Kevin Durant returns to Brooklyn sporting yet another jersey on New Year’s Day, as the Nets host the Houston Rockets at Barclays Center.
The Rockets (20–10, 4th West) recently rebounded from a turbulent stretch and have since won three straight, back to being one of the league’s most formidable squads. The Nets (10–20, 13th East) have sneakily been one of the hottest teams in the NBA, winning seven of 11 December matchups while boasting the league’s top defensive rating for the month.
The teams first met early in the season in Houston, where the Rockets coasted to a 28-point rout.
Houston’s Alperen Sengun and Brooklyn’s Michael Porter Jr. are both listed as questionable for Thursday’s matchup. Check out the Injury Report for the latest updates.
Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. ET. Houston enters as a heavy 11.5-point road favorite on DraftKings Sportsbook, while Brooklyn is listed as a +400 underdog. The game’s total is set at 218.5 points.
Let’s dig into the top player prop bets for Thursday’s matchup between the Rockets and Nets.
Rockets vs. Nets Best Prop Bets on DraftKings Sportsbook
Kevin Durant 26+ Points (-108)
The Brooklyn Nets displayed the NBA’s most ferocious defense throughout December. But if there’s anyone that defense doesn’t apply to, it would be Kevin Durant. Arguably the most prolific scorer of all time, the near seven-foot sniper is pushing 40 and still hasn’t been figured out by opposing coverages.
In his first season with the Rockets, the former MVP is leading the team with 25.5 points per game on blistering 52/43/89 splits. While Durant was held to just 19 points against Brooklyn on Oct. 27, he’s only gotten more comfortable with his new team since. In December, he averaged north of 26 points while shooting 49% from deep, and is riding the momentum from back-to-back 30-pieces.
Reed Sheppard Under 2.5 Threes (-189)
While Brooklyn’s strong defense may not hinder Kevin Durant, it could suffocate his Rockets teammates without a generational scoring pedigree. In December, the Nets held opponents to just 32.8% shooting from the perimeter — the NBA’s third-best mark for the calendar month — spelling trouble for Houston guard Reed Sheppard.
The sophomore sharpshooter is averaging 2.6 three-pointers per game this season, but has endured a bit of a cold streak of late. He’s shooting just 29% from distance over his last four games, held to a single deep ball in three of those matchups. Sheppard went 1-for-5 from long range on Monday against the Pacers, another squad that has locked down the perimeter this season.
Nic Claxton Over 19.5 Points + Rebounds (-123)
The potential sidelining of both Nets leading scorer Michael Porter Jr. and Rockets leading rebounder Alperen Sengun could open the door for a monster performance from Brooklyn big man Nic Claxton. The former second-round pick is averaging a career-high 13.6 points with 7.8 rebounds per game this season, good for 21.4 combined points and rebounds a night.
Claxton’s glass-cleaning numbers inflated to 8.7 boards per game in December. He eclipsed the 19.5 P+R total in nine of 11 matchups, including three-straight games heading into the new year.
SGP Odds: +355
