Some of the best teams in the NBA take the court tonight which means there’s plenty of star power to be found in the player prop markets.
I’ve scoured the odds and found my three favorites, including ones for Giannis Antetokounmpo and Joel Embiid.
Check out my NBA picks for Thursday, January 2.
Best NBA player props today
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Turner o13.5 pts (-115 at bet365) -
Antetokounmpo o5.5 asts (-115 at bet365) -
Embiid u27.5 pts (-115 at bet365)
Picks made on 1-2 at 4:00 p.m. ET.
NBA player props for January 2
Prop bet #1: Myles Turner Over 13.5 points
It has been a disappointing season for the Indiana Pacers. They enter tonight’s game against the Miami Heat with a 16-18 record and have dropped three of their last four games.
But to be fair, those games were against the Milwaukee Bucks, Boston Celtics and Oklahoma City Thunder. And despite the losing record, the Pacers are just 2.5 games behind the Heat in the standings. So, a win tonight would be a step in the right direction.
Obtaining that win will likely mean getting another solid performance out of center Myles Turner. The Indiana big man has seen his scoring average dip a bit this season, dropping to 14.9 points per game, but he’s found his shooting rhythm lately.
Turner is averaging 15 points per game on 54.3% from the floor over his last eight games and while a matchup with Bam Adebayo and the Heat looks tough on the surface, it isn’t as bad as you may think.
While the Heat rank a solid 10th in defensive rating, they are a middling 15th when it comes to opponent points in the paint.
Turner has already played the Heat twice this season. The first he only put up nine points on seven shots, but in the second he went 14-for-23 from the floor for 34 points. I think somewhere in the middle of that is a much more reasonable outcome.
Turner’s points prop is sitting at 13.5. He’s gone Over that number in five of his last eight games and our Covers Prop Projections have him sitting at 15.9 points for this one. Give me the Over.
Prop bet #2: Giannis Antetokounmpo Over 5.5 assists
It feels kind of like Giannis Antetokounmpo is quietly just going about his business this season and putting up another MVP-level performance.
The Milwaukee Bucks superstar enters tonight’s game against the Brooklyn Nets averaging 32.6 points, 11.6 rebounds, and 6.0 assists per game this season.
Now, Giannis will make just his second appearance since missing four games due to illness but it didn’t look like he was showing any ill effects, putting up 30 points, 12 rebounds, and five assists against the Indiana Pacers.
Tonight, the Bucks will be big 13.5-point favorites when they take on the Brooklyn Nets. The Nets are 12-21 for the season, have lost eight of their last 10, and will be playing the second half of a back-to-back after losing to the Toronto Raptors last night.
Suffice it to say, the Nets look ripe for the picking for Giannis and the Bucks. That said, I like Antetokounmpo to try and get his teammates more involved in this matchup. We’ve seen a bit of a dip in his assist numbers lately, but I like him to dish out the dimes against a Brooklyn team that ranks 26th in opponent assists per possession.
Our Covers Prop Projections have Giannis at 6.4 assists. I like the Over tonight with his prop sitting at 5.5.
Prop bet #3: Joel Embiid Under 27.5 points
Call me a Joel Embiid hater. But I just don’t think the Philadelphia 76ers’ big man is in a good place this season and I will find spots to fade him in certain matchups, including in tonight’s game against Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors.
Injuries, illness, and a suspension have limited Embiid to only 11 games played this season but he has suited up in seven of Philly’s last 10 games. In those seven games, the former MVP is averaging 26 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game and I’ve gotta say those are some inefficient 26 points.
Embiid is shooting just 48.4% from the field on 18 attempts per game during that seven-game stretch. His season-long effective field goal percentage of 48.6% is the worst of his career and I wouldn’t expect it to get better against the Warriors.
The Dubs are a rock-solid defensive team. They enter this matchup ranked ninth in defensive rating and seventh in opponent eFG%. Golden State also does a great job of clogging up the interior. The Warriors rank fourth in the NBA in opponent points in the paint per game.
Embiid’s point total for this one is sitting at 27.5. Our Covers prop projections have him at just 24.3. He’s played below this number in six of his 11 games this season and I’m betting the Warriors keep him below it once again.
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NBA odds today
Here are the full NBA odds for all of today’s matchups.
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