For the Memphis Grizzlies — who are third in the Western Conference — the face of the franchise is Ja Morant. Memphis will get at least one All-Star, and Morant — averaging 21.4 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 7.5 assists per game — would be a fine choice. But if it were up to me, the Grizzlies’ All-Star would be Jaren Jackson Jr.
Not only is Jackson playing his typical game-wrecking defense — he’s the only player in the NBA to average at least 1.5 steals and 1.5 blocks per game — he’s arguably having the best offensive season of his career, averaging 22.6 points, 6.3 assists, and 2.1 rebounds per game on 49-34-78 shooting splits.
Memphis will have a relatively difficult matchup at 2:30 p.m. ET against four-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert and the Minnesota Timberwolves. Minnesota has been one of the biggest disappointments this year, with a 22-20 record, good only for eighth in the West.
On DraftKings Sportsbook, the Grizzlies are six-point favorites and the total is set for 237. Below, I’ve highlighted my favorite prop bets centered around Triple J.
Best Jaren Jackson Jr. Prop Bets on DraftKings Sportsbook
Jaren Jackson Jr. U21.5 Points (-105)
This is heavily dependent on injury news, as Morant is currently questionable with foot soreness after missing Memphis’ win on Friday and Gobert is also questionable after rolling his ankle in the Timberwolves’ loss to the Cavaliers on Sunday. Still, given that it’s a nationally-televised game and neither team plays tomorrow, I expect both to play. Jackson’s scoring average with Morant in the lineup is just 21.6, which jumps to 23.8 with his co-star sidelined. He’ll have a hard time getting to even that against a stout Minnesota defense that allows the fifth-fewest points per game.
Although the 32-year-old Gobert has regressed somewhat this season, he’s still an impactful rim defender, as opponents shoot 7.9 percentage points worse than usual when guarded by him within six feet of the basket. The Stifle Tower still ranks 15th in the league in blocks per game and 11th in defensive win shares. In his career, Gobert has held Jackson to 19.9 points per game, and with Jackson having spent a small majority of his minutes at center this season, he is likely to spend much of the game matched up against Gobert.
Jaren Jackson Jr. O1.5 Steals (+130)
This season, Jackson is averaging the highest steal percentage of his career and is 16th in the NBA in steals per game. Meanwhile, while the Timberwolves’ defense has few weaknesses, its offense has been inconsistent this season, thanks to regressions from Gobert, Mike Conley, and Julius Randle. Minnesota allows 9.4 steals per game, the eighth-most in the league, and only two of the teams worse at protecting the ball have a winning record.
Jackson has recorded at least one steal in all but seven of his games, including at least two in 15 of his starts, including six times in his last 11 games. Although he only nabbed one steal in the teams’ previous matchup, a 127-125 win on January 11, Jackson did record three steals against the Timberwolves on Feb. 28, 2024.
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