We have eight great NBA games on the odds board tonight, which means a massive menu of betting options, including NBA player props.
I scoured these matchups and prop markets for my best NBA picks and predictions for Thursday, January 9, including Orlando Magic star Paolo Banchero making an immediate difference on the glass in his return.
Best NBA player props today
Mitchell Over 21.5 points (OTB at bet365) 
Banchero Over 4.5 rebounds (-120 at bet365) 
Markkanen Under 25.5 points (-120 at bet365)
Picks made on 1-9 at 10:00 a.m. ET.
NBA player props for January 9
Prop bet #1: Donovan Mitchell Over 21.5 points
Editors note: Donovan Mitchell has been ruled out of tonight's game.
OTB at bet365
The Cleveland Cavaliers scored a huge win over Oklahoma City and now see a significant downtick in competition, with the Toronto Raptors rolling into town.
The Cavs won Wednesday’s battle of the NBA’s top teams despite an off night from star guard Donovan Mitchell, who finished just 3-for-16 from the floor for 11 points.
“Spida” has had a slow start to 2025, putting up efforts of 15, 19, and 11 points in the first three games of January. That’s a significant slump in scoring after averaging more than 23 points in the first three months of the schedule and has Mitchell’s points prop at a long-time low of 21.5 O/U.
The Raptors won’t present the same defensive challenges as top-rated OKC, with Toronto sitting 27th in advanced defensive rating. The Raps do a poor job protecting the perimeter with those issues compounded by an elite 3-point shooting team in Cleveland and a sharpshooter like Mitchell.
He’s already put up 21 and 26 points in wins over the Raps earlier this year, knocking down 5 of 9 triples in their most recent matchup, and his NBA player projections for Thursday are very positive.
Mitchell’s forecasts range from 22.4 to as high as 26.3, with my number coming out just shy of 25 points for the Cavaliers superstar. That projection should have the Over 21.5 points priced as high as -165 but you can find it at -115 at bet365.
Prop bet #2: Paolo Banchero Over 4.5 Rebounds
The Orlando Magic welcome star Paolo Banchero back for his first game since October after he missed 33 contests with a torn oblique.
His return couldn’t come at a better time for the Magic. The frontcourt has been decimated, with fellow forwards Franz and Moritz Wagner out, and guards Gary Harris and Jalen Suggs also sidelined.
Banchero will likely log limited minutes tonight, at least compared to his normal workload, but even with his floor time trimmed, the 6-foot-10 forward is projected to have an impact on the boards.
Player models all sit north of his rebounding prop total of 4.5 O/U, with some calling for six — even with limited playing time. My number sits at 5.5 rebounds against the Minnesota Timberwolves tonight.
While Banchero only played five games before getting hurt, he averaged almost nine rebounds in that span. His scoring and playmaking will need game reps to shake off the rust, but rebounding doesn’t require the same touch.
Prop bet #3: Lauri Markkanen Under 25.5 Points
This is a buyback spot on Lauri Markkanen, who is coming off a monster 35-point performance against Atlanta on Tuesday.
The Utah Jazz forward shot 11-for-21 from the field, including eight makes from beyond the arc — a huge jump from his season average of around three triples a night. That effort has ballooned his scoring prop to 25.5 points O/U vs. the Miami Heat.
Markkanen is getting additional touches with injuries to some of Utah’s key contributors, with John Collins, Keyonte George, and reserve Jordan Clarkson all out of action. He has, however, scored 26 points or more only six times in his 29 outings this season.
The 7-footer faced the Miami Heat just last week, scoring 15 points on 6-of-13 shooting, and played only 27 minutes in that one-sided win. Player projections for this rematch like Markkanen to surpass 20 points but not much more, with those models topping out at 23 points.
Miami is a quality defensive side that plays a very methodical pace, which limits its opponents’ possessions. The Heat have a solid stopper in athletic center Bam Adebayo, who can defend Markkanen both inside and out.
With my projection for Markkanen coming out to 21.5 points, the Under on 25.5 O/U should be priced north of -200. I’ll gladly grab Under 25.5 at -120 with this inflated total.
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NBA odds today
Here are the full NBA odds for all of today’s matchups.
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