RADIO
The new week starts with half a dozen games on the NBA schedule, meaning plenty of opportunities to play props and win with Monkey Knife Fight.
There aren’t any exceptional matchups though the Utah-Dallas game offers a couple of playoff teams going head to head. Unfortunately, for the Mavericks, Luka Doncic remains out of the lineup and Kristaps Porzingis may play but is dealing with a knee injury that kept him out of Saturday’s win at Charlotte.
So, without particularly compelling team matchups, prop players can seek out player value. Does Trae Young keep gunning against Orlando? Can Sacramento slow down Giannis? Can the Spurs handle a surging Nikola Jokic?
Here are some angles to consider when making Monday’s basketball prop picks on Monkey Knife Fight.
Editor's Note: Here's a great special offer for all RotoBaller readers from our Monkey Knife Fight friends: New AND Existing Player Bonus. All players receive a 100% matched signup or reload bonus up to $50 with code 'RBNFL19'. Sign up and deposit, and use our prop picks to get off on a winning foot!
CHARLOTTE-DETROIT
MORE OR LESS
Reggie Jackson MORE THAN 18.5 POINTS – Jackson has only appeared in a dozen games this season and is averaging just 16.3 points per game in eight home contests. However, he has scored 20 or more in three straight as he gets more looks in a depleted Pistons rotation.
Terry Rozier MORE THAN 16.5 POINTS – The Hornets point guard is averaging 17.9 points per game on the road and the Pistons have an average defensive record. Not much reason to suspect that he comes in under that number.
Miles Bridges LESS THAN 6.5 REBOUNDS – Even though the Pistons have a poor rebounding record, and no longer have Andre Drummond dominating the boards, Bridges is averaging 6.0 rebounds per game on the road and has recorded seven or more rebounds just three times in the past 12 games.
Devonte’ Graham MORE THAN 7.5 ASSISTS – Going against a Pistons team that has allowed more assists than average is enough reason to like Graham going over. He averages 7.5 assists per game on the road and has eight or more assists in five of the past six games overall.
BROOKLYN-INDIANA
MORE OR LESS
Spencer Dinwiddie LESS THAN 22.5 POINTS – Even though Dinwiddie is getting more looks while Kyrie Irving is out of the Nets lineup, he’s averaging 17.9 points per game in the past 10, while playing more than 31 minutes per game. Going up against a Pacers team that is above average defensively doesn’t help his cause either.
Domantas Sabonis LESS THAN 18.5 POINTS – Sabonis is putting up 18.0 points per game at home and goes against a Nets team that runs near league average defensively but the Pacers are still trying to incorporate Victor Oladipo back into the lineup and Sabonis isn’t getting as many touches lately, taking 32 shots in the past three games, during which he has averaged 16.87 points per game.
RAPID FIRE
DeAndre Jordan -0.5 rebounds vs. Jarrett Allen – While Allen and Jordan are close in terms of rebounding averages (10.3 rpg on the road for Jordan, 10.0 rpg on the road for Allen), Jordan tends to have a higher floor, grabbing at least seven rebounds in 15 of the past 16 games while Allen has been held to fewer than seven rebounds in four of the past seven games.
ATLANTA-ORLANDO
MORE OR LESS
Trae Young LESS THAN 29.5 POINTS – As great as Young has been, it’s a big ask to put up 30 points on the road facing the best defensive team in the league. Young is averaging 28.0 points per game on the road and has been held under 30 points in five of his past seven road contests.
Nikola Vucevic MORE THAN 21.5 POINTS – Although Vucevic is averaging 20.4 points per home game, he has at least 21 points in four of his past five games and goes against a Hawks team that is allowing 118.4 points per game, the second-highest average in the league.
RAPID FIRE
Markelle Fultz -1.5 assists vs. Aaron Gordon – Fultz is putting up a modest 4.2 assists per home game this season but has 5.7 per game in his past 10 games overall. Gordon is picking up 3.1 assists per home game and 3.7 per game in the past 10, so the more recent trend tilts this towards Fultz.
SACRAMENTO-MILWAUKEE
MORE OR LESS
Giannis Antetokounmpo LESS THAN 31.5 POINTS – There is no denying Giannis’ awesome ability and he’s averaging 31.3 points per game at home this season. However, the Kings are a middle-of-the-pack defensive team and he has scored 31 points or fewer in six of his past eight games overall.
De’Aaron Fox LESS THAN 20.5 POINTS – Averaging 18.8 points per game on the road, and facing a strong Milwaukee team, Fox is in a tough spot to try to put up at least 21 points in this one.
RAPID FIRE
Khris Middleton +1.5 assists vs. Eric Bledsoe – The Bucks point guard, Bledsoe, has 5.7 assists per game at home while Middleton is averaging 4.4 per game at home and both are putting up better assist numbers lately. That makes it favorable to grab Middleton as the underdog.
UTAH-DALLAS
MORE OR LESS
Donovan Mitchell MORE THAN 23.5 POINTS – Mitchell is putting up 24.3 points per game this season, and his home-road splits offer no variation so he’s at 24.3 per game both at home and on the road. The Mavs are an average defensive team and Mitchell has scored at least 24 points in eight of his past 13 contests.
Kristaps Porzingis LESS THAN 22.5 POINTS – While Porzingis is a bigger scoring threat when Luka Doncic is out of the Mavericks lineup, he’s dealing with some injury issues and the Jazz are a strong defensive squad.
RAPID FIRE
Joe Ingles -0.5 assists vs. Mike Conley – It’s shocking how ineffective Conley has been for the Jazz and he’s averaging 4.3 assists per home game while Ingles is putting up 4.9 assists per home game.
SAN ANTONIO-DENVER
MORE OR LESS
Nikola Jokic MORE THAN 23.5 POINTS – Even though he’s averaging 20.3 points per game at home this season, Jokic has been more productive lately, going for 24 or more points in seven of the past nine games – and he scored 23 in one of the two games in which he went under. Facing a subpar Spurs team should keep his recent hot streak alive.
DeMar DeRozan LESS THAN 23.5 POINTS – Putting up 24.5 points per game on the road, DeRozan does have the challenge of facing a Nuggets team that plays strong defense and he’s an even split of six over and six under 24 points in his past dozen games.
RAPID FIRE
LaMarcus Aldridge +0.5 rebounds vs. Paul Millsap – Even though he grabbed 11 rebounds last game for the Nuggets, his first game in more than a month, he averages 6.2 rebounds per game at home, compared to 7.3 rebounds per game on the road for Aldridge.
