Another week, another fresh slate of NBA basketball. Monday’s schedule provides us with eight games, including what should be a great matchup between the Phoenix Suns and Dallas Mavericks.
Here are my favorite prop bets for Monday’s NBA action.
All NBA odds are current as of Monday, Dec. 5, at 10 a.m. ET, and courtesy of Caesars Sportsbook.
Garrett Chorpenning’s 2022-2023 NBA Prop Betting Record: 36-42 (-6.76 units)
Best NBA Player Prop Bets
NBA Best Prop Bet Today
Thunder vs Hawks: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Over 30.5 Points (-123)
WAGER: 1 Unit
When in doubt, it’s almost always a good idea to take the Over on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander‘s scoring prop. The 24-year-old is averaging a career-high 31.1 points per game this season and showing no signs of slowing down.
Gilgeous-Alexander has hit the Over at this number in 14 of his 21 games this year, and he’s come within a bucket of doing so in another three. The kid is a scoring machine and a big reason why the Thunder rank sixth in the league in points per game.
This is also a good matchup for him. Both Atlanta and Oklahoma City rank inside the top 10 in pace, which means there will be plenty of offensive possessions to go around.
Start your week off right and look for Gilgeous-Alexander to cook tonight.
Pacers vs Warriors: Warriors 3Q -3.5 (-110)
WAGER: 2 Units
Surprise! The Warriors are one of the best third-quarter teams in the NBA again. Who would’ve thought?
In all seriousness, this is about a decade-long streak that Golden State has going. At least since the Steve Kerr era, the Dubs have flat-out dominated this frame. They rank sixth in third-quarter scoring margin so far this season, with a +3.8 differential at home.
The Pacers aren’t too shabby in this department, but their -1.8 differential on the road and -9.0 mark over their last three tells us all we need to know about this one. Back the Warriors to cover this 3.5-point third-quarter spread.
Additionally, I’m including this game in my Best NBA Parlays Today, so be sure to check that piece out if you’re looking to make some extra money tonight.
Celtics vs Raptors: Celtics Over 113.5 Points (-115)
WAGER: 1 Unit
Here we have a meeting between two opposite strengths. The Celtics rank first in the Association in offensive rating in points per game, while the Raptors are seventh in points allowed per game and eighth in defensive rating.
Ultimately, your decision on this prop will come down to which team you feel is more legitimate. For me, that’s Boston.
While it’s true that Toronto has only allowed 114+ points five times this year, this squad has yet to see an offense like Boston’s. On the other hand, the Celtics have only failed to reach this mark seven times.
This will be a gritty contest, and I don’t envision the Celtics going too far over this number — 120+ points feels like a stretch — but they’ve been far too efficient on the offensive end this season for me to bet against them, even in a hostile environment against a tough Raptors defense.
I’m also eyeing this meeting with one of my Best NBA Predictions Today.
NBA prop betting has become an increasingly popular area in basketball wagering. Unlike placing a wager on a team to win or cover the spread, a prop wager only needs an individual instance.
Basketball props can include a wide range of things, from game props to player props to season-long props. Therefore, when placing a bet, it’s crucial to scan various sportsbooks to look for an edge in an individual prop and to search for the best odds for those props.
How NBA Prop Betting Works
For NBA prop betting, you can bet on a team, player, or game. A team prop is associated with how an individual team will perform in one particular game or over the course of the entire year when it comes to season-long props.
Player props focus on the performance of a single player within a game. A game prop is related to a specific situation within an individual game.
For instance, a team prop is set at 105.5 points for the Chicago Bulls in their matchup against the Boston Celtics. If you take the Over and the Bulls score at least 106 points, you win the wager.
A player prop would be a line set at 20.5 points for Donovan Mitchell in a matchup between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Los Angeles Lakers. If you bet on the over and Mitchell scores at least 21 points, you’ve won the bet.
Best NBA Prop Betting Sites
DraftKings
DraftKings Sportsbook is one of the top sportsbooks in the industry. Whether it’s game, team, player, or season-long props, they have it all to choose from. DraftKings offers frequent promotions and same game parlays, which are not available at some other sportsbooks.
FanDuel
Like DraftKings, FanDuel is among the leaders in the industry. The two sportsbooks are very similar in their offerings, considering that FanDuel also offers frequent promotions and same game parlays.
BetMGM
BetMGM provides the same variety of game, team, and player props that most other sportsbooks do. They also provide plenty of season-long props, which include placing wagers on team win totals, as well as season statistics for individual players.
BetRivers
On a daily basis, BetRivers usually offers a variety of House Specials where they provide some juicy odds for props. They can also provide some unique wagers in their specials.
For instance, normally a points player prop would be for one individual player to score at least 20 points. However, they can provide a house special for either of two teammates to score that many points, so you would win your wager if either of those two players surpasses that points total.
PointsBet
PointsBet offers a wide variety of props, including allowing users to pick their own props. For example, there will be several props for an individual player’s points total. You can choose a player to score 15+, 16+, 17+, or 18+ points.
The odds move more in your favor the higher the point total goes, but if you don’t mind paying the added juice, taking the lower point total could be a safer move.
How To Pick the Best NBA Prop Betting Sites
Ease of Use
It’s important to feel comfortable with the sportsbook that you choose to use. Whether it be the layout of their website or the ease to deposit and withdraw funds, it can make a difference in your overall experience.
Welcome Bonuses & Promotions
Keep an eye out for these bonuses or promotions as they could prove to be profitable. As far as welcome bonuses go, some sportsbooks will offer free wagers to new customers. With regards to promotions, they can include boosted odds to potentially make wagers more profitable for customers.
Variety of Props
A wide variety of props means more opportunities to win money. Not only does that mean offering game, team, individual, and season-long props, but offering more of them. A wider variety of props could also lead to added entertainment as you follow along with your wagers.
Odds on Props
This is very important. It’s not uncommon for multiple sportsbooks to have the same line on a prop. However, the odds can be different.
DraftKings and FanDuel may both have a player prop for LeBron James set at 8.5 assists, however, the odds for him to hit the over on DraftKings are -110, while the odds at FanDuel are -120. If you were to make a $100 wager and win, you would profit $90 on DraftKings, but just $83 on FanDuel.
NBA Prop Betting Promotions
One type of promotion is an odds boost. This is where a bettor would receive more value for their wager.
The over 23.5 points for Kevin Durant might initially be at -110 but then be boosted to +200. For a $100 bet, the +200 odds would net $200 profit, rather than $90 for -110 odds.
There are also welcome bonuses that are often offered for new members, including initial deposit matches up to a certain dollar amount.
Best NBA Prop Bets
One of the best types of props is player props. These can be easier to project because you only need that one instance to occur for an individual player to win money.
Let’s take a deeper look at why player props are enticing options.
NBA Player Props
NBA player props are when you bet on a player’s performance for a single game or the entire season. There can be a variety of player props, including total points scored, rebounds, assists, and three-pointers made.
If you believe that Stephen Curry could be in line for a big performance against a Washington Wizards team that has struggled defensively, you could take the over on his player prop of 23.5 points. You would need him to score at least 24 points for that wager to payout.
NBA Prop Betting Strategy
The key for prop betting is to look for statistical trends. For example, last season, the Sacramento Kings played at the ninth-fastest pace and had the worst defensive rating in the league.
The Kings are set to play the Philadelphia 76ers, which means a big scoring night could be coming from Joel Embiid. Not only does the Kings’ place of play and defensive struggles work in his favor, but Embiid led the league last season with his 35.2 percent usage rate.
Benefits of NBA Prop Betting Online
Betting on NBA props online makes things easy. You deposit your funds and select your preferred wagers. There’s no getting in the car and driving to your local casino to place a wager at a physical sportsbook.
Another benefit of NBA betting online is getting to use multiple sportsbooks while never having to leave your home. This allows you to shop for the best odds and a wide variety of props.
Finally, another benefit of placing prop bets online is the ability to do in-game wagers.
How to Place an NBA Prop Bet Online
To place an NBA prop bet online, please follow these steps:
- Register at your preferred sportsbook.
- Click “Deposit" to deposit your funds into the account.
- Check to see if there are any promotions related to props.
- Use your “Welcome Bonus" before using your own funds.
- Click “NBA" and the “Props."
- Look at the spread, game totals, and advanced stats to help guide your selection.
- Choose your wager.
- Place your wager and enjoy the game.
Where Can I Legally Place NBA Prop Bets Online?
- Arizona
- Colorado
- Connecticut (no betting on in-state college teams)
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Louisiana
- Michigan
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey (no betting on in-state college teams)
- New York (no betting on in-state college teams)
- Pennsylvania
- Tennessee
- Virginia
- West Virginia
- Wyoming
Choose More Than One NBA Prop Betting Site
Choosing multiple sites to place bets on props allows you to search for a variety of different props. Also, it’s important to search for odds across multiple sites to help maximize your potential profits.
Various sites also offer different promotions daily, so being registered with multiple sportsbooks would allow you to take advantage of those opportunities.
