There are just five games to work with on this NBA Tuesday. Four of the games feature interconference matchups, including the Kings in Detroit to take on the Pistons. Cade Cunningham went down for the Pistons on Sunday night. That means more opportunities for Jaden Ivey.
In Orlando, the West-leading Timberwolves will be in town to take on the Magic, who are currently involved in a five-way tie for the fourth seed in the East. It will also put a pair of young stars against each other in Anthony Edwards and Paolo Banchero. I'll be backing Edwards on the glass.
The Grizzlies suffered another setback last night when they received news that superstar point guard Ja Morant is out for the season with a torn labrum. In Morant's absence, expect Marcus Smart to resume running the team.
Here are my favorite NBA players prop picks for Tuesday, January 9.
NBA Player Props for Tuesday, January 9
Jaden Ivey has at least four rebounds in eight of his last 10 games and finished with three rebounds in another. Tonight, his rebounds line is 3.5 and I do lean towards the over.
This game will also feature two of the league's best rebounders with Domantas Sabonis going against Jalen Duren. They may even tip a couple towards Ivey, which would help. However, I am taking on the assists here as well.
Ivey also has had at least four assists in seven of his last 10 games. That was with Cade Cunningham in the lineup. With Cunningham leaving Sunday's game in the second quarter, Ivey finished with six assists against the Nuggets. Tonight, he gets the Kings, who are 24th in assists allowed per game.
Ivey was already averaging 9.6 rebounds + assists over his last 10 games while playing with Cunningham. Without him, I love getting plus money for this line for just nine. Going back to last season, Ivey averaged 9.1 rebounds + assists without Cunningham in the lineup and went over this line at a 60% clip.
He closed last season by going over in nine of his last 10 games and averaging 11.4 rebounds + assists in that span. Against a fast-paced team like the Kings, I expect that trend to continue once again.
Pick: Jaden Ivey Over 8.5 Rebounds + Assists (+100 at DraftKings)
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Anthony Edwards is one of the better rebounding wings in the league. We have had success backing him in the past whether it was for just rebounds or the rebounds + assists combo.
Tonight, I'm drinking a bit a juice for over 4.5 rebounds for two reasons. The first is because Edwards is averaging over five rebounds per game this season, since the start of last season, and over his last 10 games.
He has hit this line at a 56% clip this season and at a 65% clip since the start of last season. That includes two games against the Magic last season in which he had eight and five rebounds in the two games. This season, Orlando is allowing the fourth-fewest rebounds per game in the game. This brings me to my second reason.
Minnesota has the twin towers of Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns. Orlando will counter with Goga Bitazde, Paolo Banchero and Moritz Wagner. While the bigs are battling for rebounds and positioning down low, Edwards may be able to swoop in from the wing and collect rebounds.
Orlando is also allowing more than six rebounds per game to both shooting guards and small forwards. Recently, they have allowed at least five rebounds to Buddy Hield, Pat Connaughton, De'Anthony Melton, Bilal Coulibaly, R.J. Barrett, Kevin Huerter and DeJounte Murray. All but Melton had six rebounds as well.
We only need five from Edwards tonight, but DraftKings is also offering +425 for him to get eight rebounds.
Pick: Anthony Edwards Over 4.5 Rebounds (-145 at DraftKings)
Marcus Smart is averaging just 4.5 assists per game this season and hit this line in just 6-of-19 games this season. However, all six games that he went over have come without Ja Morant in the lineup. That includes Sunday night, when he had eight assists against the Suns.
The Suns are not one of the best defensive teams in the league as they proved once again last night, but Smart has another great matchup against the Mavericks. Dallas is 20th in points allowed per game and 23rd in assists allowed per game overall and specifically to point guards.
Smart has had nine assists in two of his last three games against the Mavericks, most recently in October and also with the Celtics last season.
Without Morant, Smart has hit this line in five of his last 10 games. In that span, he also was hooked on five assists in two other games. In addition to Morant, Memphis is also without Derrick Rose right now. That means the majority of the ballhandling responsibilities will fall on Smart and Desmond Bane.
Barring a blowout, Smart will likely see heavy minutes once again. He has played at least 38 minutes in each of the last two games. If he plays at least 35 tonight, I certainly like his chances of getting six assists.
If he repeats Sunday's performance and his recent success against Dallas, he may get to eight assists as well. You can take him for eight assists as at +340 on FanDuel.
Pick: Marcus Smart Over 5.5 Assists (+102 at FanDuel)
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