Best NBA Player Props 1/29
The end of January is around the corner and we must end on a high note. Last week was a little rough going 1-2. Keegan Murray and De’Aaron Fox let me down, especially Fox. It was an awesome read, but it didn’t click.
That is in the past and we look forward to today. We have a robust 12-game slate tonight, which means there are so many props to choose from. Here are some of the best for tonight.
Jalen Brunson Over 7.5 Assists (-140)
The New York Knicks just received some promising news on the Julius Randle injury. After injuring his shoulder this past weekend, it looks as if he might be out for a few weeks, rather than months. However, that leaves a void for this hot Knicks squad. Luckily, they still have their best player in Jalen Brunson.
Brunson was not named as an All-Star starter, which ticked a lot of people off due to his stellar start to the season. Since he was snubbed from the All-Star starting lineup, he proceeded to beat the defending champs and drop 32 points on the reigning Eastern Conference champs.
Tonight he faces a mediocre Charlotte Hornets team that he’s played solid against. One would think that no Randle means more of a scoring load for Brunson. That is true, but he will be the man with the ball in his hands no matter what. There will not be those moments where he will let Randle cook on the wing for 10 seconds. They don’t have anyone else who should have the ball over Brunson throughout the game.
Also, if the Hornets are smart, they will send doubles on the pick-and-roll for Brunson, as his pull-up game in the paint is lethal. He borders eight assists on nights with Randle on the floor with him. I think this prop is smart with the circumstances at play.
Jayson Tatum 8+ Rebounds (-190)
Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics are looking to bounce back after they got steamrolled by the Los Angeles Clippers at home this past weekend. The Celtics started out 20-0 at home but now have lost their last two in their home arena. Tonight should be a statement game for Tatum and his squad.
I was thinking about Tatum’s points, but on any given night, Jaylen Brown can be the guy that goes off for 30. I decided to play it safe with Tatum and rebounds. On the year, he averages this number, but there is more to it.
Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford are both questionable tonight, which means the Celtics might lack a lot of size. Neither of those two players aren’t the best rebounders to begin with, which means someone will need to take over the rebounding duties if they were to miss the game or even play while hampered by an ailment. Tatum would be the guy to take on those duties.
In that Clippers lost, Tatum brought down 11 rebounds, despite only playing 30 minutes in a blowout loss. I am very confident in this prop and can even be laddered to 10+ rebounds (+120) tonight.
Jamal Murray Over 24.5 Points (-115)
There is a running joke on Twitter that Jamal Murray only plays hard against good teams. This came about after his performance against the Boston Celtics, where he dropped 35 points on their home floor. Tonight they play the Milwaukee Bucks, who are second in the Eastern Conference and have title aspirations.
However, this play is not based around a silly joke from Twitter, but more about the matchup for Murray. The Bucks allow the fifth most points to point guards in the league. They struggle at the point of attack with their defensive backcourt. It is clearly their weak point.
Nikola Jokic will have to deal with either Giannis or Brook Lopez, both of whom are gigantic individuals, which means he might have to pass more than he wants. That is where Murray comes into effect. The Bucks will most likely have Malik Beasley on Murray, who is the same height, but weighs a lot less than Murray.
Murray is not afraid to post up smaller players and hit some beautiful fadeaways after he creates space. I think Murray has a huge game tonight and further enhances this narrative of playing lights out against good teams.
Noel is from Philadelphia, PA. He went to West Chester University and graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Communications in Media & Culture.
