Today’s NBA Player Prop Picks: Jrue Returns From Holidays

It’s a bit of a lighter night in the NBA with just four games on the schedule but that doesn’t mean there isn’t plenty of value to be found in the player prop market.

Today, we look at a pair of props for a couple of big men, primed for big games as Wendell Carter Jr. and the Magic host the Golden State Warriors, and can Nikola Jokic bounce back from one of his worst games of the season.

Check out our NBA player prop picks for Tuesday, March 22, as we bank on some of the NBA's best to do their thing.

NBA player props for March 22

• Carter Jr. double-double - Yes
• Holiday Over 18.5 pts
• Jokic Over 12.5 rebs

Picks made on 3/22/2022 at 12:30 p.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

Wendell's got tricks

The Orlando Magic still have a ways to go before their rebuild is complete but it sure looks like they have found a real piece in Wendell Carter Jr. The Magic big man has been a handful for opponents in the second half of the season and that should be the case tonight when they host the Golden State Warriors.

Carter was having a solid season, to begin with, averaging 15 points and 10.5 rebounds but he has taken his game to the next level recently. Carter has upped his scoring output to 19.3 points and is grabbing 11.8 rebounds over his last 12 games. He has also been a double-double machine over that stretch, recording a double-double 10 times over that 12-game stretch.

Now, the Warriors were one of the best defensive teams in the NBA in the early part of the season, but things have changed a bit since then and rank just 15th in defensive rating since the All-Star break. The Warriors are also still working Draymond Green back into their lineup and without James Wiseman, they are at a disadvantage when it comes to dealing with Carter’s size and athleticism. 

On top of that, Carter has started to add a 3-point shot to his game and has put up big games on the boards against good rebounding teams over that span. And with no Steph Curry for the Dubs, there will probably be more missed shots for Carter to corral. 

Pick: Wendell Carter Jr. to record a double-double - Yes (-115)

The end of Jrue's Holiday

Jrue Holiday has seen his scoring dip a bit lately but he gets a great matchup on Tuesday night as he and his Milwaukee Bucks teammates host the Chicago Bulls.

Holiday averages 18.4 points per game while shooting 50.1% from the floor, which includes a solid 41.4% from 3-point range this season. However, that has dipped to 16.9 over his last six games. But this matchup with the Bulls could be just what Holiday needs to get back on track.

The Bulls have a great offense, led by the likes of DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine but their effort is primarily given on that end of the floor. Chicago ranks 21st in the NBA when it comes to defensive rating but it really struggles when it comes to containing opposing guards.

The Bulls allow the most points per game to opposing guards in the entire NBA at 81.7 per contest. That is more than five points more than the next closest team (San Antonio). 

While Holiday has only gone Over 18.5 points just twice in his last six games, prior to that, he had an 11-game run where he averaged 21.7 points on 55.4% shooting and went Over that number nine times. That includes a matchup against the Bulls just back on March 4 where he put up 26 points.

Throw in the fact the Bulls should have some heavy legs playing their second game in as many nights, and Holiday is a good bet to go Over his point total in this one.

Pick: Jrue Holiday Over 18.5 points (-115)

Bounceback Joker

Nikola Jokic continues to close the gap between himself and Joel Embiid for the NBA MVP Award and he’ll need a big night when the Denver Nuggets host the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday night following one of his worst games of the season.

The Boston Celtics limited Jokic to just 23 points with eight rebounds and four assists this past Sunday. Yes, that is a good stat line for some but The Joker had been close to unstoppable over the last month or so, averaging 27.3 points on 57.4% shooting while adding 13.7 rebounds and 8.5 assists per game over his previous 15 games.

So, the Clippers might be in the wrong place at the wrong time as Jokic should be primed for a big bounce-back performance, particularly on the glass. 

Jokic has grabbed 13.5 rebounds over his last 17 games, hauling down 13 or more 10 times over that stretch and now he’ll face a Clippers team that can’t keep the glass clean with a lifetime supply of Mr. Clean.

The Clippers rank 27th in rebounding percentage and 28th in opponent rebounds per game and Jokic has had his way on the boards against them, averaging 16.3 rebounds in three games this season and hasn’t had fewer than 13 in those matchups. Bet him to go Over his rebounding total once again.

Pick: Nikola Jokic Over 12.5 rebounds (-125)

Pages related to this topic