There is no better way to kick off a weekend than with some winning NBA player props. With 11 games on the board Friday night, there is no shortage of value to be found.
Tonight, we highlight James Harden, who will look to take advantage of the Bulls' shaky perimeter defense, and then we look at a pair of rebounding props for a couple of unicorns in Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kristaps Porzingis.
Check out my best NBA prop picks bets for Friday, January 6.
NBA player props for January 6
Picks made on 1/6/2023 at 1:30 p.m. ET.
Click on each pick to jump to the full analysis.
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Today’s best NBA player props
The odds widgets below represent the best odds currently available for each betting market at regulated sportsbooks.
Long beard
Philadelphia 76ers star guard James Harden has looked great shooting the basketball ever since returning from a foot injury that cost him a month of action, and that has been a part of the reason the team is 10-3 since he’s been back. Harden will have a great chance to light up the Bulls on Friday night.
Harden is averaging 22.5 points on 43% shooting in his 13 games since coming back to the court. That includes draining 38.5% of his eight attempts from 3-point range. He has also hit three or more threes nine times over that 13-game stretch, which makes his Over 2.5 made 3-pointers for this matchup all the more tantalizing.
What qualifies this for best prop bet status is the matchup with the Bulls. Chicago is one of, if not the worst, teams in the NBA when it comes to defending the three. The Bulls rank next-to-last in the NBA in opponent 3-point shooting percentage while ranking 25th in attempts from beyond the arc allowed per game.
That’s what happens when you play Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan the majority of the time in your backcourt. Back Harden to drain three or more threes in this juicy matchup.
James Harden Prop: Over 2.5 made 3-pointers (-110)
Neat Freak
Giannis Antetokounmpo is living up to his Greek Freak moniker when it comes to rebounding lately, because he has been a monster on the glass, but his new nickname could be “Windex” with how well he’ll clean the glass tonight against the Hornets.
Giannis is putting in work on the boards, which is why we are getting an elevated rebounding total for him at 13.5. He is averaging 12.1 rebounds per game this season but he has grabbed 20 or more rebounds three times in his last four games and has hauled down 14 or more four times in his last seven overall.
Then there is the Bucks' matchup against the Hornets. Charlotte ranks 19th in rebounding rate and next-to-last in opponent rebounds per game.
The second stat makes a lot of sense, because the Hornets shoot the basketball more times per game than anyone in the NBA. This is funny, because they also ranked dead last in effective field goal percentage. Quantity over quality, right?
Anyways. Giannis has another big night on the boards, and the plus money here is the cherry on top.
Giannis Antetokounmpo Prop: Over 13.5 rebounds (+105)
KP cleans it
Let’s look at back-to-back rebounding props because Wizards big man Kristaps Porzingis will have a big day on the boards against the Thunder.
Prozingis is averaging 8.9 rebounds per game this season and is getting a rebounding total of 9.5 in this matchup but that still may not be high enough. He is pulling down 9.9 rebounds over his last 15 games and has grabbed double-digit boards four times in his last seven games overall.
But, once again, this is all about the matchup. The Thunder are just a small team. Partly because of injuries and partly because of roster makeup. They play a lot of small-ball lineups, and while it helps the offense, it costs them on the glass.
OKC ranks 26th in rebounding rate and dead last in opponent rebounds per game. Much like the Hornets, that’s because they take a lot of shots. Only the Hornets take more per game in fact, and once again this is not a very good shooting team, ranking 23rd in effective field goal rate.
Porzingis should get a lot of run in this matchup without many players to guard him, in a game that is expected to be close with a 2-point spread. Take him to go Over his rebounding total in this one.
Kristaps Porzingis Prop: Over 9.5 rebounds (-105)
