The Los Angeles Lakers are rolling with their new superstar duo of Luka Doncic and LeBron James, but with only one ball in the game, there's only so many assists to go around. That's why my NBA picks are fading King James on his assists prop tonight.
See why I'm also backing a pair of under-the-radar sophomores with my best free NBA player props for Thursday, March 6.
Best NBA player props today
Gueye Over 3.5 rebounds (+115 at bet365) 
Hawkins Over 9.5 points (-110 at bet365) 
James Under 7.5 assists (-135 at bet365)
NBA player props for March 6
Mouhamed Gueye Over 3.5 rebounds (+115 at bet365)
Mouhamed Gueye has started in his last eight games for the Atlanta Hawks. While he averaged just 13.5 minutes per game in the first seven starts during that stretch, he logged a career-high 25 minutes in his last contest.
That came against the Bucks on Tuesday and he impressed, dropping 15 points with five boards and two steals. The 6-foot-10 forward has logged more than 20 minutes in three games this season and was productive on the glass in each, grabbing 12 boards on February 7 and pulling down seven on January 28.
Given how well Gueye played on Tuesday, expect to see him continue to get playing time with vet Clint Capela coming off the bench. That should result in him eclipsing 3.5 boards against an Indiana Pacers squad that plays at a fast pace and ranks second-last in the NBA in rebounding rate.
Jordan Hawkins Over 9.5 points (-110 at bet365)
It's been an up-and-down season for Jordan Hawkins, who started strong (17+ points in five of his first seven games) before injuries and a reserve role suppressed his numbers. However, with Brandon Ingram traded away and Dejounte Murray out with a season-ending injury, Hawkins is back to getting consistent minutes and shots.
The sophomore guard came off the bench to drop 17 points in 29 minutes in his last game and has now scored in double digits in five of his last six contests.
On the surface, this might look like a tough matchup for Hawkins and the New Orleans Pelicans, who face the Houston Rockets. However, the Rockets are a modest 15th in the league in defensive rating since the start of January and have been playing at a faster pace over the last few weeks.
Houston has been tough to attack inside but has a middle-of-the-pack defense at midrange and the perimeter, which is where Hawkins does most of his damage.
LeBron James Under 7.5 assists (-135 at bet365)
Luka Doncic has now played nine games with the Los Angeles Lakers and we're starting to get a feel for how he fits alongside LeBron James.
With both high-usage players sharing the rock, it made sense that some of King James' numbers would tick down. We've seen that in particular in the assists category where James has gone below 6.5 assists in six of his last seven games.
Before that stretch, James was averaging 9.0 assists and 16.2 potential assists per game but that's dropped to 5.1 and 12.1, respectively, since. James and the Lakers are also facing a New York Knicks side that plays at the seventh-slowest pace in the league.
James' assists total tonight opened at 6.5 with the Under priced at +110. The Over took early money and moved the line to 7.5 but I'm going against the line movement and paying the juice to take the Under.
Cash your ML bets quicker with bet365's early win payout
Take advantage of the early win payout at bet365, where any pre-game NBA moneyline bet gets paid out as a winner if your team goes up by 20+ points!
Learn more about this feature, and all of bet365's offerings, with our comprehensive bet365 review.
21+. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.
NBA odds today
Here are the full NBA odds for all of today’s matchups.
Not intended for use in MA.
Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
