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NBA Best Bets: Jazz vs. Clippers Prop Bets for Thursday 1/1/26

NBA Best Bets: Jazz vs. Clippers Prop Bets for Thursday 1/1/26

Published:

By: Cooper Albers

Western Conference bottom feeders aim to reverse their fortunes in 2026, as the Los Angeles Clippers host the Utah Jazz for a New Year’s Day matchup at the Intuit Dome. 

The Jazz (12–20, 11th West) have won two of three but take the court Thursday without potential All-Stars Keyonte George (Illness) and Lauri Markkanen (Knee). The Clippers (11–21, 13th West) rounded out 2025 on a five-game heater, their first consecutive wins since the second and third game of the season, and will look to keep the momentum rolling into the new year. 

The teams first met for the season opener in Utah, where the Jazz coasted to a 21-point rout.

Tipoff is set for 10:30 p.m. ET. Los Angeles enters as a heavy 14.5-point home favorite on DraftKings Sportsbook, while Utah is listed as a +650 underdog. The game’s total is set at 229.5 points. 

Let’s dig into the top player prop bets for Thursday’s matchup between the Jazz and Clippers.


Jazz vs. Clippers Best Prop Bets on DraftKings Sportsbook

Kawhi Leonard 3+ Threes (+104)

The Kawhi Leonard era in LA has been an abject disaster, but that doesn’t negate the fact that he’s been on an absolute tear lately. During the Clippers’ winning streak, the former Finals MVP has averaged 37.8 points with an average of four threes per game at a blistering 46.5% clip.

Leonard has knocked down five threes in back-to-back games and seems poised to light it up once more against the Jazz. Utah has surrendered 15.3 opponent threes per game — the highest mark in the NBA.


James Harden Under 5.5 Rebounds (-154)

A former triple-double machine, James Harden’s rebounding numbers have taken a notable dip as he’s entered the later stages of his career. The former MVP is averaging just 4.9 rebounds per game this season, his lowest mark since the 2013-14 campaign. 

Harden’s glass-cleaning dipped even further in December, when he logged just 3.3 boards per contest. He failed to record more than five boards in any game throughout the entire calendar month.


Kyle Filipowski 20+ Points (+141)

The Jazz will enter Thursday’s contest without Lauri Markkanen, Keyonte George, Walker Kessler, Ace Bailey, or Jusuf Nurkic — leaving them without a single player averaging double-digit points this season. 

The offense has to come from somewhere, and it seems likely that sophomore big man Kyle Filipowski will be asked to carry much of the load. He’s averaging just 9.6 points per game this season, but he’s flashed real scoring upside with a pair of 25-point performances in December.


SGP Odds: +650

Cooper is a Brooklyn-based writer who joined DraftKings in 2025. A recent graduate of Jay-Z’s Roc Nation School of Sports at Long Island University, he served as sports editor of the campus paper and lead sideline reporter for the men’s basketball team.
Disclaimer

I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skills and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.