Today’s NBA Player Prop Picks: Boston's Defense Forces Jokic's Giving Hand

As the madness of March wages on, the NBA has a busy Sunday schedule on the board. There are nine games to choose from, which means plenty of NBA player props to sort through.

If your bracket is busted and college bets have gone bust, switch gears with our favorite free NBA player props picks for March 20.

NBA player props for March 20

• Jokic Over 7.5 assists
• Fournier Over 2.5 made threes
• Bane Under 21.5 points

Picks made on 3/20/2022 at 7:30 a.m. ET.
The odds widgets below represent the best odds currently available for each betting market at regulated sportsbooks.
Click on each pick to jump to the full analysis.

Today’s best NBA player props

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A tasty non-conference clash headlines Sunday’s NBA slate, when the Boston Celtics climb the mountain to battle the Denver Nuggets. And at the center of this matchup – and also for the Nuggets – is reigning MVP Nikola Jokic.

Jokic continues to stuff the stat sheet and will have to do so against the Celtics smothering defense. He has a massive one-on-one advantage with whichever big Boston throws at him, so don’t expect the Celtics to allow Jokic single coverage much tonight.

With Boston going heavy on the double teams, Jokic will be looked at to find that open man and create offense with his scary-good passing skills. His assist totals have been climbing since the New Year, averaging 8.8 assists per game since January 1 (seventh in the NBA). 

That average includes an 11-assist effort versus Boston back on February 11. Jokic’s assist total for Sunday is set at 7.5 with the Over juiced, as he’s passed that bar in three straight and six of his last eight contests. 

Pick: Nikola Jokic Over 7.5 assists (-150)

New York State of Mind

In another non-conference contest, the Utah Jazz come to the Big Apple to battle the New York Knicks. 

The Jazz are 5-point road favorites with some stars in and out, but more than likely the Knicks will find themselves playing from behind. Add into the mix the paint patrol of Rudy Gobert, and New York will live and die from the outside tonight.

That’s Evan Fournier’s cue. 

The Knicks shooting guard has had mixed results from beyond the arc this month, however, New York’s road-heavy schedule is in part to blame for those erratic numbers. The Knicks have played only seven of their last nine games inside Madison Square Garden and Fournier does his best work from distance inside the Mecca. Case in point: the Knicks’ last two games. 

Those contests came at home and Fournier finished a collective 9 for 20 from beyond the arc (45%). In the previous six outings – all coming away from home – he was 18 for 48 from deep (just 37.5%). On the season, Fournier shoots at a 42.4% clip from 3-point range in MSG, versus 36.5% as a visitor, and makes 3.4 of 8.1 attempts compared to just 2.6 on 7.2 looks from long range on the road.

Fournier’s 3-point makes total is at 2.5 for Sunday’s run-in with Utah with the Over priced as high as -165 at some books. However, shops like Bet365 have it listed as low as Over 2.5 (-150).

Pick: Evan Fournier Over 2.5 made threes (-150)

Memphis Bleak

The Memphis Grizzlies head to Houston to face the Rockets in a Sunday afternoon outing, without top scorer Ja Morant in the lineup. Morant is sidelined with a knee injury, shaking up the Memphis backcourt and creating a bit of a scoring vacuum for the Grizzlies.

Shooting guard Desmond Bane quickly becomes Memphis’ go-to option on offense. Bane is already making a name for himself this month, averaging 20 points on near 47% shooting through eight games in March. 

However, Bane could miss Morant more than most. His success is tethered to his backcourt mate, thriving on the transition attack fueled by Morant’s motor as well as his playmaking, as Bane has a high assist per field goal made rate – finding himself on the receiving end of Morant’s passes.

De'Anthony Melton and Tyus Jones are expected to enjoy extra minutes with Morant out but won’t draw the ire of the Rockets defense like Morant would. That means Houston will be keeping a closer eye on Bane. 

Bane has 21 points on 7 of 12 shooting without Morant in the lineup versus Indiana on Tuesday but posted only 11 points on 3 for 11 shooting when Morant sat against New Orleans last month. And in the extended period in which Morant was sidelined through late November to mid-December, Bane averaged 17.5 points per game – a little less than his season average - and the Grizzlies' tempo dipped to a rating of 98.75 compared to 101.25 this month.

Bookmakers still have Memphis as a significant favorite today (-10.5) which means the score could get one-sided and the Grizzlies may choose to rest their starters with a monster matchup with Brooklyn coming up on the calendar.

Pick: Desmond Bane Under 21.5 points (-120)

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