It’s a new year and we’ve got a huge twelve game slate on tap to choose from. There are some juicy matchups, so let’s make sure we take advantage! With prop bets, we don’t need to wait for season-long storylines to play out. Every day is a new day. Fantrax wants to help you win a bit of money, so we will be giving you NBA Player Prop Bets every week. We’ll shy away from keying in on any particular sportsbook, as we know odds vary, and so do props. We’ll focus on our projections, and allow you to find your best odds. Let’s get into today’s props.
NBA Player Props for January 4
Ja Morant, OVER 30 Points:
The Grizzlies play the Hornets tonight and Ja Morant has been on an absolute tear. He’s had 30+ points in four of his last five games. I don’t see that trend stopping vs. the lowly Hornets. To be honest, Charlotte is in the Victor Wenbanyama sweepstakes at the moment, and their metrics tell you why. The Hornets rank last in the league in offensive rating and 8th in the league in pace. That means a lot of possessions for the Grizzlies that they wouldn’t normally have. Further, the Hornets rank 26th in the league in defense, so they won’t be able to get many stops on top of that. To make matters worse for the Hornets, the Grizzlies are 10th in pace, so they will be wanting to push the ball and get as many fastbreaks as possible. This is going to be a track meet for Ja Morant. I’d put a half unit on up to 40+ points for Ja Morant in this one. The stars are aligning nicely.
Julius Randle OVER 40 Points+Rebounds+Assists:
Randle has exceed 40+PRA in five of his last five games. He’s unequivocally the best/highest usage player on the Knicks. New York has really rounded into form over the last month. They went from a bottom tercile team in defense and they’re now top ten in the league. Which tracks well for a Thibs coached team. They play the Spurs in this matchup. The Spurs are last in defensive rating and top ten in pace. There will be plenty of possessions for Randle to make an impact, and while there is certainly blowout risk, a Thibs coached team gives his best players all the minutes they can handle. In a game vs. the Suns a couple of nights ago, the Knicks won by 19, but still had Julius Randle in the game with under three minutes to go in the game. Randle will get his stats. Book it!
Kevin Durant UNDER 30 Points:
You might read this one and be a little confused. I get it. Kevin Durant is arguably one of the greatest scorers of all-time. The Nets have won 14 of their last 15, and 12 straight. They are hitting on all cylinders, so why would I take an under? Well, the Bulls have a middling offense and a middling defense. There’s no reason for me to expect the Bulls to get blown out, or win, for that matter. I think it will be a competitive loss for the Bulls. Further, the Nets current win streak has been a team effort, for the most part. In the past five games, Kevin Durant has scored under 30 points four times. Kevin Durant’s vision for this team is finally coming to fruition. The team is capable of winning without him needing to be the hero. I expect this mentality to persist against the Bulls.
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