Best NBA Prop Bets Today (Predictions for Nikola Jokic, Jalen Brunson, RJ Barrett)

Three NBA playoff games are set for Monday, April 20, and there are a ton of star players to consider in the prop market.

Donovan Mitchell, James Harden and the Cleveland Cavaliers kick off Monday’s action against the Toronto Raptors after they won Game 1 behind a massive second half on the offensive end. After Scottie Barnes and company got off to a hot start scoring the ball, the Raptors fell apart a bit in the third quarter, getting outscored by 14 points.

In the other Eastern Conference matchup on Monday, the New York Knicks and Jalen Brunson host the Atlanta Hawks after they won Game 1 at home on Saturday. Brunson (28 points) and Karl-Anthony Towns (25 points) led the way for New York, which kept All-Star Jalen Johnson in check (23 points on 8-of-19 shooting) for most of the night.

The final game on Tuesday night features two superstars in Nikola Jokic and Anthony Edwards, though it was Jokic (25 points, 13 rebounds, 11 assists) and Jamal Murray (30 points, five boards, seven assists) that took over the game after Minnesota led in the first quarter.

With all of these star players in action, how should we bet on them in the prop market?

Here’s a breakdown of my top props for Monday, April 20.

Best NBA Prop Bets for Monday, April 20

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

RJ Barrett OVER 1.5 3-Pointers (-112)

RJ Barrett was the best player on the floor for Toronto in Game 1, scoring 24 points on just 13 shots, knocking down 3-of-6 shots from beyond the arc.

Barrett finished the regular season shooting just 33.9 percent from deep, but he did take 5.0 3-pointers per game, which gives him a pretty solid floor when it comes to this prop.

The Cavs have struggled to defend the 3-ball all season long, ranking 26th in opponent 3-pointers made and 26th in opponent 3-point percentage. So, Barrett should get some pretty good looks in Game 2.

After finding the range from deep on Saturday, I’ll buy Barrett at this price to keep it going in Game 2.

Josh Hart OVER 22.5 Points, Rebounds and Assists (-119)

Playoff Josh Hart was on full display for the Knicks in Game 1, putting up 11 points (on 4-of-8 shooting), 14 rebounds and five assists (30 PRA).

Hart finished the regular season averaging 12.0 points, 7.4 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game (nearly 25 PRA) while shooting an impressive 41.3 percent from deep (on limited attempts).

Hart is a different animal on the glass at his size, and he had a huge role in Game 1, playing nearly 37 minutes. There’s a chance Hart has a low shot attempt game that derails this prop, but he’s a candidate to pick up at least 12 or more rebounds and assists based on his season average.

Jalen Brunson OVER 2.5 3-Pointers Made (-125)

Earlier today, I shared in my NBA Best Bets column – Peter’s Points – why Brunson is a great prop target in Game 2:

Jalen Brunson put on a clinic scoring the ball in Game 1 against the Hawks, dropping 19 points in the first quarter and finishing with 28 points overall.

Brunson only took four 3-pointers in the game, but he made 3 of them. He’s now cleared 2.5 3-pointers in three of his four meetings against the Hawks, taking at least eight shots from deep in three of those games.

Atlanta was 13th in the league in opponent 3s made per game in the regular season, and Brunson has such a big responsibility in the New York offense that he’s worth a look at this number.

During the regular season, Brunson shot 36.9 percent from deep on over seven attempts per game, and he has averaged 2.4 3-pointers made per game in his Knicks playoff career.

Nikola Jokic OVER 9.5 Assists (-141)

Another play from today's Peter's Points, I'm eyeing Jokic to reach double-digit assists in Game 2:

Jokic had 11 dimes in Game 1 of this series, and he finished the regular season averaging 10.7 assists per game.

I’m surprised to see this line set below 10.5, as Jokic has 10 or more assists in 15 of his last 22 games (including playoffs), and he averaged 11.2 assists per game from March 1 through the end of the regular season.

In his four meetings with the Wolves during the regular season, Jokic had nine, 15, 11 and 10 dimes, so it’s certainly in the cards for him to reach double-digit dimes in Game 2.

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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