Despite having three NBA MVPs to his name already, Nikola Jokic is playing the best basketball of his career this season. The Denver Nuggets star has done everything possible to re-open this year’s MVP race and will continue to do so facing the Golden State Warriors tonight.
Jokic is averaging 29.7 points, 12.8 rebounds and 10.2 assists per game this season. He also is adding a career-high 1.8 steals per game and shooting a career-best 41.6% from beyond the three-point arc. The last time he stepped on the floor he finished with 61 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Jokic and the Nuggets will be at the rest advantage in this game with the Warriors coming off a victory against the Lakers last night.
The Warriors are narrow favorites at -115 odds on the moneyline on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Nuggets hold -105 odds on the moneyline while the over/under for the matchup is set at 236.
With the stage set, here are my favorite Jokic prop bets ahead of the Friday night matchup.
Best Nikola Jokic Prop Bets on DraftKings Sportsbook
Jokic’s props are listed at over/under 29.5 points, 11.5 rebounds, 9.5 assists, 1.5 made three-pointers and 50.5 combined points, rebounds and assists.
Nikola Jokic Over 11.5 Rebounds (-125)
The Golden State Warriors have renewed life on the season and have gone 19-4 with Jimmy Butler in the lineup. They still, however, have some interior weaknesses. Golden State ranks 17th in opponents rebounds per game and no individual player on the roster averages more than 6.2 rebounds per game.
Jokic is the best rebounder on just about every court he walks on and this will be the case tonight. He is averaging 12.8 rebounds per game this season and has tallied over 11.5 rebounds in 41 of the 65 games he has played. This includes three straight games entering this matchup. Denver will have the rest advantage in this game with Golden State being on a back-to-back and Jokic not having played since Tuesday.
This will be the third matchup between these two teams this season. Jokic was limited to 10 rebounds in the first game and didn’t play in the second round. Plenty has changed since Jokic last suited up against the Warriors. He is producing at the highest level he has in his career which is a high bar to clear. Jokic has recorded over 11.5 rebounds in nine of his past 13 games played, and the Warriors are a more rebounding-friendly matchup than some of the other games he has cleared this bar in. Look for him to have success imposing himself on the interior and get the better of the rebounding battle tonight. Count on him to reach his average rebounding output and record over 11.5 rebounds for the 42nd time this season.
Nikola Jokic to Record 2+ Steals (+115)
Defense has been a controversial point of discussion regarding Jokic’s level of impact. While he will never be recognized as a defensive stalwart or be in the running for the Defensive Player of the Year Award, Jokic is adding a career-high 1.8 steals per game this season.
The three-time MVP has tallied 2+ steals in 34 of the 65 games he has played this year. He also tallied a season-high five steals in the first matchup with the Warriors this season. Golden State turns the ball over 13.9 times per game which ranks 14th in the NBA. The Warriors play with a ton of off-ball motion and cutting which can create opportunities for Jokic and the Nuggets to generate turnovers.
Expect Jokic’s IQ to come into play tonight with him having more chances to out-think the Warriors and put himself in positions to create steals. He enters this game having tallied 2+ steals in back-to-back games and three of his past five. To look at a larger sample size, he also has forced 2+ turnovers in 20 of the last 38 games he has played. Denver holds a narrow half-game lead over the Lakers for the third seed in the Western Conference and will need to close strong to maintain this. Count on Jokic to be active on both sides of the ball. It is worth taking a swing on the +115 odds on DraftKings Sportsbook for the Nuggets star to record 2+ steals for the third straight night and second time against the Warriors.
