3 Best NBA Player Prop Bets for Thursday 12/26/24
The beauty of the NBA is you will never be short on prop-betting options for a given slate.
From points to steals and three-pointers, FanDuel Sportsbook's NBA odds are overflowing with possibilities. We're here to help you sift through it all.
Using FanDuel Research's daily NBA projections as a guide, here are some NBA player prop bets that look appealing on FanDuel.
Please note: lines and projections are subject to change throughout the day after this article is published. All NBA odds come from FanDuel Sportsbook.
Today's Best NBA Player Prop Picks
Utah Jazz at Portland Trail Blazers
Anfernee Simons Over 24.5 Pts + Ast (+100)
Anfernee Simons has a great shot to punch above his weight class in tonight's soft matchup against the Utah Jazz.
Simons is averaging 22.2 combined points and assists (PA) and has cleared 24.5 PA at a 50.0% clip this season -- right in line with the 50% implied probability courtesy of these +100 odds.
The kicker? Utah comes in with the worst defensive rating in the league. Simons is averaging a massive 28.3 PA against the bottom 10 defenses in the NBA. He sailed past 24.5 PA in six out of seven games in this split (85.7%). In the lone miss, Simons was reduced to 28 minutes in a 42-point blowout.
To add, the Jazz are playing at the 12th-fastest pace in the league. They're also letting up the second-most three-point attempts (3PA) and three-point makes (3PM) per game. Simons nets 42.5% of his points from behind the arc and is due for positive three-point shooting regression based on his long-term averages. With Utah coughing up the third-most points and sixth-most assists per 36 minutes to guards, it's easy to like Simons in this spot.
Oklahoma City Thunder at Indiana Pacers
Tyrese Haliburton Over 25.5 Pts + Ast (-122)
Tyrese Haliburton is starting to put his early season struggles behind him, and I want to trail his success while the market is still meh on him.
The Indiana Pacers are riding a five-game winning streak. Haliburton is averaging 29.4 PA in this span, up from 26.6 PA on the season.
Tonight, Indy will fight to keep that streak alive against a tough Oklahoma City Thunder group. The Pacers (6th) and Thunder (11th) each play at an accelerated pace, which should aid Haliburton's counting stats. He's netting 29.4 PA versus fellow top 14 pace teams and cleared 25.5 PA in six out of eight (75.0%) of these contests.
It doesn't hurt that the Pacers will play this one on their home court. Haliburton's home vs. away stats are drastic -- he's accumulating only 23.9 PA on the road but manages a massive 30.4 PA at home. He has gone over 25.5 PA in 8 out of 12 games (66.7%) at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
OKC has the top defense in the league but will be knocked down a peg with Alex Caruso (hip) out. Caruso leads the entire NBA in defensive rating and would have drawn a key assignment opposite Haliburton.
Our NBA projections expect Haliburton to net a stampeding 29.5 PA in this one.
Chicago Bulls at Atlanta Hawks
Coby White Over 25.5 Pts + Reb + Ast (+100)
From a game environment perspective, this Chicago Bulls-Atlanta Hawks showdown takes the cake for Thursday's slate. The Hawks (2nd) and Bulls (3rd) operate at two of the fastest paces in the league, leaving us with a slate-high 242.5 over/under.
Both clubs' starting point guards have an ideal outlook. Let's start with Coby White.
White is averaging 25.3 combined points, rebounds, and assists (PRA). Tonight's date with an Atlanta group that ranks second in pace and 18th in defensive rating could do wonders for his stats.
Here's a look at White's PRA output in games against teams that fare in the top 10 of pace and the bottom 25 of defensive rating: 32, 31, 35, 33, 33, 14, and 27 PRA.
Coby averaged 29.3 PRA in this split. He achieved north of 26 PRA in all but one game and notched 31-plus PRA in five out of seven contests. The lone miss came against the Dallas Mavericks, who rank 11th in defense. White went an uncharacteristic 3-for-13 from the field in that one.
It's hard to deny White in a matchup like this. Our projections forecast him to log 28.3 PRA.
Trae Young To Score 25+ Points (+110)
Let's turn our focus to Trae Young, who has been scoring 29.0 points per game across his last three.
Young's hot-and-cold nature has been on display this season. He's scored 24-plus points in just as many games (11) as he's scored 18 or fewer points (11). The Bulls, who rank third in pace and 25th in defense, could bring out his hot side tonight.
Trae is averaging 24.5 points against the bottom 12 defenses in the league. He notched 25 at a 53.8% clip in this 13-game split, but these +110 odds imply only a 47.6% probability.
In eight games against clubs that fare in the bottom 12 of defense and the top 20 of pace, Young is netting 25.1 points and hit the quarter mark at a 62.5% rate.
Chicago surrenders the fifth-most 3PA per game, as well as the seventh-most points to opposing guards. In turn, our projections have Young down for 25.9 points this evening.
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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.
