The NBA starts off the week with an 8-game slate on Monday. After 3 games went to overtime last night, today’s slate has a lot to live up to. With the 2 leading teams in each of the conferences taking to the floor, they certainly have the capabilities of doing just that. You can find our expert NBA picks for each of tonight’s matchups, but for now, let’s dive into my best NBA player props for Monday below.
Best NBA player prop bet: Jakob Poeltl over 12.5 points (-118)
Jakob Poeltl is starting to find his rhythm for the Toronto Raptors. The center has scored 20 or more points in each of his last 2 games. He has had an incredibly efficient start to the month too making 77.8% of his field goal attempts. Tonight, he will be matched up against Charlotte Hornets rookie Ryan Kalkbrenner, where his experience should be telling. The Hornets are 22nd in the league in opponent points in the paint, an area the Austrian thrives in. Kalkbrenner is also a keen shot blocker, averaging 2.2 per game. With the Raptors 3rd in the league in assists per game, they have enough quality passers who can get to the paint, draw the rookie out and dish the ball off to Poeltl. Look for another efficient scoring night from the center.
Read our full Hornets vs Raptors prediction
NBA player prop bet: Kel’el Ware over 1.5 blocks (+116)
With Bam Adebayo out for the Miami Heat, Kel’el Ware will be the one that will be anchoring the defense. His last 5 games he has managed to record 3 or more blocks on 3 occasions. That includes a game against tonight’s opponents the New York Knicks. Being matched up against a team with an undersized guard in Jalen Brunson who likes to mixed things up in the paint should allow the Heat center to be a factor as a help defender. He should see no shortage of minutes tonight either, having played 35 in his last outing, up 11 from his season average. Considering he has not had more than 4 fouls in a game so far this season either, it’s not something that should keep him off the floor here. Look for him to have another big impact defensively tonight with his increased time on the floor.
Check out our expert’s NBA best bets for all 8 games tonight!
NBA player prop bet: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander over 1.5 steals (-114)
Another player that should have a strong defensive showing tonight is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The Oklahoma City Thunder star has managed 2 or more steals in 5 straight games. Tonight, he will be matched up against rookie Jeremiah Fears, who has been prone to mistakes of late. The New Orleans Pelicans guard is averaging 3 turnover per game this month including 5 in 26 minutes the last time these sides faced off. On current form, Gilgeous-Alexander should be capable of picking him off on a couple of occasions. His opponents as a whole are in the bottom 10 in the NBA in opponent steals per game. Look for the Thunder to apply the pressure on their ball handlers throughout the night as a result and for the reigning MVP to benefit from it in the box score.
Read our full Thunder vs Pelicans prediction
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