Anthony Davis is the headline-grabbing name for today’s NBA prop picks, but I also have two others I’m targeting in Friday’s loaded slate.
Today’s NBA props narrative: There are 12 games on tap, and Jakob Poeltl and Amen Thompson round out my prop selections. Thompson has been on a tear, and I expect Poeltl to make the most of a back-to-back situation.
Check out my plays in the best NBA prop picks for Dec. 5.
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NBA prop picks Dec. 5
Best bet: Poeltl 20+ points/rebounds (-120)
Poeltl sat out the first leg of Toronto’s back-to-back, a difficult 123-120 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers that ended at the buzzer.
The Charlotte Hornets have the rest advantage and have played the Raptors well on two occasions this season (a two-point loss and an overtime win). Toronto will need energy, and I’m looking toward the unselfish Poeltl for that.
Poeltl is a low-maintenance big man who isn’t afraid to muck it up on the glass. And he can get buckets without having his number called repeatedly.
I expect him to be grinding down low, which should help him produce in both of these categories against a good rebounding team that’s allowing the fifth-most points in the paint.
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The 7-footer is averaging a team-best 8.3 rebounds and has scored in double figures in half his games. Poeltl scores close to the basket, converting at a career-best 72.7% clip from the field.
He’s performed well in both games vs. Charlotte, logging more than 30 minutes in each outing.
- Nov. 29: 8 points, 11 rebounds
- Nov. 17: 13 points, 9 rebounds
Key stat: Poeltl is 8-8 vs. this milestone through 16 games.
Best NBA picks
Davis 35+ points/rebounds (+128): A date with the 21-1 Oklahoma City Thunder, who have the NBA’s No. 1 defence and are on a 13-game winning streak, isn’t the most appealing matchup.
But I’d be more worried about the Thunder making life difficult for Dallas Mavericks rookies Ryan Nembhard and Cooper Flagg, who’s on a heater.
The 32-year-old Davis is turning in the type of season we’re used to. He’s been a force when on the court, but injuries have already cost him 15 games.
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Here’s a breakdown of the eight games he has played:
- Davis hit this number in four straight to start the season, including vs. the Thunder when he went off for 26 points and 11 rebounds.
- He left his fifth game of the season after seven minutes, was out one month, and then limited offensively in his first game back (a season-low 10 shots in 28 minutes).
- Over his last two games, Davis has gone off for 32 points and 13 rebounds vs. the Denver Nuggets and put together a 17-and-17 showing against the Miami Heat.
Davis has averaged more than 35 points/rebounds in each of his last four seasons.
NBA player prop predictions
Thompson over 7.5 rebounds (+102): The third-year Houston Rockets guard has filled up the stat sheet and been a beast on the boards.
Thompson averaged 8.2 rebounds a season ago but started the year by recording exactly four boards in three straight games.
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Since then, he’s topped this line in 10 of 16 contests ahead of tonight’s match vs. the Phoenix Suns.
- A downtick in rebounds could perhaps be expected with a position change to point guard, replacing the injured Fred VanVleet. But Thompson is slowly catching up to last season’s total.
- He’s at 7.3 rebounds/game. Thompson has cleared this line in four straight, putting up season highs of 12 and 14 rebounds over that stretch.
- The 22-year-old has corralled at least seven rebounds in eight consecutive games, including two weeks ago against the Suns when he dropped 28 points sans Kevin Durant in the lineup.
NBA prop picks made at 11:30 a.m. ET on Dec. 5, 2025.
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Chris joined NorthStar Gaming from Covers.com where he was a publishing editor and wrote betting content. Before that, he was the sports editor at VICE Canada, worked for theScore and covered the Blue Jays for MLB.com. In addition to filling out the lineup card each day for the editorial team, Chris writes frequently himself, primarily on the NBA and MLB.