It’s a light night of NBA action with just three games on the schedule, and most of them are matchups only a bettor could love.
Luckily, that’s what we’re here for. I’ve dug through the NBA player props to find my three favorite plays for today, including a pair of plus-money rebounding props for Jarrett Allen and Jaren Jackson Jr.
Here are my NBA picks for Friday, January 24.
Best NBA player props today
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Ayton u14.5 pts (-130 at bet365) -
Allen o11.5 rebs (+105 at bet365) -
Jackson o7.5 rebs (+110 at bet365)
NBA player props for January 24
Deandre Ayton Under 14.5 points (-130 at bet365)
The Portland Trail Blazers visit the Charlotte Hornets in a matchup that only a sports bettor could love. The Blazers are 16-28 and have won three in a row but are 5-point underdogs against the 11-29 Hornets.
What’s the perfect pairing for a matchup this ugly? A big man Under of course. Deandre Ayton, come on down!
Ayton is slogging through another year in Portland, averaging 13.8 points and 10.2 rebounds per game. Ayton’s point total for this matchup is sitting at 14.5, likely because he’s put up 14-plus points in three straight games and has a perceived good matchup against the Hornets.
However, Charlotte is tough on opposing bigs, thanks mostly to the fact that Mark Williams is defending the paint. The 23-year-old out of Duke is a presence on the inside, averaging 9.4 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game.
With Williams manning the middle, Charlotte ranks 10th in opponent points in the paint per game and allow the sixth-fewest points per game to opposing centers.
Ayton also comes into this one nursing a knee injury and has played below this number in seven of his last 10 games overall. It doesn’t hurt that our Covers Prop Projections have him down for 12.9 points for this matchup. Give me the Under.
Jarrett Allen Over 11.5 rebounds (+105 at bet365)
This Philadelphia 76ers' season is looking more and more like a train wreck with each passing game. They enter tonight’s matchup with the Eastern Conference-leading Cleveland Cavaliers with a 15-27 record, losers of seven in a row, and Joel Embiid looks no closer to returning.
While not having the former MVP hurts the Sixers in many ways, Embiid’s absence has been a real problem when it comes to cleaning the glass. Philadelphia ranks dead-last in the NBA in rebounding rate and 21st in opponent rebounds per 100 possessions.
To make things even more difficult for the Sixers tonight, they’ll also be without backup center Andre Drummond, who is averaging 7.6 rebounds per game this season.
So, surprise, surprise, I’m targeting a rebounding prop for a Cavs player. Let’s not try to reinvent the wheel here and back center Jarrett Allen.
Allen is averaging 10.0 rebounds per game this season, despite sharing the court with fellow big man Evan Mobley. Here’s the rub. Mobley has missed the last couple of games with a calf injury and won’t be suiting up for this matchup as well.
As a result, Allen is getting more minutes. He grabbed 11 boards on Monday against the Phoenix Suns and followed that up by hauling down 13 in the Cavs' latest game against the Houston Rockets.
Like I said, this bet feels a little on the nose, but at better than even money it looks like a solid play tonight.
Jaren Jackson Jr. Over 7.5 rebounds (+110 at bet365)
The New Orleans Pelicans are trying to fight their way out of the basement in the Western Conference, having won four in a row. Unfortunately, they will once again be without several key players, including Zion Williamson, for tonight’s matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies.
The Grizzlies have also won four in a row but are in the envious position of sitting in third place in the West. Also, when you look at New Orleans’ recent success, you’ll see wins against Utah, a Luka and Kyrie-less Dallas team, Chicago, and Philadelphia. Not great. The Grizz are also just a bad matchup for the Pels on the glass.
Memphis enters this game ranked second in the NBA in rebounding rate while New Orleans ranks 28th. The Pels also allow the fourth-most opponent rebounds per game and with them going against a Memphis team that ranks sixth in success rate and third in opponent effective field goal percentage, we could see quite a few more bricks from New Orleans.
That means rebounds will be up for grabs for the Grizzlies, and I’m focusing on Jaren Jackson Jr.. The Memphis power forward is averaging 6.4 rebounds per game this season, but that number is up to 7.5 over his last 11 games.
His rebounding total for this matchup is sitting at 7.5 with the Over at nice plus money. He’s topped this number in six of those 11 games, and in one of two games against the Pelicans this season.
With no Zion and the Pels running smaller lineups these days, I like JJJ to top this number on Friday night.
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NBA odds today
Here are the full NBA odds for all of today’s matchups.
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