NBA Player Props for Thursday, 12/18: Best Bets & Predictions Today
What kind of performances can we expect from Ivica Zubac, Tyus Jones, and Kevin Porter Jr.? Follow along as our NBA betting analyst, Nick Galaida, breaks down three of his favorite NBA prop bets for Thursday, December 18th. Get all of Nick’s picks, including more NBA plays, by subscribing to the RotoGrinders Props & Pick’em package.
NBA fans will be treated to a bountiful 12-game slate on Thursday, which begins at 7:00 PM ET. Plenty of the game’s biggest and brightest stars are scheduled to be in action, including Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Victor Wembanyama, and Stephen Curry.
Unfortunately, there are also quite a few big names on the NBA injury report. Giannis Antetokounmpo, James Harden, and Kristaps Porzingis will be sidelined. Trae Young, LaMelo Ball, and Anthony Davis are each listed as questionable as of this writing.
Per usual, keep an eye on the status of key players as we get closer to game time, and be sure to use tools like CourtIQ and our NBA starting lineups page to search for inefficiencies in the player prop and DFS markets.
Below, you can find 3 of my favorite picks for Thursday, December 18th!
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Best NBA Player Props for Thursday, December 18th
Here are my top player prop bets for today, with tip-off scheduled for 7:00 PM ET on Thursday, December 18th:
- Ivica Zubac Over/Under 26.5 Points + Rebounds + Assists
- Tyus Jones Over/Under 11.5 Points + Rebounds + Assists
- Kevin Porter Jr. Over/Under 6.5 Assists
Ivica Zubac OVER 26.5 Points + Rebounds + Assists (-112, FanDuel)
FANDUELTonight will be only the 2nd game that James Harden has missed this season, but we can still put together reasonable projections for the Clippers by using CourtIQ.
Last season, Zubac averaged 18.8 points, 13.5 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per 36 minutes with Harden off of the floor. Through 26 games this season, he’s averaging 14.2 points, 13.7 rebounds, and 2 assists per 36 minutes with Harden off of the floor.
There is obviously blowout risk here, facing the Thunder. But there is a blowout risk in every modern NBA game. The market seems to be slightly deflating Zubac’s prop here based on the matchup.
Tyus Jones UNDER 11.5 Points + Rebounds + Assists (-115, bet365)
BET365Jones may seem like a logical candidate to see an expanded role with Jalen Suggs on the mend, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see Orlando turn to more youthful options instead.
When Suggs had to remove himself from the team’s NBA Cup semifinal matchup against the Knicks this past Saturday, it was Anthony Black and Jase Richardson who saw the greatest bump in playing time. Black had a strong 2nd half, and Richardson impressed with 9 points and 2 assists in only 8 minutes of playing time.
Jones is averaging only 4.1 points, 1.5 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per 24 minutes with Suggs off of the floor this season, and 24 minutes might be an aggressive projection for his playing time tonight. There is likely some value on this under.
Kevin Porter Jr. OVER 6.5 Assists (-149, DraftKings)
DRAFTKINGSAccording to CourtIQ, Porter has averaged 7.1 assists per 30 minutes this season with Giannis Antetokounmpo off of the floor. In 4 games with Antetokounmpo unavailable, Porter has yet to have fewer than 6 assists or 16 potential assists.
Tonight, he gets to face a Toronto defense that ranks 18th in assists allowed to guards during their last 8 games. Porter should continue to operate as the team’s leading facilitator in this matchup, creating some value on the over.
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