Nikola Jokic continues to look like the best player in the world, and he's in line for another efficient performance today against a banged-up 76ers frontcourt.
My NBA picks for Tuesday, January 21 are also backing the NBA player props of LeBron James while fading D'Angelo Russell.
Best NBA player props today
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Russell Under 15.5 points (-110 at bet365) -
Jokic Under 2.5 turnovers (-135 at bet365) -
James Over 24.5 points (-115 at bet365)
NBA player props for January 21
D'Angelo Russell Under 15.5 points
D'Angelo Russell is coming off a nine-point performance against the Thunder, during which he made just six field goal attempts in 24 minutes.
The Brooklyn Nets traded for Russell on December 29 in the hopes he could add a spark to a lineup desperately needing scoring punch. Unfortunately, Russel's ice-cold shooting (41.7 FG%) has followed him from L.A., and he's been held to 13 points or fewer in four of his last five games.
Tonight, Russell and the Nets face a New York Knicks squad that plays at the sixth-slowest pace in the league and has been solid on defense. Russell is also dealing with a hamstring injury, and while he was upgraded to probable, he'll likely be less than 100%.
Nikola Jokic Under 2.5 turnovers
Not only is Nikola Jokic a triple-double machine, but the Denver Nuggets center does a great job taking care of the ball despite a sky-high usage rate.
The O/U for Jokic's turnovers tonight is set at 2.5, a number he has eclipsed just once in his last 13 games. There are a lot of reasons to expect the three-time NBA MVP to go below that number again today against a struggling Philadelphia 76ers squad.
Not only is Joel Embiid still sidelined by ongoing knee issues, but backups Andre Drummond and Guerschon Yabusele are questionable as well. Jokic might not be guarded by a starting-caliber NBA player, and with the Sixers playing at the third-slowest pace in the league, there will also be fewer possessions.
In addition, the 76ers are 13.5-point road underdogs and if the Nuggets get up big early, Jokic could have his playing time limited.
LeBron James Over 24.5 points
The Washington Wizards are on a 10-game losing streak and their West Coast road trip continues as they head to Crypto.com Arena tonight to face the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Wizards are the worst team in the NBA, and poor defensive play is the primary reason. They are dead last in the league in defensive rating and fourth in pace, which has resulted in them allowing a league-high 122.8 ppg.
That should make it much easier for LeBron James to do whatever he wants on the offensive end of the floor. The future Hall-of-Famer is coming off a 25-point performance against the Clippers, and he's been more assertive as a scorer over the last couple of months.
James averaged 22.0 ppg through his first 21 games of the season, but that number has surged to 26.3 ppg over his last 22 contests.
Lakers leading scorer Anthony Davis is also a game-time decision tonight (as opposed to all the other times where he's been listed as questionable but played), and if he sits, that would mean even more shots for King James.
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NBA odds today
Here are the full NBA odds for all of today’s matchups.
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