Best NBA Player Props 1/3
Happy New Year everyone!!!! A new year is upon us, which means it is time to sweep the slate clean. A huge 12-game night is here for the new year and what better way to celebrate 2024 other than spreading some of that coin on NBA props.
It is good to start the new year with some wins, so don’t forget to tail these prop bets for tonight. Let’s get off to a hot start.
Scottie Barnes 20+ Points (-130)
The Toronto Raptors just made a big move by trading OG Anunoby away to the Knicks for R.J. Barrett and Immanuel Quickley. The soft rebuild is looking like it is starting for the Raptors. That rebuild will be on the premise of them building the team around Scottie Barnes, which is a safe bet to do so.
Barnes has scored 20+ points in 12 out of his last 14 games, while looking like a true All-Star this season. He is putting it all together, after what some would say was a disappointing sophomore season.
Pascal Siakam is still in the way of the Raptors going head first with Barnes as the guy, but that is slowly changing with each game that passes by. The line at -130 is very enticing for someone like Barnes, who is continuously trending upward.
Cade Cunningham Over 8.5 Assists (+112)
We all know that the Detroit Pistons lost an NBA record 28 straight games; that was recently broken. However, the team to some degree has been playing good to their standards for almost two weeks now. Towards the end of the losing streak, every game for the Pistons were close and that was due to the play of Cade Cunningham.
Cade has had a tumultuous start to his NBA career. He has been up and down, while dealing with a season-ending injury last season and the record losing streak this season. However, Cade has been excellent as of late.
He is doing it all just to help this team survive. Tonight is all about the assists. The over/under is set at 8.5, which might jump up closer to game time. His opponent tonight, the Utah Jazz, allow the most assists to point guards. Furthermore, they allow the third most assists per game, regardless of position.
I would jump on the line right now and even push it up to 10+ assists at +190.
Clint Capela Under 12.5 Points (-128)
Unders are always risky bets. However, I think this one has a lot of promise, despite the OKC Thunder playing the second night of a back-to-back. That does not change the love for this bet.
Clint Capela is a rim-running big who grabs rebounds and catches lobs. However, he does not matchup well against a player like Chet Holmgren, who is a perimeter big. Capela can be played off the floor very easily against this Thunder squad.
In their previous matchup, Capela finished with six points in 21 minutes. Some would assume foul trouble caused the lack of minutes, but it was just a bad matchup in a very close game, as he only accumulated two fouls.
Capela rebounds is too scary to touch. That is his calling card, but I am confident that he will not reach 13 points tonight.
Kyle Kuzma 20+ Points (-240)
The line for Kyle Kuzma’s points is set at 23.5, but I want to be a little bit safe with this prop. 20+ points is the way to go for this prop. The Cleveland Cavaliers are without Evan Mobley, who is an excellent defender. They do not have someone that can truly matchup with a player like Kyle Kuzma.
I wouldn’t mind going for the full line, but I think playing it safe is the way to go for a few reasons. One reason is Jordan Poole can just have a moment where he decides to shoot 20-25 times tonight. Also, the Washington Wizards tend to get blown out by the end of third quarters, which causes the starters to stop playing.
We are in need of a close game, or hot start from Kuzma, which is why I think going with 20+ points is the play here rather than the 23.5.
Noel is from Philadelphia, PA. He went to West Chester University and graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Communications in Media & Culture.
