We took a little time off, but now we’re back! Let’s take a look at the nine game NBA slate this evening and dive into our favorite prop bets of the slate. 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 props.
NBA Player Props for January 20
Julius Randle, OVER 45 Points + Rebounds + Assists:
He’s only hit this total once in the past five games, so make sure you find acceptable odds on this one. I’m talking +200 or higher. My thesis for this one is that the Knicks are in a prime bounce-back spot after suffering an embarrassing loss to the Wizards at home. They get to take those frustrations out on a Hawks team that’s having their own struggles. Trae Young is in trade rumors, Murray is on podcasts talking about the Spurs organization (for some reason), and apparently their head coach tried to quit and was persuaded otherwise. They are all professionals, but that’s a lot going on. Publicly, too. On top of all that, the Hawks play at the 8th fastest pace, with middling defense. There will be plenty of possessions to go around, and Randle will be sure to best his 14 point effort last outing.
Ja Morant OVER 34 Points:
The Grizz are taking on the Lakers in the nationally televised late night matchup. LeBron is inching closer and closer to Kareem’s all-time scoring record, becoming the 2nd person to score 38,000 points in the NBA. But if we know anything about Ja Morant, it’s that he LOVES the spotlight. And he’ll have the spotlight tonight. He’s scored 30+ twice in the last five games, but over 34 points just once. He’ll be in an elite spot to show the world how incredible he’s been against the Lakers’ 22nd ranked defense and top three pace. I expect big things from Morant tonight.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander OVER 30 Points:
He’s only hit 30 points or more once in his last five games, but he’s in a prime spot to get it done tonight vs. the Kings. Are the Kings the better team? Yes. Absolutely. Are they the better defense? No. Not by a long shot. OKC sports a top ten defense, while the Kings are 25th in the league. Both teams play with top ten pace, however. That means Shai should get plenty of possessions with sub-par defense (despite Lu Dort being a standout wing defender, I think he’ll have problems with the 6’7″ guard). The Kings will score their points (despite OKC’s solid defense), so you can count on OKC’s SGA to deliver the type of performance necessary to keep this game close. Make sure to get plenty of juice in this one. I’d like to see +200 or better. It’s not easy to score 30 points in an NBA game. I don’t care what anyone says. Make sure your bets reflect that.
For more great analysis check out our full 2022-23 Fantasy Basketball Draft Kit!