A new week of NBA player props is here, but we must celebrate Friday's 3-0 sweep. The season has kicked off quickly and it is good to start hot. Tobias Harris and Anthony Davis gave me no worries about their props, but Ben Simmons had me sweating. Simmons finished with 16 PRA, but the Brooklyn Nets could have easily given him more assists. Luckily they got down toward the end of the 4th quarter, which made them have to sub Simmons out for shooting.
After a glorious sweep like the one on Friday, we look to keep up that momentum. There are 11 games on the slate today with a lot of heavy-hitters playing. Without further ado, here are the best three props to start the week.
Nikola Jokic 25+ Points (-180)
The reigning 3-time MVP, Nikola Jokic has started the season off with another historical start. However, the Denver Nuggets are 0-2. Why is that? The supporting cast, specifically the bench, has been putrid. The Nuggets' bench unit is at the bottom of the league in PPG, FG%, and +/-. Then there are starters, such as Michael Porter Jr. and Jamal Murray are struggling.
All of these struggles led to Nikola Jokic going for 41 points on 26 shots. Jokic is a big proponent of getting his teammates involved early in the season to set the groundwork for the rest of the year. Unfortunately, the Nuggets are not strong enough for Jokic to be reserved in his scoring ability. That was on full display against the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday.
Now with his team 0-2, Jokic knows the Nuggets' backs are against the wall and he must be the one to lead them to victory. They do play the Toronto Raptors, who are projected to be one of the worst teams this season. However, Jokic might still need to carry the load for the Nuggets to win games against anyone all season. Take the 25+ points to play it safe and hope the Nuggets do not fully click as a team and Jokic has to score.
Anthony Davis 25+ Points (-160)
Anthony Davis was unbelievable on Friday. He torched the Phoenix Suns for 35 points. His 25+ points are only at -160 tonight. That just seems too free. AD is making a case for an MVP this season with his numbers. Through three games, AD is averaging 34 PPG, 11 RPG, and 2.3 BPG. JJ Redick has unlocked a new version of Davis that should have the league petrified.
Tonight, he gets to face the same Suns team from Friday. Jusuf Nurkic and Mason Plumlee had no answers for AD. Then later in the game, the Suns tried using Kevin Durant to guard him, but still no success. This is a matchup nightmare for the Suns. Their big men got played off the floor and tried implementing Durant's height to deter Davis' scoring. There is nothing they have on that roster that can work to stop AD on offense.
25+ points is very low on the risk factor, but I want to play it smart at the beginning of the season when the data isn't as extensive. Take the 25+ points and if he surpasses it once again, then maybe we play his higher totals.
Chris Paul Over 7.5 Assists (-138)
Chris Paul is a legend, a future Hall of Famer, and will go down as one of the best point guards of all time. With that being said, you can tell on the court that his time in the NBA is coming to an end. However, the one thing Paul is going to do is pass the ball and find the open man.
In his first two games with the San Antonio Spurs, Paul has registered 8 and 9 assists, respectively. The legendary point guard is trying his best on this young squad to get everyone involved, especially their franchise superstar, Victor Wembanyama. He is the main primary ball-handler with Tre Jones sidelined with an ankle injury for the next couple of weeks. This gives Paul more time to gel with the players and it looks like that might be the case already.
Paul and the Spurs face the Houston Rockets tonight, who they played on Saturday. Paul was the leader in assists for the Spurs with 9, while the next closest player had 3 assists. I love the over for Paul here and I will suggest taking it with a sprinkle for 10+ assists (+170).
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