Best NBA Prop Bets Today (Predictions for Amen Thompson, Jalen Duren, LeBron James, This Rookie)

When it comes to betting on the NBA, there isn’t a more exciting way to do it than betting on player props.

I love betting a side or total just like everyone else, but in the playoffs, stars really rise to the occasion night in and night out, playing more minutes than usual as they chase an NBA title. That can lead to some huge games, and there are stars like Cade Cunningham, LeBron James, Donovan Mitchell and more in action for Wednesday’s three-game slate:

Orlando Magic vs. Detroit Pistons (ORL leads 3-1)
Toronto Raptors vs. Cleveland Cavaliers (Tied 2-2)
Houston Rockets vs. Los Angeles Lakers (LAL leads 3-1)

Tonight, I’m targeting Jalen Duren, Amen Thompson and James in the prop market, as there are several players up in the air due to injuries.

Austin Reaves (oblique) could return for the Lakers while Kevin Durant (ankle) and Luka Doncic (hamstring) are expected to miss this game. Out East, the Orlando Magic may be short-handed with Franz Wagner (calf) banged up after the team’s Game 4 win on Monday.

Here’s a breakdown of the odds and analysis behind each of these player props for the playoff action on April 29.

Best NBA Prop Bets for Wednesday, April 29

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Jalen Duren UNDER 25.5 Points and Rebounds (-111)

Detroit Pistons center Jalen Duren has underwhelmed in the playoffs, getting outplayed by Wendell Carter Jr. while the Pistons dropped three of the first four games of this series.

Duren averaged 19.5 points and 10.5 rebounds per game in the regular season, but with Detroit’s offense sputtering, his numbers are down across the board. In four games, Duren is averaging just 9.8 points and 8.3 rebounds per game, falling well short of this line on Wednesday.

In fact, Duren has combined for no more than points and rebounds in a single game in this series.

Maybe being back at home will help, but Detroit's lack of creators on offense makes it hard to trust Duren, who is pretty dependent on behind set up by a ball-handler for a lot of his offense.

Collin Murray-Boyles OVER 19.5 Points and Rebounds (-106)

Raptors rookie Collin Murray-Boyles has been the difference maker in this series, even though he’s still coming off the bench.

Murray-Boyles is averaging 17.0 points and 7.3 rebounds in 25.3 minutes per game, shooting 65.9 percent from the field in the process. In this series, CMB has 17, 24, 30 and 25 combined rebounds and assists, and his defensive ability has given him even more playing time for Toronto.

I think this number is a little low on Wednesday, especially since the rookie has played more than half of the game in three straight matchups.

Amen Thompson OVER 32.5 Points, Rebounds and Assists (-112)

Thompson has been one of the few bright spots for Houston in this first-round series, averaging 20.5 points, 6.8 rebounds and 6.8 assists per game while shooting over 14 shots per night.

He’s turned in back-to-back games with 23 or more points, which certainly gives him a pretty solid floor when it comes to this combo prop. So far in the series, Thompson has put up 31, 30, 41 and 34 PRA.

He’s going to need to score closer to 20 points to make this happen, but the former lottery pick has at least three games with seven or more assists and two games with seven or more rebounds. Houston is also +28 with him on the floor in this series (+7 in the first three games that the Rockets lost), so Ime Udoka may look to extend Thompson’s minutes on Wednesday night.

LeBron James OVER 7.5 Assists (-136)

Earlier today, I shared in my NBA Best Bets column – Peter’s Points – why James is a great prop target in Game 5:

James is coming off his worst game of the series in Game 4, finishing with just 10 points (on nine shots) while turning the ball over eight times.

Still, LeBron is averaging 8.8 assists per game (on 13.5 potential assists), clearing this number in Games 1 and 4. Now, I think James could have an even bigger game as a passer in Game 5 if Austin Reaves returns and takes some of the pressure off the 41-year-old on offense.

Houston’s defensive scheme has been tailored to slow James down, but Reaves would give the Lakers an elite on-ball scorer to take some pressure off the four-time champion.

James has put together several games with eight or more dimes without Luka Doncic in the lineup this season, and I believe he’s undervalued at this number in Game 5.

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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Find Peter Dewey's NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on BetStamp here.

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