Best NBA Player Props Today: Durant's the Whole Damn Show

Prop bet #1: Ballin' Barnes

The Toronto Raptors are among the teams seemingly linked to any superstar that hits the trade market, but they may yet have one in-house as Scottie Barnes looks to make a leap this year.   

Barnes is off to an encouraging start under new head coach Darko Rajakovic — and his numbers point to a player who’s taking on a bigger role from start to finish, as he did last night with 21 points and 12 rebounds in a blowout win over the Milwaukee Bucks.

Through Toronto’s first five games, Barnes’ impact is being felt all over the box score. He’s averaging almost 21 points a night while shooting 52% from the field, and he’s been more active on the boards with his rebounds rocketing to 10 a game. He’s even had a game with five blocks.

I see Barnes being a force again tonight in a matchup where the Raptors will need him to stay in attack mode. He posted a 24-8-5 line against the 76ers last week and his rebounding will be critical as Toronto tries to limit easy points for Joel Embiid.

It’s been a turbulent stretch for the 76ers and that may also give Barnes an edge. Nurse will be slotting new faces into his rotation after the Harden trade and that’s expected to be a defensive downgrade with P.J. Tucker included in the deal with the L.A. Clippers.

With four straight games of 20+ points, and double-digit boards in three of those outings, I’m pairing Barnes’ scoring and rebounding with this prop and counting on him to continue his hot start on the road in Philly.

Scottie Barnes prop: Over 26.5 points + rebounds (-110 at DraftKings)

Prop bet #2: Can't fade Cade

This is very much a development year for the Detroit Pistons and their 2-3 start has put a spotlight on both the potential and the flaws. 

But it’s a big season for Cade Cunningham — his third in the NBA — and a chance to further cement himself as the leader of this young group. He’s off to a solid start while still searching for the right balance between scoring and playmaking.

Cunningham scored 30 points last night but needed 27 shots to get there as the Pistons lost 99-91 to the Portland Trail Blazers. He had just four assists and Detroit shot 44% from the field.

The best version of this Pistons team seems to be when Cade leans more toward creator mode. He piled up 16 assists across Detroit’s two wins this season and added nine dimes in a narrow loss to the Miami Heat in the season opener. It’s hard to argue with those numbers.

I’m taking the Over on Cunningham’s assists tonight against the New Orleans Pelicans, who are also on the second night of a back-to-back set. He should be able to find favorable matchups on the perimeter, and I see him making the adjustment after such a shoot-first outing against the Blazers. He may even have Jalen Duren back as a lob threat.

Cunningham played 37 minutes last night and should be in for a similar workload here. That will provide ample opportunities to post six or more dimes.

Cade Cunningham prop: Over 5.5 assists (-130 at bet365)

Prop bet #3: The Durant show

It’s not a great sign for the Phoenix Suns that their Big 3 was already banged up before the calendar flipped to November, but it’s the team’s health in April and May that really counts. 

In the meantime, Kevin Durant is a one-man band for the Suns. Devin Booker (toe) and Bradley Beal (back) are out again tonight, so I expect a steady diet of KD jump shots as Phoenix tries to avenge its late collapse against the San Antonio Spurs earlier in the week.

Durant had 26 points on 12-for-19 shooting in that Tuesday matchup, but he only knocked down one 3-pointer and attempted just two free throws — after taking a combined 22 free throws in his previous two contests.

Taking on more of the playmaking duties, he finished with seven assists for the second straight game, but I see him tilting his game further toward scoring here. And that should translate to the kind of volume needed to cash in the Over on his points prop.

While the Spurs will look to force the ball out of KD’s hands and live with other Phoenix players getting good looks, the Suns likely need something closer to Durant’s numbers against the L.A. Lakers from a week ago when he took 28 shots on the way to 39 points.

Victor Wembanyama’s rim protection may cut off some of Durant’s drives into the paint, but Phoenix’s go-to scorer can get his shot off against just about anyone else in this San Antonio rotation. 

It’s still early days but the Suns won’t want to slip below .500. I like these odds for an aggressive Durant to take over on his home floor.

Kevin Durant prop: Over 28.5 points (-109 at Caesars)