Before Tuesday night’s NBA Cup Championship, the NBA has five games on Monday night’s schedule, including a juicy matchup between the Rockets and the Nuggets in Denver on Peacock.
The Nuggets are 1.5-point home favorites, with the game total set at 237.5. The Nuggets won the first matchup between these two teams in Houston by three points, and they’ll run it back in Denver on Saturday.
The Rockets (16-6, 3rd West) beat the Clippers on Thursday in their last game and have won six of their last eight. The Nuggets (18-6, 2nd West) took down the Kings that same night, winning their fourth straight game and fifth in their last six outings.
Both teams are playing very well and bring plenty of star power and potential storylines, but who will step up in this marquee matchup? Let’s take a look at my favorite player prop bets for Monday’s contest on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Rockets vs. Nuggets Best Prop Bets on DraftKings Sportsbook
Alperen Sengun over 20.5 points (-121)
Sengun has been a key contributor to the Rockets’ success this season, and he should be able to top this scoring line on Monday night. He has scored 21 or more points in four straight games, pouring in 22 against the Clippers in his return from a two-game absence.
Sengun, who averages 23 points per game, has topped this prop in 12 of 20 games this season (60%), including seven of his last ten. While he only had 14 points in the first matchup between these teams, he should be recharged and ready to stuff the stat sheet on Monday as he goes up against Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets.
Jamal Murray over 6.5 assists (-115)
Murray had 10 assists in his first matchup against the Rockets and is averaging 6.9 assists per game this season. He has surpassed this assist line in 13 of 23 games this season (57%), including eight of his last 11.
Murray has had to pick up more of the team’s assists with Christian Braun (ankle) sidelined, and he should continue to serve as the primary creator for the Denver offense.
Amen Thompson is a tough matchup for point guards, but Murray had no trouble going well over his assist line in the first matchup between these teams. Expect him to follow suit on Monday night.
Amen Thompson 30+ Points + Rebounds + Assists (-106)
Thompson got off to a little bit of a slower start this season as he adjusted to the arrival of Kevin Durant. In 22 games this season, Thompson is averaging 17.5 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game for 29.8 combined points, rebounds, and assists (PRA).
In his last nine games, he has picked things up, averaging 18.4 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 5.2 assists for 31.9 PRA. He’s gone over 30 PRA in six of those nine games — and logged 31 PRA in Houston’s first game against Denver this season.
He usually plays heavy minutes in close games and logged 41 minutes on Thursday with 37 PRA against the Clippers. If Monday’s rematch stays competitive, Thompson should play a central role and produce plenty of PRA once again.
Bonus Parlay Pick: Cameron Johnson under 14.5 points (-124)
If you’re looking for a fourth leg for your Same Game Parlay or SGPx, you can add in the under on Johnson’s point prop to push your parlay all the way to +1000, as you can see below.
Johnson has been held under 15 points in 15 of his 23 games (65%) this season, but did go over this point prop on Thursday in Sacramento. Still, he only had nine points in the first meeting with Houston and has been an inconsistent scorer, even with Aaron Gordon (hamstring) out. Johnson can go over this prop line, but considering Peyton Watson’s growing involvement, Johnson is likely to fall below this prop line again on Monday night.
SGP odds: +1000
