Today’s NBA Player Prop Picks: Backing Garland, Simons to Do Damage

We've got 10 games on the NBA betting board this Sunday, which means hundreds of player props to consider. We do the heavy lifting and sift through all the prop numbers to find the best value.

Today we're fading the greatest passing center in NBA history on a lofty assists total, backing an up-and-coming star in Cleveland's Darius Garland, and doubling down on a young player that came up short for us on Friday night. 

Here are our best free NBA player prop picks for Sunday, January 9.

NBA player props for January 9        

• Jokic Under 7.5 assists (+100)
• Garland Over 19.5 points (+100)
• Simons Over 25.5 points + assists (-125)

Picks made on 1/9/2022 at 10:30 a.m. ET.
Click on each pick to jump to the full analysis.

Today’s best NBA player props       

Not the Giving Season Anymore

Reigning NBA MVP Nikola Jokic has had to carry the Denver Nuggets even more than usual this season with long-term injuries sidelining Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr.

It's been a heavy burden for the Joker who is filling up the hoop and rebounding at a terrific rate but has seen his assists numbers dip as he looks for his own shot and has less competent scorers surrounding him. 

Jokic's assists total today is set at 7.5, a number he has surpassed in just two of his last nine games. The Nuggets are facing off against one of the league's worst teams in the Oklahoma City Thunder so don't be surprised if Jokic prefers to attack the basket himself rather than get his teammates more involved. Take the Under on his assists total.

Pick: Jokic Under 7.5 assists (+100 at SugarHouse)

Darius the Great

If you had told me at the beginning of the season that a game between the Cavaliers and Warriors would have been the most anticipated game on a stacked Sunday slate, I would have assumed that you hopped in your DeLorean back to 2016.

Sure the long-awaited return of Klay Thompson to an already dominant Golden State team is a big reason for that but the Cavs have also impressed going 22-17 SU and a league-best 26-12 ATS. 

Cleveland has a young team that has one of the biggest lineups in the league but the guy that makes the engine go is 6-foot-1 point guard Darius Garland. Garland has scored at least 20 points in six straight games and has increased his usage rate even more in the last two contests after Ricky Rubio suffered a season-ending injury. 

The Warriors have been very strong defensively this season but Garland will need to press on offense if he wants his team to keep pace with one of the best teams in the league. Back the Over 19.5 on his points. 

Pick: Darius Garland Over 19.5 points (+100 at William Hill)

Simons: Take Two

We were on the Anfernee Simons train two days ago when the Blazers hosted the Cavs but Simons fell shy of his points and assists total after shooting just 2-10 from beyond the arc.

He still led the team with seven assists for the third straight game and the fact that he logged 34 minutes and attempted 15 shots is a good indication that he's still a big part of this Portland offense. In fact, he might be the most important offensive piece with Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum still sidelined. 

The 22-year-old Simons has excelled in a bigger role, dropping 43 points against Atlanta last Monday before scoring 28 versus Miami on Wednesday. While he scored a modest 14 points against the defensively tough Cavaliers two days ago, he should be able to bounce back against a Kings squad that ranks 27th in the league in defensive rating and allows a whopping 117.6 ppg on the road. 

Pick: Anfernee Simons Over 25.5 points + assists (-125 at FanDuel)

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