After just one matchup on Sunday, the NBA returns for a full slate of games tonight. 12 games will be tipping off across the night’s slate with a few notable matchups on the schedule.
The Charlotte Hornets will host the Los Angeles Lakers while the Cleveland Cavaliers and Detroit Pistons face off at 7:00 p.m. ET to start the night. The Houston Rockets will face the Boston Celtics to headline the four matchups tipping off at 7:30. Then, at 8:00 the Chicago Bulls will host the Denver Nuggets and the Atlanta Hawks will play the Minnesota Timberwolves. One game will tip-off every half hour until the final matchup at 9:30 taking place between the Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles Clippers.
With a ton of exciting basketball set to take place, here are my favorite prop bets across the Monday slate.
Jarrett Allen Over 23.5 Points & Rebounds (-110)
The Cleveland Cavaliers no longer hold the title for the best record in the NBA for the first time all season. They enter tonight’s matchup with the Detroit Pistons on a three-game losing streak and have hit their first sign of turbulence. Evan Mobley returned to the floor last game after missing four games and Cleveland is looking to rediscover their identity with the two big men sharing the floor.
Jarrett Allen is in the midst of an excellent season, averaging 13.8 points and 9.9 rebounds, and has been a key part of the team’s success to this point. He has recorded over 23.5 combined points and rebounds in 21 games so far this season and will play a huge factor in getting the team back on track. Detroit is a tough opponent that currently sits in sixth place in the Eastern Conference. They rank 16th in opponents’ points allowed and third in opponents’ rebounds per game allowed. This will be the second matchup between these two teams this season with the first resulting in a 12-point win for the Cavaliers. Allen added 17 points and 13 rebounds in the victory.
While Detroit has a strong overall frontcourt, Jalen Duren is the only player to be averaging over 6.5 rebounds per game on the season. Duren is an exciting young player who has shown signs of improvement this year. But he also is averaging 3.3 fouls per game and has tallied five or more personal fouls in 12 of the 42 games played including the previous matchup with Cleveland. The Cavaliers feel a bit further developed in a similar style of basketball that the Pistons are building toward. Expect this to continue to prove to be the case and for Allen and Mobley to win the frontcourt battle. After a disappointing eight-point and five-rebound performance in the most recent matchup with the Rockets, count on a bounceback performance from Allen and for him to record over 23.5 combined points and rebounds tonight.
Dejounte Murray Over 17.5 Points (-120)
The New Orleans Pelicans got off to a disastrous start to the season with injuries being the driving reason why. They have looked much more impressive in recent games as they have inched closer to being healthy, going 5-5 in their last ten games compared to 12-34 on the season. Dejounte Murray has been a part of this problem and solution as he fractured his hand in the opening game and missed the following month. He has made his return to the floor and is averaging 17.5 points, 7.6 assists, and 6.5 rebounds across the 28 games Murray has played.
The former All-Star has played much better basketball of late and is averaging 21.0 points across his past five games. He has recorded over 17.5 points in 11 of the 28 games he has played and six of his past nine games. Murray missed the previous matchup with the Hornets, which resulted in a 31-point loss, and started the day listed as questionable on the injury report. Murray has officially been declared available by the team and expect him to be in attack mode as he returns to the floor against the Raptors.
Toronto is on a three-game winning streak but is 13-32 on the season. They rank 25th in opponents’ points per game, 20th in opponents’ field goal percentage, and 21st in opponents three-point percentage. Murray played this Raptors team in his first game back from the broken hand but was held to 14 points on 17 shot attempts. He has played much better of late and is still due for some positive shooting regression. Murray is shooting a career-low 39.2% from the field and just 30.1% on three-point attempts on the season. Across the past 10 games, Murray is averaging 21.9 points and 7.0 assists while shooting 44.5% from the field and 37.9% from beyond the arc. With a vulnerable defense and Murray showing signs of improvement, look for him to be in attack mode and record over 17.5 points for the third consecutive game.
Dyson Daniels Under 15.5 Points (-105)
It has been a terrific season for Dyson Daniels who has emerged as one of the premiere perimeter defenders in the NBA. The 21-year-old has been injected into the Hawks’ starting lineup and is averaging 13.5 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.6 assists, as well as a league-leading 3.1 steals per game. He has taken a step forward offensively and is averaging 17.7 points per game across his past six games which has driven up his point prop line.
Jump on this value before Daniels reduces to the mean and his shooting struggles are put on full display. Despite the increased shot volume, Daniels is still shooting just 31.1% on three-point attempts this season. This is the same percentage he shot last year and slightly below the 31.4% he shot on three-pointers as a rookie. Atlanta will now travel to Minnesota who lean on a more defensive-minded approach to basketball. They have had their struggles this year but still rank fourth in opponents’ points per game, eighth in opponents’ field goal percentage, and fourth in opponents’ three-point percentage.
Minnesota ranks 27th in pace on the season so there will not be an overabundance of offensive opportunities. Expect Dyson Daniels to struggle against a strong defense and for Atlanta to lean on other offensive options in this matchup. The Australia native has been held under 15.5 points in 27 of the 41 games thus far and expect this to continue tonight.
Nick Richards Over 9.5 Rebounds (-115)
The Phoenix Suns traded for Nick Richards to upgrade their production at the big man position and are immediately reaping the benefits. Across the four games Richards has played with the Suns thus far, he is averaging 13.3 points and 12.3 rebounds in 26.8 minutes per game. He is coming off a 20-point and 19-rebound performance against the Wizards the last time he was on the floor and has recorded over 9.5 rebounds in three of the four games with the team.
The Suns are set to face off with the Clippers tonight who have been one of the more pleasant surprises in the NBA this season. They have embraced a more defensive-minded approach and rank third in opponents’ points per game and fourth in opponents’ rebounds allowed. However, they allowed 10+ rebounds to both Giannis Antetokounmpoo and Damian Lillard in the last game they played and Alex Sarr and Jonas Valanciunas each also cracked double-digit rebounds against them the game before.
Richards was brought in for a reason and is proving this with his relentless commitment to the glass. He is a talented big man who was buried in a deep frontcourt with the Hornets and is making the most of his expanded opportunity with the Suns. Expect Richards to bring his best effort and record over 9.5 rebounds for the fourth time in five games.
