We’re on a nice little roll over the past week. Tonight we have a seven game slate to delve into. Let’s make sure we take advantage of some of the most obvious matchups and put some money in your pocket! 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 10
James Harden, OVER 40 Points + Rebounds + Assists:
With Joel Embiid still nursing an injury, James Harden is far and away the alpha dog on the squad. There isn’t a play where he doesn’t touch the ball at least once. I’m only partially joking there. His usage rate is massive. Tonight he’ll be up against the lowly Detroit Pistons. They were my dark horse team to make the playoffs before the season started, but with Cade Cunningham’s injury, they don’t have enough talent to make that happen. The Pistons currently rank 2nd to last in defensive rating, and 23rd in offensive rating. The 76ers will dominate this matchup. With James Harden running point in a pace-up matchup, he should have no problem hitting 40+ PRA. He’s done so in each of his last five games. The blowout risk will make me uncomfortable to go any higher than 45+ PRA.
DeAndre Ayton to record Double-Double:
Devin Booker is out. Chris Paul left the last game with an injury. With Paul’s track record of playing while hurt, I think it’s safe to assume he won’t be taking a bunch of shots if he even plays at all. That leaves DeAndre Ayton as the final member of their big three to take on usage. He’s been battling with Monty Williams and his teammates as of late. And it’s clear that he wants to be traded and doesn’t like that the team didn’t offer him a supermax contract and benched him in the playoffs last year. But he’s a professional. Tonight he will show what made him the #1 overall pick in a matchup vs. the Warriors, the fastest paced team in the league. Ayton has had a double-double in three straight appearances, and three of his last five.
Luka Doncic UNDER 45 Points + Rebounds + Assists:
I’ll be honest: Betting against Luka’s success is not something I’m pounding the table on. Of the two other prop lines that I’ve touted, I have the least amount of confidence in this one. But…the evidence supports it. The Clippers have Paul George and Kawhi Leonard (two elite wing defenders) to make life harder on Luka. Further, the Clippers play at a slow pace (21st in the league), with the 6th rated defense in the league. The Mavs play at the 2nd slowest pace in the league. The stars on each team get the ball and pound it until they find a shot they like or an open teammate. I’m expecting a low and slow night from everyone in this game.
For more great analysis check out our full 2022-23 Fantasy Basketball Draft Kit!