Nikola Jokic and his Nuggets have been on the war path as of late. They’ve gone 8-2 in their last 10 games without trying much in the fourth quarter. Much of their recent success can be attributed to the individual brilliance of Nikola Jokic, who doesn’t look like he’s going to stop his all-time run anytime soon. His last few seasons have been a stretch of dominance that rarely emerges.
Tonight the Nuggets will host the Sacramento Kings, who have been a middling Western Conference contender this season but are doing well at the moment, going 9-1 in their last 10 games. Both teams would stand to benefit greatly from a win tonight. I’m expecting the game to be a close affair, despite the Nuggets’ -8.5 spread tonight.
Here are some of the best Nikola Jokic prop bets on DraftKings Sportsbook for Thursday’s matchup:
Best Nikola Jokic Prop Bets
Points: Under 27.5 (-115): Despite Jokic averaging a career-high 30.1 PPG this season, he’s typically been quiet in the scoring column against Domantas Sabonis. He’s only averaging 23.8 PPG vs Sabonis in his career, and I’m expecting his scoring to stay low once again. The Kings are also the 4th best team in defending the paint, holding opponents to an average of 44.8 points in this area, where Jokic thrives. The last time the Kings and the Nuggets played, Jokic only scored 20 points.
Rebounds: Under 12.5 (-115): It’s not a question of if Jokic can produce on the court, it’s a question of whether he’ll play enough and how close the game will be. The Kings are only one game behind the 5th seed in the West. They’ll need to put their foot on the gas to avoid dropping to a Play-In spot. The Nuggets are chasing a top three seed and will also need to lock in this game.
But this won’t be easy, even for Jokic. The Kings are 7th in the fewest rebounds conceded to opponents. Much of the Kings’ rebounding prowess can be attributed to expert glass cleaner Sabonis. He currently leads the league in this category with 14.3, which is an astonishing career-high. Jokic closely trails behind at third with 13.2. Despite Jokic averaging more boards than his O/U line tonight, I’m predicting him to have a tough battle tonight on the boards as he deals with the league’s leading rebounder.
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