It’s a light night of action with just three games gracing the NBA schedule, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t plenty of value in the player props market.
Tonight I’m banking on LaMelo Ball hucking up some more bricks, Jarrett Allen to have an edge inside against the shorthanded Bucks, and fading the Thunder on the boards.
Here are my NBA picks for Friday, December 20.
Best NBA player props today
Ball u3.5 threes (+125 at bet365) 
Allen o12.5 pts (-110 at bet365) 
Rozier o3.5 rebs (+125 at bet365)
Picks made on 12-20 at 8:00 p.m. ET.
NBA player props for December 20
Prop bet #1: LaMelo Ball Under 3.5 threes
LaMelo Ball enters tonight’s matchup with the Philadelphia 76ers shooting a pedestrian 34.4% from 3-point range on an eye-popping 13.1 attempts per game.
In his latest matchup, the Charlotte Hornets point guard went 3-for-18 (16.7%) from deep against the Washington Wizards, who aren't exactly known as a stout team defensively.
Ball and the Hornets will take on a Sixers team that is great at slowing down the tempo and defending the perimeter. Philly ranks seventh in opponent 3-point attempts per game and 10th in opponent 3-point shooting percentage, last holding Ball to 3-for-8 from downtown in their previous head-to-head meeting.
Tempo also will play a big factor in this bet, as the Hornets rank 25th in the NBA in pace while the Sixers sit 28th. Fewer possessions and good defense means fewer opportunities for a guy who is dependent on them.
Give me the Under at solid plus money.
Prop bet #2: Jarrett Allen Over 12.5 points
It looks like the Milwaukee Bucks still need some time to recover from their NBA Cup victory in Las Vegas.
Damian Lillard is already ruled out with a calf injury, while Giannis Antetokounmpo is listed as day-to-day with some knee soreness ahead of tonight’s matchup with the Eastern Conference-leading Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Bucks are currently 9.5-point road underdogs, and I’m taking the line as a hint and banking that the Greek Freak will be a late scratch tonight. As a result, the Cavs should torment the Bucks down low.
Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen is averaging 13.6 points per game this season. He scored 21 points against the Wizards two games ago and tallied 15 and 14 points, respectively, in his two early-season matchups with the Bucks.
It doesn't hurt that our Covers Prop Projections have Allen pegged for 13.6 points. Give me the Over for Allen tonight.
Prop bet #3: Terry Rozier Over 3.5 rebounds
Speaking of a team that maybe enjoyed its time in Vegas a little too much, the Oklahoma City Thunder will play their second game since falling flat in the NBA Cup Final.
While they responded with a win over the Orlando Magic last time out, another poor shooting performance highlighted a 105-99 final score. Despite all the things OKC does well, this continues to be one of the worst rebounding teams in the NBA. The Thunder enter this matchup ranked next-to-last in both rebounding rate and opponent rebounds per game.
Meanwhile, Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier is averaging 3.9 rebounds per game this season. He's been a beast an even bigger beast on the boards lately, hauling down 22 rebounds over his last three games, grabbing no less than five in each.
Rozier has a rebounding total of 3.5 for this matchup, with the Over sitting at an enticing +125. That’s a good enough price for me in this matchup to back Scary Terry to keep cleaning the glass.
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NBA odds today
Here are the full NBA odds for all of today’s matchups.
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