If anyone can take down the defending champion Thunder, it might be the Nuggets. Denver, at 17-6, is well on its way to another terrific season. Stacking up wins means taking care of business against less talented opponents, such as the Kings. However, Sacramento has the potential to turn this one into a shootout.
Which players will step up during tonight’s Western Conference showdown? The Nuggets are favored by 10.5 points (-108) over the Kings, with the over/under set at 239.5 points. Here are two of the top prop bet picks on DraftKings Sportsbook for Thursday’s Nuggets vs. Kings matchup.
Nuggets vs. Kings prop bet picks
Nikola Jokic 30+ points (-108)
Denver’s front office did an admirable job of adding depth this offseason. However, this team is still heavily dependent on the Herculean efforts of Nikola Jokic. Through 23 games, the center is averaging 29.2 points, 12.3 rebounds and 11.0 assists. Per usual, he’s shooting an efficient 61% from the field (41% 3PT). That level of production has become almost commonplace for the future Hall of Famer. However, for betting purposes, it’s led to some sky-high totals for The Joker.
30+ points isn’t nothing, even for the sport’s best player. Regardless, that number is due in part to Denver’s lackluster opponent tonight. The Kings are vulnerable down low with center Domantas Sabonis (knee) injured. That’s led to more playing time for rookie Maxime Raynaud, along with backup Drew Eubanks. Neither of those names appear up for the task of stopping a superstar. The Kings are coughing up the fifth-most points per game in basketball (122.0). In each of the last three meetings between these two, Jokic has tallied at least 34 points. There’s no reason to think he can’t make it four in a row on Thursday.
Maxime Raynaud 1+ three-pointer made (+107)
Speaking of Raynaud, the second-rounder has been entrusted with a much larger role in recent weeks. That’s led to a notable increase in the Frenchman’s offensive output. Over his last five games, the center has posted 15.6 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.0 assists while shooting 60% from the field. In addition, he’s gone three-of-seven from beyond the arc (43%). That’s not a ton of volume, but it’s not nothing. Expect an increase in three-point attempts as the rookie gets more comfortable. Last season at Stanford, Raynaud attempted 5.5 long balls per game.
Denver’s defense has improved by leaps and bounds so far. However, that hasn’t been the case over the team’s past three games. During that time, the Nuggets have allowed the seventh-most three-pointers made (15.7) and 11th-highest three-point percentage (39.2%) to opponents. It’s a small sample size, but perimeter defense was an issue for Denver last season. Raynaud just needs to hit one shot from long distance tonight in order to make this bet worthwhile. At plus money, that’s a risk worth taking.
