Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokić has won three of the last four Most Valuable Player awards and is currently the favorite to win his fourth, which would put him in elite company with LeBron James and Bill Russell as the only players to win four MVPs in a five-year span. But first, Jokić must contend with the Golden State Warriors as they come to visit Ball Arena for a 10 p.m. ET tipoff in the final group stage game of Emirates NBA Cup West Group C action. The Nuggets have a narrow path to advance; they must win and hope for a litany of other results to go their way.
Overall, it’s been an up-and-down season for the 2022-23 champions, who have struggled to gain any semblance of momentum. Denver sits at just 10-8, ninth in the crowded Western Conference standings, and have struggled with depth and defense. The one constant has been the brilliance of Jokić, who is averaging an absurd 29.6 points, 13.2 rebounds, and 10.7 assists so far this season.
On DraftKings Sportsbook, the Nuggets (-185) are moderate favorites and the point total is set to 237. Below, I’ve highlighted my favorite prop bet centered around the Serbian superstar.
Best Nikola Jokić Prop Bets on DraftKings Sportsbook
Nikola Jokić to Record a Triple-Double (+100)
Let’s start with something that Jokić has somehow done in eight of his 15 games so far this season. The Joker has always been the focal point of Denver’s offense, but with its second unit’s struggles — the Nuggets bench has been outscored by a larger margin than any other reserve unit in the league — he has had to take on an even bigger responsibility this year. He’s averaging a career-high 37.5 minutes per game, and his 29.8% usage rate would be the second-highest mark of his career.
For all of Golden State’s defensive strengths, it struggles to defend the interior, and the Nuggets offense is most dangerous when Jokić is able to control the post. Jokić enjoys both high volume and high efficiency on elbow touches and post touches, which should allow him to excel against an undersized Warriors front line.
Nikola Jokić 15+ Rebounds (+165)
Not only does Jokić have a good chance of posting a triple-double, he could also put up gaudy rebounding totals against the Warriors, given their aforementioned size concerns. Golden State concedes an average of 46.5 rebounds per game to opposing players, the fourth-highest total in the NBA. Given that power forward Draymond Green, one of the better pound-for-pound rebounders in basketball, will miss tonight’s game with a calf injury, I like Jokić to reach the 15-rebound mark for the sixth time this season.
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