NBA Player Prop Bets, Picks & Predictions: Friday (1/24)
We are in the dog days of summer (winter, but you get it) with the NFL season winding down and the NBA garnering more viewership. If you're just joining us for the first time, welcome, it's been a great season, and I hope we continue that trend tonight after I've been as cold as the weather in the last week or so.
We have a three-game slate on Friday, so we'll have to shop around a bit but there's still value. As always, monitor injury news and lineup announcements. The best way to stay sharp regarding NBA player props is by staying on top of the news. The second-best way is to shop around at different sportsbooks. Player props rarely have identical odds across platforms, so ensure you get the best value. Let's get to it.
Unless specified otherwise, each bet will be for a single unit.
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Friday's Best NBA Player Prop Bets
Last Time: 2-1 | Season: 85-67
Ja Morant Over 34.5 Points + Assists + Rebounds (-120 at Caesars Sportsbook)
Ja Morant has been on and off the injury report this year. Right now he seems healthy and ready to rock tonight. He's been averaging 32 minutes a night in his last five games with a 30% usage rate. What helps is his matchup. Not only is this game at home but it's against the Pelicans.
While New Orleans is getting healthier, they still rank third to last in defensive efficiency and are in the top half of the league in pace of play. The Pelicans allow the fifth-highest points + assists + rebounds to opposing point guards. With the total around 242, there's going to be a lot of opportunity for Morant to get his. I'd project him closer to 40 on this combo prop, so I'm willing to lay the juice.
Deni Avdija Under 27.5 Points + Assists + Rebounds (-120 at ESPN Bet)
After coming off a back-to-back, the banged-up Trail Blazers continue their travels playing in Charlotte with a 220 total. Generally, I'm riding the unders tonight across the board because Charlotte's defense has been solid recently. In the last 10 games, Charlotte's defense has ranked seventh in the league. They've also played at a faster pace but still rank 21st in the league in pace of play, a pace-down spot for Portland.
Deni Avdija has been playing increased minutes of late but is projected to play closer to his seasonal average of around 28 minutes. I trust Charlotte's defense at home, especially given Portland's travel and how three of their starters are questionable. This is an easy under.
Tyrese Maxey Under 38.5 Points + Assists + Rebounds (-110 at DraftKings Sportsbook)
For the final prop of the night, I'm fading Tyrese Maxey as Philly takes on the top-ranked Cleveland Cavaliers. Maxey has covered this line in just 33% of games, so despite a pace-up spot, I'm a bit confused by how high this line is.
Maxey is projected closer to 35 on this combo prop by the BettingPros Prop Bet Cheat Sheet, so there's a lot of value on this under. Cleveland ranks eighth in defensive efficiency. I trust them to shut down a 76ers offense ranked 24th on the season.
Ryan Coleman is a featured writer at BettingPros. Follow him on Twitter @ryancoleman_98. For more from Ryan, check out his archive.