We have a total of three NBA player props for this Monday, and our staff of basketball betting experts is focused on some key players who could be in line for noteworthy performances on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Read below for our NBA player prop picks for Monday, January 20.
NBA Player Props for Monday, January 20
- Jarrett Allen
- Caris LeVert
- Ivica Zubac
[subheader sizedown=”false” text=”Jarrett Allen Over 14.5 Points (-125)” subtext=”Suns vs Cavaliers, 3:30 p.m. ET” center=”false” logo1url=”https://images.actionnetwork.com/blog/2023/08/nba-updated-logo-cleveland-cavaliers.png” link1=”https://www.actionnetwork.com/nba/odds/cleveland-cavaliers” link1follow=”true” logo2url=”” link2=”” link2follow=”true” trailinglogourl=”” trailinglink=”” trailinglinkfollow=”true”][/subheader]
Cleveland’s two-center lineup will be missing one of its big men today, as Evan Mobley has been ruled out.
Unsurprisingly, the remaining center gets bumps across the board. Allen’s usage jumps up 2.9% with Mobley off the floor. More importantly, he’s played 35.1 MPG in the 3 games Mobley has missed this season. He’s averaging 28.9 MPG for the season, so it’s a hefty boost in playing time.
Phoenix has struggled all season against the center position. They’ve shuffled through Jusuf Nurkic, Mason Plumlee and Oso Ighodaro at the position.
When those options failed, they went out and traded for Nick Richards. He’s a solid player, and likely an upgrade, but his Charlotte teams also typically struggled against interior players.
The Suns are allowing the 4th-most points per game to centers. They give up the 7th-most points in the paint per game. None of their center options have worked out, but they typically have one of them on the floor.
Allen should have a traditional center to match up against at all times, which keeps his playing time safe.
Pick: Jarrett Allen Over 14.5 Points (-125)
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[subheader sizedown=”false” text=”Caris LeVert Under 19.5 Points, Rebounds, & Assists (-110)” subtext=”Suns vs Cavaliers, 3:30 p.m. ET” center=”false” logo1url=”https://images.actionnetwork.com/blog/2023/08/nba-updated-logo-cleveland-cavaliers.png” link1=”https://www.actionnetwork.com/nba/odds/cleveland-cavaliers” link1follow=”true” logo2url=”” link2=”” link2follow=”true” trailinglogourl=”” trailinglink=”” trailinglinkfollow=”true”][/subheader]
By Jim Turvey
RotoGrinders has this number projected around 16.5, and with good reason.
LeVert is averaging 17.5 points + rebounds + assists (PRA) this season, and while Phoenix’s defense has been dicey the past month or so, LeVert’s production has also trended downwards this season, averaging just 14.s PRA the past 10 games.
That has coincided with the full return of Max Strus and the Cavs being as healthy as they’ve been all season, especially off the bench and at the wing spots where LeVert plays.
Isaac Okoro and Evan Mobley are out Monday, but both were out last game as well, and LeVert fell well short of this number.
Pick: Caris LeVert Under 19.5 Points, Rebounds, & Assists (-110)
[subheader sizedown=”false” text=”Ivica Zubac Over 14.5 Points (-120)” subtext=”Bulls vs Clippers, 10:30 p.m. ET” center=”false” logo1url=”https://images.actionnetwork.com/blog/2023/07/los-angeles-clippers-logo-updated-2023.png” link1=”https://www.actionnetwork.com/nba/odds/los-angeles-clippers” link1follow=”true” logo2url=”” link2=”” link2follow=”true” trailinglogourl=”” trailinglink=”” trailinglinkfollow=”true”][/subheader]
Apparently, I’m just betting on centers today. Ivica Zubac is another big man in a great spot tonight. He draws one of the best matchups possible, facing a team allowing the most points in the paint per game by a significant margin.
The Bulls are giving up 56.3 PPG in the paint, which is 3.6 more than the next-closest team. No other team is above 53, and only three other teams are above 50.
Zubac scores a massive 87.7% of his points from in the paint. His usage is up to 18.6%, his best mark since he was traded to the Clippers.
Zubac is tied for 11th in the league in 2nd-chance points per game. The Bulls have allowed the 4th-most 2nd-chance points. Chicago is allowing the 5th-most points per game to centers.
Zubac’s rates haven’t changed much with Kawhi Leonard on the floor, but they’ve only played 5 games together. Leonard has a 24.8% usage rate this season. Kris Dunn should replace him in the starting lineup, and he’s one of the lowest-usage players on the team (13.6%).
Leonard has been ruled out tonight, so Zubac could see a couple of extra shots.
Pick: Anfernee Simons Under 28.5 Points, Rebounds, & Assists (-115)
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