I’ve got a prop recommendation from two of Monday’s three NBA games.
Today’s NBA props narrative: New Orleans Pelicans rookie Derik Queen can stuff the stat sheet and has a plus matchup against the San Antonio Spurs. Elsewhere, look for DeMar DeRozan to do damage against the floundering Indiana Pacers.
Check out my plays in the best NBA prop picks for Dec. 8.
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NBA prop picks: Dec. 8
Best bet: Queen over 24.5 PRA (-110)
Queen is having a solid rookie campaign and has been a reliable contributor since his insertion into the starting lineup on Nov. 16:
- The No. 13 overall pick is averaging 13.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 4.9 assists (24.9 PRA) as a starter.
- He’s recorded 20+ PRA in 10 of 12 games in that span, giving us a solid floor to work with.
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The do-it-all centre, nicknamed “Baby Jokic” on Basketball Reference, has only cleared this line in five games as a starter. But he has had a pretty tough schedule, and some standout performances mixed in, too.
- Nov. 19 at Nuggets: 30 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists
- Nov. 20 at Mavericks: 20 points, 7 rebounds, 11 assists
- Dec. 2 vs. Timberwolves: 21 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists
Tonight’s matchup against the Victor Wembanyama-less Spurs shapes up to be a favourable one.
San Antonio is 24th in rebounding rate and 20th in defensive rating since Wembanyama’s injury. It is also allowing the third-most assists per game to opposing centres in the last 15 days, according to Fantasy Pros.
The Spurs’ backup centre, Luke Kornet, is questionable to play with an ankle injury.
Queen should be able to use his size to score in the paint, and his passing ability to rack up assists.
Key stat: Queen is averaging 25.3 PRA in December.
Best NBA picks
DeRozan over 19.5 points (-106): DeRozan is what I like to call an “ethical bucket getter.”
The veteran forward does a ton of damage in the mid-range and isn’t overly reliable on free throws to fill the basket.
He’s sitting at 17.9 PPG at the moment, but has averaged north of 20.0 PPG in 12 seasons prior.
-> Don’t miss out — bet on DeRozan against the Kings!
This should be the perfect matchup for DeRozan to crack the 20-point milestone and then some.
- The Pacers have the third-worst mid-range defence in the NBA (48.4%), according to Cleaning the Glass.
- Indiana also plays at the 10th-fastest pace (101.6 possessions per 48 minutes), per NBA.com.
- Among forwards, DeRozan has ranked in the 100th percentile for mid-range shot frequency in each of the last seven seasons. He’s currently taking 69% of his shots from that area of the court and converting at a 49% clip.
NBA prop picks made at 3 p.m. ET on Dec. 8, 2025.
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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.