Last night the NBA delivered some surprising results with the Toronto Raptors and New Orleans Pelicans pulling off upsets against the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs, respectively. With another strong 7-game slate for Monday, more upsets could be in store to kick start the week.
Make sure to check out all of our NBA previews for all of tonight’s games. But first, take a look at my favorite player props for Monday below.
Andre Drummond (PHI) to record 10+ rebounds (-105)
With Joel Embiid confirmed out for the Philadelphia 76ers, Andre Drummond looks set to play a key role tonight against the Charlotte Hornets. The area where he can make the biggest impact will be on the glass. So far this month Drummond is averaging pretty much 1 rebound for every 2 minutes of playing time. The last time he faced off against the Hornets, he even improved on that ratio — getting 13 rebounds in 16 minutes. If he logs in the mid-20 minutes of playing time, he could do damage in this category.
The Hornets are a favorable opponent. Ryan Kalkbrenner and Moussa Diabate are going to be lining up at center this evening. While Diabate can be an efficient rebounder, he will be giving up a massive weight advantage to Drummond. As a result, whenever the veteran center establishes position in the post, do not expect him to be moved. The 76ers are a top-10 team in the league in defensive rating over the last 10 games, which should force plenty of misses for Drummond to pull down.
Jalen Smith (CHI) Over 1.5 made threes (-112)
The Chicago Bulls have been getting very consistent production off the bench from Jalen Smith of late. Not only is he a factor on the glass, but he has also done a terrific job of spacing the floor, too. He has knocked down 2 or more 3-pointers in 6 straight games, not shooting below 40% from beyond the arc in any of those contests. His minutes have been strong as a result, as well, managing 27 or more in 4 of his last 5 games. Smith should spend enough time on the floor in this one to give him opportunities to get his shots off.
The Lakers have not been particularly strong at defending the perimeter this season, ranking 25th in opponent 3-point percentage. With that type of form, it is hard to see them impact the recent efficiency of the Bulls’ center. They do, however, have Luka Doncic running point. Considering that he is somewhat of a pick-and-roll savant, he could make life very difficult for a center like Nikola Vucevic. Do not be surprised to see the Bulls turn to a more mobile option in Smith for longer stretches, giving him a bigger opportunity to make an impact offensively from beyond the arc, too.
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