After a full night off on Tuesday, the NBA is returning with a full 12-game slate of action tonight.
There are several notable games on the slate. This includes the Golden State Warriors traveling to Boston to face the Celtics following the controversial decisions at the Olympics. In addition, Paul George will be returning to Los Angeles for the first time as the Clippers face the Sixers. The Lakers will also face the Grizzlies and the Heat will take on the Suns as a part of tonight’s NBA matchups.
This jam-packed slate of games presents plenty of intrigue and provides numerous options on the betting board. While you can check out each matchup on DraftKings Sportsbook, here are my favorite player props for November 6.
Jayson Tatum Over 30.5 Points (-110)
While some of the Olympic storylines have been overblown, there is a human element to this matchup that cannot be overlooked. Shortly removed from getting over the NBA Championship hump, Jayson Tatum was benched by Steve Kerr at the Olympics while Finals MVP Jaylen Brown did not even receive an invite to the team. While Tatum has said all the right things publicly, there will be some added intensity to this game.
Beyond this, Tatum has been playing MVP-level basketball to start the season. Through the first eight games, Tatum has averaged 30.0 points, 7.4 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game. He has tallied 32+ points in four of the eight games, including recording 37 points in three different games.
Boston is leading the NBA in scoring as a team and Tatum will continue to headline its attack. He is also attempting a career-high 11.6 three-pointers, with his previous high for a season being 9.3 per game. Expect him to be in attack mode once again and for Tatum to have plenty of opportunity to fill up the score sheet. He is freshly off a 37-point performance on Monday and should be expected to replicate this level of scoring and record over 30.5 points in tonight’s matchup.
Alperen Şengün Under 18.5 Points (-120)
The Houston Rockets are set to face off with the San Antonio Spurs for the third time already this season. This is a particularly tough matchup for Alperen Şengün, who has been unable to overcome the monstrous 7-foot-4 frame Victor Wembanyama possesses. The Defensive Player of the Year favorite’s 8-foot wingspan has prevented Şengün from being able to lean heavily on his array of post moves he is so effective at. In the two games against the Spurs so far, Şengün has been held to 18 total points on 7-22 shooting from the field.
There is still plenty of reason for optimism for Şengün on the season. Overall, he is averaging 16.4 points, 12.3 rebounds and 3.9 assists through the opening seven games. However, he has eclipsed 18.5 points just twice and Şengün’s two lowest scoring totals have each been against Wembanyama and the Spurs. Expect this to continue to be a bad matchup for Şengün and for him to fall short of 18.5 points once again.
LeBron James Over 40.5 Points, Rebounds & Assists (-125)
The Los Angeles Lakers have taken a slight step back from their strong start to the season. They have lost three of their last four and will now be facing the Memphis Grizzlies. Most notably, injury issues have begun to pop up for Anthony Davis. The nine-time All-Star is listed as questionable for this game battling a foot injury. Davis is averaging an NBA-best 32.6 points along with 11.6 rebounds and 3.0 assists so far this season, so he will leave some big shoes to fill if he is not able to play or is limited in his abilities.
Enter LeBron James, who has been quiet compared to his sky-high standards to start the season. The 40-year-old has averaged 21.9 points, 7.7 assists and 6.9 rebounds. It is still very early in the season, but this would be James’ lowest-scoring total since his rookie year and his lowest rebounding total since the 2014-15 season. The four-time MVP does not look to have taken a step back physically and it should be expected for these numbers to grow moving forward.
Expect that to start tonight and for James to pick up some of the slack with Davis banged up. James has tallied over 40.5 combined points, rebounds and assists twice already this season, so expect him to be in the ballpark of his best statistical output of any game this season in tonight’s game.
Russell Westbrook Under 7.5 Assists (-148)
The Denver Nuggets made a somewhat controversial decision when they elected to bring in Russell Westbrook in free agency. While he has one of the most accomplished basketball resumes in NBA history, Westbrook has been largely criticized for his talent not translating to team success. This has especially been the case in the later stages of his career where he has been forced to take a reduced role.
Through the opening seven games, Westbrook is averaging 10.0 points, 4.7 assists and 3.7 rebounds across his 24.3 minutes of action. So far this season, he has reached seven assists in a game just once and has not recorded over 7.5 assists in any of the seven games. He has tallied five or fewer in five of these matchups.
Denver is set to face off with the Oklahoma City Thunder tonight. While injuries continue to pile up, with Aaron Gordon being the most recent, it would take a significant increase in opportunity or production to clear this line. Expect Westbrook to record under 7.5 assists for the eighth consecutive game as Denver continues to tinker with his best usage.
Paul George Over 29.5 Points, Rebounds & Assists (-120)
There will be plenty of eyes on the Intuit Dome tonight as Paul George faces off with his former team for the first time since electing to leave in free agency. George will be playing in just his second game with the Sixers due to the bone bruise he suffered in preseason. He made his debut Monday against the Suns, tallying 15 points, five rebounds and four assists while playing on a minutes limit.
With the rust now kicked off, George’s minutes being scaled up, and the added intensity of playing his former team, expect a more prominent statistical output for George in his second game. Even in his debut, the opportunities were there for George, but he shot just 4-14 from the field and 1-7 on three-pointers.
The Sixers will need a strong performance from George across the board in this game if they are going to be competitive. Philadelphia ranks 26th in rebounding as a team and last in assists, with this mostly due to the play before George returned. Throughout his career, he has averaged 20.8 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists. There will be plenty of energy in the air as George likely receives a tribute video to a chorus of boos and I expect him to seize the moment and tally over 29.5 combined points, rebounds and assists.
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All odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.
I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is seanbarnard) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.
