Our streak of going (at least) two for three came to an end last night. We can cry about it. OR we can go three for three tonight. I choose the latter. Onward! 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 January 26
Nic Claxton, OVER 29 Points + Rebounds + Assists:
The Nets have been rumored to be in the running to trade for a big man, but I don’t see the point when Nic Claxton has really come into form. He’s incredibly athletic and bouncy, but also incredibly skinny. This makes him less than ideal to take on the likes of Joel Embiid, Al Horford, and Giannis/Brook Lopez defensively in the playoffs. That’s not our problem though. In terms of offense, he’s giving everyone problems. He dropped 25/11 on Joel Embiid last night and has had a 20-point, double-double in three of his last four games. I like him to do that again tonight vs. Detroit. If he can put up numbers on Embiid, he can give Stewart/Duren hell. Detroit is also 29th in defense and 11th in the league in pace, so there will be plenty of run & gun opportunities and extra possessions for the big. I’d take this bet up to 35+ PRA.
Mason Plumlee OVER 15 Points:
I’m going back to the well. Plumlee is as dependable as they get this year. He’s 32 years old, so he’s a bit of a late bloomer, but to be honest, he’s always been solid. Charlotte has given him his first opportunity to be a true starting big in this league. He doesn’t need to look over his shoulder. He doesn’t have a short leash. He gets 30 minutes per game, every night (assuming there’s no blowout). You know what else he does every night? Score 16+ points. He’s done it in 10 of his last 12 games. And tonight he takes on a Chicago team that is solid defensively (12th in the league), but also plays with pace (12th in the league). So there should be plenty of possessions for Plumlee to hit this one. Further, I’ve noticed whenever teams score through their bigs a decent amount (the Bulls do through Vucevic), then the opposing big tends to also have a good night. I don’t have any data to back that up though. Just something I’ve had my eye on. Anyway, make sure to take that Plumlee OVER tonight. I’d find -200 or better, if possible.
Luka Doncic OVER 50 Points + Rebounds + Assists:
While this total seems like a lot, it’s not that much when you consider he averages that figure on the entire season. So you won’t be able to get good odds on it. I’d make it part of a parlay (maybe even the three legs that I’ve mentioned in this article…). Anyway, Luka is coming off of a dissapointing game in which they lost to the Wizards after he missed the potential game-winning free throw. I imagine he’ll come out of the gates on a mission in this one. Phoenix has their own issues. The Suns are without Devin Booker and have fallen to one game above .500. CP3 is in trade rumors. And I still think there’s the potential that DeAndre Ayton makes his way into the trade machine. He’s a professional, but it’s clear he doesn’t love his coach and front office. Regardless, Luka is Luka. There is no defense to stop him. He’ll get his 50+ PRA one way or another.
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