the Los Angeles Clippers remained competitive with Kawhi Leonard sidelined and has kept scoring since the Klaw returned.
Powell has scored at least 20 points in eight of nine games with Leonard, clearing this mark five times.
He’s still attempting 16.3 shots per game with Leonard in the lineup (17.0 without), which gives us a solid floor to work with.
The Charlotte Hornets have done well to limit shooting guards this year but Powell is playing with a chip on his shoulder and I expect another strong night.
He’s cleared this mark in 10 of his last 11 games.
Picks made at 9:15 a.m. ET on 01/31/2025.
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.