It’s finally March, y’all. Time for madness and money-making prop bets. We went 12-8 over February’s picks, and plan to do even better this month. No better day to start than today! 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 prop bets.
NBA Player Prop Bets for March 1
Kevin Durant UNDER 21 Points:
The day is finally upon us. Kevin Durant is going to make his Phoenix Suns debut. The excitement should perhaps be muted a bit, as this will be his first game since January 8th. When a player hasn’t seen game action in that long, a minutes limit is sure to follow. With that minutes limit comes the inability to get a solid game flow, fewer shots, rust, and most importantly, he’ll still need to learn how best to fit in with his new teammates. Kevin Durant is one of the greatest scorers this game has ever seen. I know they’re playing the lowly Hornets who are 22nd in defense and 4th in pace. But KD is not a robot. He’s the new kid in class and that’s not easy. Expecting UNDER 21 points in what’s likely to be fewer than 25 minutes is a layup to me. You’re not likely to get great odds with this one, so I’d pair it in a parlay.
Joel Embiid OVER 20 Points:
Joel Embiid has been locked in all year, but he seems to really have come into his own as the leader/best player on the team, despite the fact he’s playing alongside a Hall of Famer in James Harden. A couple reasons I love this bet is 1) Joel Embiid is averaging 33 PPG this year, so expecting fewer than his yearly average gives us a nice margin of error. 2) There is a historical precedent for Embiid to hit this line. The Heat have been a tough matchup vs. the 76ers, historically, and sport a top-five defense in the league. However, Joel Embiid has averaged 20.2 PPG vs. the Heat in his last five games in the matchup. There are a couple of ways to play this. You could either take this line and parlay it with another bet you love (perhaps the one above), or you could find a higher line (like 32.5 or more, and bet the UNDER). Go with the best odds in your desired sportsbook.
Anthony Davis OVER 45 Points + Rebounds + Assists:
LeBron James is going to be out for a while. That means it’s up to Anthony Davis to lead this team to the playoffs. But frankly speaking, Anthony Davis has been in leadership mode since returning from the All-Star Break. He’s had 47 and 49 PRA in his last two games. With the Thunder in town, likely without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, I don’t fear their ability to play with pace and a shocking 10th-ranked defense. Expect Anthony Davis to show out in a high-scoring game between the 2nd and 3rd fastest-paced teams in the league. Anthony Davis will be the best player on the court and with the Lakers in striking distance of the 6th-seed in the West, I expect it to show.