Following a quiet night of just three NBA games, there are 13 matchups on the November 8th slate.
Most notably, the Warriors will face off against the undefeated Cavaliers at 7:30 PM EST. The Bucks and Knicks will play in a matchup of underperforming perceived Eastern Conference Contenders. The Suns and Mavericks will also square up. The Rockets and Thunder will also be facing off in a matchup of exciting young teams. The Lakers will face the Sixers while the Clippers will play the Kings in the late slate.
This jam-packed schedule of games presents plenty of intrigue and provides numerous options on the betting board. While you can check out each matchup on DraftKings Sportsbook, here are my favorite player props for November 8.
Brandon Miller Under 19.5 Points (-110)
The Charlotte Hornets have played some impressive basketball to start the season, but Brandon Miller has not been a driving reason for this. The second-year wing already missed four games due to a glute injury and has only eclipsed 30 minutes of game action once this year. Overall he is averaging 12.8 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 3.0 assists.
As the Hornets prepare to face off with the Raptors, expect Miller to remain lower in the pecking order for now. So far this year he ranks seventh on the team in minutes, fourth in points, and fourth in field goal attempts per game.
Miller has not tallied 20 points in any of the four games he has played this season. While the injury to Miles Bridges will open up some opportunity in the offense, Miller has yet to consistently find his stride on the season. Expect this to continue to take some time and for him to tally under 19.5 points once again tonight.
Trae Young Over 13.5 Assists & Rebounds (-120)
The offseason trade of Dejounte Murray has paved the way for Trae Young to resume his role as one of the most ball-dominant players in the entire NBA. While he was recently passed by Nikola Jokic for the leader in assists per game, Young has averaged 23.8 points, 10.9 assists, and 4.6 rebounds to start the season.
Through the opening nine games, he has tallied over 13.5 combined assists and rebounds in seven of the nine games. His growth in rebounding has especially been notable this year as Young has tallied four or more boards in seven games and his 4.6 rebounds per game would be a career-high.
As the Hawks prepare to face off against the Pistons, expect Young to continue to be at the epicenter of Atlanta’s offense. The Hawks are 4-5 through the opening nine games and playing some solid basketball. They will be looking to be in the playoff mix and this is the type of matchup they will need to capitalize on. Count on Young to maintain his high level of production and for him to fill the stat sheet, exceeding 13.5 combined assists and rebounds again tonight.
Fred VanVleet Under 14.5 Points (-115)
The Houston Rockets have a crowded roster with 11 different players averaging over 10 minutes of game time. There eventually will need to be some decisions made on the true building blocks of the organization, but for the time being, VanVleet is a prime candidate to begin seeing his role reduced. This is especially the case as the Rockets face off with the Oklahoma City Thunder who are loaded with lengthy athletic players and one of the best team defenses in the league.
So far this season, VanVleet has averaged 14.3 points per game and has struggled shooting the ball. He has connected on just 38.8% of his shots overall and is shooting 28.3% from beyond the three-point arc. It’ll be tough to recoup his shooting numbers in this matchup. The Thunder are holding opponents to an NBA-best 99.4 points per game and opponents are shooting a league-worst 40.1% from the floor.
Expect the length of players like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, and Alex Caruso to be bothersome to VanVleet. He has been held under 14.5 points in four of the eight games this year and this is a matchup in which he’ll probably struggle. Don’t be surprised if the Rockets limit his minutes in favor of more size and expect VanVleet to struggle with this impressive Thunder defense when he is out there. Take advantage by taking the under of 14.5 points scored.
Norman Powell Over 21.5 Points (-110)
Norman Powell has answered the call and stepped into the offensive void left by Paul George on the Clippers this year. The 31-year-old is off to a career-best start to the season, averaging 25.0 points per game and shooting 48.5% from beyond the three-point arc on a career-high 8.5 attempts per game. Powell has tallied over 21.5 points in six of the eight games thus far. He also is averaging 16.8 field goal attempts per game this season after recording 17 or more shots per game just twice all of last year. Powell currently leads all Clippers players in field goal attempts.
As the Clippers prepare to face off with the Sacremento Kings, Powell will continue to be a key part of their game plan. Perimeter defense is still a point of concern for Sacremento and Powell is the best creator on the roster outside of James Harden.
It feels the lines have still not fully caught up to how important Powell is to the Clippers’ offense. I expect him to record over 21.5 points once again as they face the Kings. He will have plenty of opportunity to put shots up and Powell is proving to be more than capable of capitalizing on these opportunities.
Andre Drummond Over 10.5 Rebounds (-125)
The Philadelphia 76ers are set to face off with the Los Angeles Lakers tonight and continue to be without Joel Embiid. The Sixers’ superstar is now serving a three-game suspension, but the opportunity continues for Andre Drummond to serve as the starting center.
It has not been a great start to the season for Drummond and he deserves some blame for the team sitting at 1-6. Through the seven games, he has logged 27 minutes per game tallying 8.6 points and 10.6 rebounds per game. He has recorded over 10.5 rebounds in just three of the seven games so far.
Drummond may have the opportunity for one of his best rebounding outputs of the season in this matchup. Anthony Davis is listed as probable due to a plantar fasciitis issue that is likely to linger moving forward. Assuming Davis plays, Drummond will be in line for increased minutes as he will be the only option on the Sixers roster to match Davis’ size. If Davis does miss the game, Drummond will have a clear opportunity for a massive rebounding output. Expect the four-time rebounding champion to record over 10.5 rebounds in this matchup and begin getting back on the right track. This prop bet was sitting as high as 13.5 and 14.5 through the opening games and has now dropped to the point where there is value in taking it.
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All odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.
I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is seanbarnard) 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 skill 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.
