It is a loaded NBA slate on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, with eight total matchups occurring across the slate. Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics are set to face the Golden State Warriors, tipping off at 5:00 p.m. ET.
Boston holds a record of 29-13 on the season, sitting in second place in the Eastern Conference. Tatum continues to be a driving force in the team’s production and is averaging 27.7 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 5.4 assists on the season.
It has not been as positive of a start for the Golden State Warriors, who hold a record of 21-20 in 11th place in the Western Conference. Tonight they’ll have a difficult battle matching up against the defending champions. The Dubs’ struggles will be compounded by their injury issues. Draymond Green, Jonathan Kuminga, Brandin Podziemski, and Kyle Anderson will all miss tonight’s game while Steph Curry is listed as questionable.
The Celtics enter this game as 10-point favorites and -455 on the Moneyline. The Warriors hold +350 odds on the Moneyline on DraftKings Sportsbook. The game total is set at 224.
While these odds may shift depending on the status of Curry, here is a look at my favorite Jayson Tatum prop bets ahead of tonight’s matchup.
Best Jayson Tatum Prop Bets on DraftKings Sportsbook
Tatum’s props are listed at over/under 26.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 3.5 made three-pointers and 40.5 combined points, rebounds and assists.
Jayson Tatum Over 26.5 Points (-105)
The Celtics’ superstar is averaging 27.7 points per game this season and has recorded over 26.5 points in 22 of the 39 games he has played. Tatum also has recorded over 26.5 points in three of the past four matchups with the Warriors, including dropping 32 points in their lone matchup this year.
Golden State initially looked to be leaning on more of a defensive-minded approach to the season but have fallen off significantly after their 12-3 start. Looking at the season-long sample size, the Warriors rank eighth in points allowed, ninth in opponents field goal percentage, and 12th in opponents three-point percentage.
While Boston is loaded with talent on the roster, Tatum is still the epicenter of their offense. He has struggled to shoot the ball of late, connecting on just 31.4% of his three-point attempts in January, but still has seen plenty of shot opportunities.
Expect the injury concerns to play a factor in this matchup from Golden State’s perspective. Draymond Green and Jonathan Kuminga are both likely players who would have spent some time matching up with Tatum if they were healthy. Tatum has scored 30+ points in two of the past four games and will have the spotlight on him with this matchup being the lone game taking place at 5:00 p.m. ET. Look for Tatum to start the game in attack mode and pave his way to recording over 26.5 points for the 23rd time this season.
Jayson Tatum to Record 7+ Assists (+265)
The standard over/under for Tatum’s assists is set at 4.5 for this matchup, with the over favored at -140 odds. The Duke product is averaging 5.4 assists per game this season. Tatum has recorded over 4.5 assists in 21 of the 39 games he has played and reached seven assists in 12 games already.
Golden State’s defense can over-help at times, which often paves the way for assists created within the flow of play. They rank 16th in the league in assists allowed. This concern could be magnified considering the injuries the roster is already facing.
Tatum recorded seven assists against the Hawks the last time he suited up, and has reached this total in two of the past three games. The +265 odds rightfully indicate this is a big swing, but I expect Tatum to be in attack mode early and for this to open up some passing lanes later in the game. The NBA Champion is capable of picking apart a defense regardless of what is thrown in his direction.
Look for Tatum to put his fingerprints all over this matchup and have success creating shots for others. While I like the -140 odds of Tatum recording over 4.5 assists, the +265 odds of reaching seven assists are worth a swing tonight.
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