It is a loaded day of NBA action with nine games taking place across today’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebrations. The action is already underway, building up to a few thrilling night matchups with the midpoint of the season in full swing.
There are plenty of ways to get involved in the action across DraftKings Sportsbook. This article will look at my three favorite NBA prop bets across tonight’s slate.
De’Aaron Fox Over 25.5 Points & Assists (-127)
The San Antonio Spurs will face off with the Utah Jazz in a Western Conference battle tonight. Utah has shown some encouraging flashes, but ultimately they are 14-28 on the season with their defense being their biggest issue. The Jazz are allowing a league-worst 127.6 points per game on the season, and 134.4 points per game across their past five games. They play at the third-fastest pace in the league and expect points to be easy to come by in this matchup for San Antonio.
Count on De’Aaron Fox being at the epicenter of the production, and for him to be prepared to match this level of pace. On the season, he is averaging 20.5 points and 5.9 assists per game. He has tallied over 25.5 combined points and assists in 20 of his 33 games played.
Fox is coming off 37 combined points and assists in the previous matchup with the Timberwolves. Utah is also giving up more points to point guards and the second most assists over the past 15 days. This will be Fox’s first matchup against the Jazz this season, and expect his downhill pace to make a difference against a team with the worst defensive rating in the league. Fox has looked like the win-now point guard the Spurs needed and deserves more credit than he has gotten for keeping this team afloat amid Victor Wembanyama’s sidelined stretch. Count on him pulling all the right strings in San Antonio’s offense tonight and tallying over 25.5 combined points and assists for the 21st time this season.
Tyrese Maxey Over 3.5 Made Three-Pointers (-109)
The Philadelphia 76ers will face the Indiana Pacers tonight, fresh on the heels of the news that Tyrese Maxey has earned his second All-Star appearance and, for the first time as a starter. The 25-year-old has grown into the focal point of the Sixers’ offense this season. This could especially be the case tonight with Joel Embiid and Paul George each listed as questionable for tonight, with the game being on the first half of a back-to-back. Neither of the aging stars was present at the shootaround.
But Maxey has proven capable of producing regardless of the context of the surrounding team. On the season, he is averaging 30.3 points, 6.7 assists, and 4.4 rebounds per game. The Kentucky product is shooting 40.2% from beyond the three-point arc on 9.1 perimeter attempts per game. Maxey is averaging 3.7 made three-pointers per game and has connected with over 3.5 long-range shots in 23 of his 38 games played.
Indiana sits in last place in the Eastern Conference with a 10-33 record on the year, and ranks 24th in opponents’ points allowed. While they have generally done a good job of defending the three-point line, the threat of Maxey’s burst to the basket constantly makes these looks available. He is coming off back-to-back outlier shooting performances in which he shot 2-for-8 from beyond the three-point arc in a pair of matchups against the Cavaliers. However, he cleared this line in seven of the 10 games before this. With two days of rest to get his legs back, expect a different story tonight, especially with Embiid and George’s status in doubt. Count on Maxey leading the offensive charge for Philadelphia and knocking down four long-range shots tonight.
Bam Adebayo to Record 4+ Assists (+139)
To close down tonight’s NBA slate, the Golden State Warriors will host the Miami Heat. Tyler Herro suffered a rib injury for Miami and did not travel on the road trip as he seeks treatment. This puts more responsibility on the shoulders of Bam Adebayo, who has largely underwhelmed this season. Across his first 34 games played, Adebayo is averaging 17.4 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game.
However, there has been an improvement in Adeabyo’s impact as a playmaker in recent games, which I expect to carry into tonight. He is averaging 3.6 assists over his past 10 games, recording 4+ assists in seven of these. This includes four consecutive games entering this matchup.
The underwhelming assist numbers have largely been driven by the changes in Miami’s offensive system, but this has changed a bit of late. Adebayo averaged 4.3 assists per game just last year, and has averaged over five assists per game in two seasons. With Herro sidelined, he will continue to be tasked with additional playmaking responsibilities. Count on his assist numbers to continue creeping up on the season, and for this to be a prime chance to add to this against a Golden State defense that is allowing 26.4 assists per game. Look for Adebayo to tally 4+ assists for the fifth straight game and capitalize with the +139 odds on DraftKings Sportsbook.
