Today’s NBA Player Prop Picks: KAT Claws Up the Knicks

NBA Tuesdays aren't known for selection, but tonight we'll really be scraping the bottom of the barrel with just two games on the evening's slate. 

Our wagering world revolves around the Minnesota Timberwolves vs. New York Knicks and Detroit Pistons vs. Golden State Warriors this evening. Neither are incredibly compelling matchups, but let's see if we can spice things up with some profit. 

Check out our NBA player prop picks for January 18's NBA action.

NBA player props for January 18

• Wiggins Over 16.5 points (-115)
• Vanderbilt Over 15.5 points +rebounds (-110)
• Towns Over 22.5 points (-125)

Picks made on 1/18/2022 at 9:25 a.m. ET.
Click on each pick to jump to the full analysis.

Today’s best NBA player props

Gettin' Wiggy wit it

Andrew Wiggins had a long way to go to live up to his pedigree as a former No. 1-overall pick and max-salary player. And while many will argue he's still fallen short of that plateau, the improvements he's made on both sides of the ball the past two seasons can't be denied. 

Wiggins is having his most efficient shooting season while registering as a plus defender, all within the context of playing on one of the NBA's best teams. 

His 18.5 ppg scoring average sits safely above his 16.5 O/U total for tonight's matchup with the Pistons, and with Wiggins averaging just 14.4 ppg over his past five, we may be getting a bit of a rebate on the total. 

The Warriors are -14.5 favorites tonight, though Detroit's been punching above its weight lately (5-5 in its last 10) and may not completely roll over in this one, keeping Wiggins on the court for full minutes. 

And in those minutes, the Pistons allow more points per game to opposing small forwards than any team in the NBA. 

Wiggins is consistent at this slightly-sub-20 ppg mark, and against a bad team that Steph Curry might not need to fully exert himself against, this is a good spot for tonight's target to progress back towards the mean.

Pick: Andrew Wiggins Over 16.5 points (-115 at bet365)

Bilt different

Jarred Vanderbilt hasn't registered too much in the overall NBA zeitgeist this season, largely due to him playing for a team that most of the league has ignored for the past decade. 

However, the Minnesota Timberwolves are actually a respectable basketball team this year, on the backs of a Top-10 defense for which Vanderbilt is a huge catalyst. His unique brand of energetic, disrupt-all D from the power forward spot is a game-changer for a team that's sorely lacked a high-motor glue guy. 

Vanderbilt's been a rebound machine, especially this month, where he's grabbed double digits in five of eight games. He's topped tonight's points+rebounds total (15.5) in six of those games, and is 13-5 against this total since December 1.

The Knicks play at the NBA's slowest pace, but they also shoot poorly (ranked 26th) and should provide Vanderbilt with enough opportunities to soar over this total again. 

Pick: Jarred Vanderbilt Over 15.5 points + rebounds (-110 at DraftKings)

Run this Towns

Karl-Anthony Towns is starting to find a more consistent groove in Minnesota's offense. Back in November, he had been putting up slightly inconsistent numbers as Anthony Edwards' ascent into 1B option status threw him off. 

But Towns has scored 25+ in four straight games after dropping 20+ in every game in December. 

His matchup against the Knicks tonight is favorable, as Mitchell Robinson and Nerlens Noel are both paint-protecting centers who struggle to defend in space (particularly Robinson, with whom Towns figures to be mostly matched). If Karl — one of the best shooting bigs in history — drags them out to the perimeter, he can have his way.

Have faith in him to work that matchup to his advantage and keep piling up points.

Pick: Karl-Anthony Towns Over 22.5 points (-125 at DraftKings)

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