Even though it seems like we are losing players and games by the day to COVID there are still five games on the board today for NBA player prop bettors to dive into.
Today, we focus on Kyle Lowry who has become Mr. Everything with the Heat dealing with so many injuries, and can New Orleans Pelicans guard Devonte’ Graham stay red hot from beyond the arc?
Check out our NBA prop picks for Tuesday, December 21, as we bank on some of the NBA's best to do their thing.
NBA player props for December 21
- Kyle Lowry Over 4.5 Rebounds (-120)
- Devonte' Graham Over 3.5 Made Threes (+115)
- Deandre Ayton Over 15.5 Points (-120)
Picks made on 12/21/2021 at 2:30 p.m. ET.
Click on each pick to jump to the full analysis.
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Today’s best NBA player props
Lowry feelin' the Heat
The injuries might finally be starting to catch up to the Miami Heat. While Miami is still 18-13 - and leading the Southeast Division - it's coming off a 2-2 road trip, which includes a loss to the Detroit Pistons. Now, the Heat will try to bounce back when they return home to face the Indiana Pacers.
But Miami will be shorthanded once again. Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, and P.J Tucker are all out and Tyler Herro is questionable. That means a lot of weight rests on Kyle Lowry’s broad shoulders.
But the do-it-all point guard won’t shy away from vaunted responsibility and a place you might see him make more of an impact is on the glass. Lowry has been an underrated rebounder over the course of his career.
Lowry is averaging just 4.4 boards per game this season, but averaged 5.2 a game over his last four seasons in Toronto and has hauled down at least five boards in three straight.
While the Pacers are a solid rebounding team, this is a reachable rebounding number for Lowry, considering he is basically the last man standing for the Heat.
Pick: Kyle Lowry Over 4.5 Rebounds (-120 at FanDuel)
Graham crackin' from deep
It's been a tough season for the New Orleans Pelicans without superstar Zion Williamson, but they have started to build some momentum before the holidays by notching consecutive wins. They’ll try to make it three in a row when they host the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday night.
One player who has been a big part of the Pelicans' strong play is Devonte' Graham. The Pels guard has been on fire from beyond the arc the last two games, nailing 13 of 22 attempts (59.1%). And over his last eight games, he jacking up 9.3 threes per game, hitting 41.9% of his attempts.
Now, he faces a Trail Blazers team that still has a ton of holes on the defensive end, particularly on the perimeter. The Blazers rank dead last in the Association when it comes to opponent 3-point shooting percentage.
With Graham hitting four or more threes in three of his last five games, you’ve got to love the plus-money you’re getting with him to do it against a porous Blazers perimeter defense.
Pick: Devonte' Graham Over 3.5 Made Threes (+115 at FanDuel)
Ayton's Hollywood ending
The Phoenix Suns continue to look like the best team in the NBA and they’ll want to prove that as they go for their fourth win in a row when they visit LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Lakers return home from a three-game road trip where they were lucky to get even one victory. But inconsistency, particularly on the defensive end, has cost the Lakers this season and as a result sit in fourth place in the Pacific Division, nine games back of the Suns.
The Lakers have really struggled at defending the interior. They rank 24th in the NBA in opponent points in the paint and 22nd in points allowed to opposing centers. That means Suns center Deandre Ayton could be in for a big night.
The Suns’ big man is averaging 16.8 points per game this season and has upped his level of play in the month of December, pushing his scoring to 19.4 points per game while shooting 57.7% from the field.
Look for him to contribute in a big way against a Lakers team that struggled to defend the paint and go Over his point total of 15.5, a number he has eclipsed four times in the last seven games.
Pick: Deandre Ayton Over 15.5 Points (-120 at Draftkings)
Did you know that if you played today’s NBA props as a parlay, you could win $62.26 on a $10 bet?
Use our NBA parlay calculator to create your own parlays and see their potential payouts.
