The NBA starts the work week with a lighter schedule on Monday night, but the three games on the schedule still offer some solid matchups. Tipping off the night slate, the Houston Rockets will roll into Gainbridge Fieldhouse to face the Indiana Pacers.
The Rockets are 6.5-point road favorites on DraftKings Sportsbook, with the game total set at 218.5 points. They’ll be without Kevin Durant (ankle) for just the third game this season, which will have a dramatic impact on the rest of their rotation.
Houston won both the games Durant missed earlier this season, and the Rockets currently occupy the fourth seed in the Western Conference. On the other side, the Pacers are 13-36 with the worst record in the East. Still, Indiana has won three of its last four games — including a road upset over the defending champion Thunder.
Let’s take a look at the top player prop bets from both the Rockets and Pacers in this Monday night matchup. These picks can be used as standalone plays or combined in a Same Game Parlay (SGP).
Rockets vs. Pacers Best Prop Bets on DraftKings Sportsbook
Reed Sheppard Over 2.5 Threes (+111)
Let’s start with a spicy, plus-money play on Reed Sheppard to hit at least three triples. Sheppard is averaging 2.4 threes per game this season, but he had much higher usage in his last two games without Kevin Durant.
He attempted 17 threes across those two games, knocking down four treys during a 31-point explosion in Houston’s last game without KD.
Sheppard looks poised for a bounce-back performance after struggling going 0-for-4 from downtown on Saturday against the Mavericks. Just a few days prior, he knocked down three triples in Atlanta.
An increased workload should give him a good chance to exceed his season average and shake off his mini shooting slump in this favorable matchup against Indiana.
Andrew Nembhard Over 6.5 Assists (-116)
Andrew Nembhard has run the offense very efficiently during Indiana’s recent surge. Though his usage and scoring can fluctuate from game to game, his assist production has been consistent. He’s totaled at least nine dimes in ten of his last 12 games, including five straight.
Facing Amen Thompson and the Rockets will be a tough matchup for Nembhard, but he has recently cleared 6.5 assists in equally formidable matchups against the Celtics and Thunder. Expect Nembhard to dish enough dimes to clear this modest prop line on Monday night.
Aaron Nesmith Over 12.5 Points (-109)
Aaron Nesmith has also stepped up for Indiana recently, scoring at least 14 points in four straight games. Over his last 13 games, he’s averaging 13.5 points in 32.2 minutes per game as part of the starting five.
On Saturday, he racked up 23 points on an uber-efficient 8-for-10 from the field, including three triples. Rather than backing his prop from long range, though, I prefer his straight-up scoring prop, since he has multiple paths to clearing the total.
Nesmith recorded 14 points in just 24 minutes against the Rockets earlier this season, and his role has continued to expand since the last meeting. Expect him to clear 12.5 points once again against the shorthanded Rockets.
Bonus Parlay Pick: Tari Eason Over 1.5 Threes (-147)
If you’re building an SGP (Same Game Parlay) from this first game of the night, adding in the over on Eason’s 3PM cranks these odds to a solid +950.
Eason has buried multiple triples in eight of his last 10 games — including four straight — with the only exceptions coming from a premature exit from injury and, subsequently, his first game back. Now that he’s ramped up and should see an expanded role without Durant, Eason should deliver multiple triples in Monday’s favorable matchup.
