Best NBA Prop Bets Today (Predictions for Nikola Jokic, Jalen Brunson, James Harden and More)

Breaking down the best prop bets for the NBA playoff action on Monday night, including a pick for Clippers star James Harden.

Los Angeles Clippers guard James Harden is an elite prop target on Monday. / Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

After a weekend filled with NBA playoff action, Monday features just two games with the New York Knicks hosting the Detroit Pistons and the Los Angeles Clippers looking to steal a road game in Game 2 against the Denver Nuggets.

New York and Denver both won their series openers, but both teams were down heading into the fourth quarter before eventually pulling out wins. Oddsmakers actually aren’t buying Denver to win again in Game 2, setting the Clips as road favorites.

The Knicks are still favored, but the Pistons showed that they won’t be a pushover in the playoffs after an insane regular season where they improved their win total by 30 games from the season before.

There are a ton of ways to bet on Monday’s action, but one of the most exciting is in the prop market.

I chose four All-Stars to target on Monday – one from every team – so fans (and bettors) of all kinds can dive into the playoff action. 

Best NBA Prop Bets for Monday, April 21

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

• Nikola Jokic OVER 8.5 Assists (-140)
• Jalen Brunson OVER 27.5 Points (-105)
• James Harden OVER 9.5 Assists (-120)
• Cade Cunningham OVER 8.5 Assists (-135)

Nikola Jokic OVER 8.5 Assists (-140)

During the regular season, Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic averaged 10.2 assists per game, and he picked up 12 dimes in Game 1 against the Clips. 

Jokic had at least nine dimes in six of his last eight games to close the regular season, and Denver is going to run its offense through him as much as possible on Monday night. 

The Clippers did finish the regular season with one of the top defensive ratings in the NBA, but they still allowed over 25 opponent assists per game. While Los Angeles held Jokic below this total twice in the regular season, he also picked up an 11-assist game against Ivica Zubac and company.

With this prop set well below the three-time MVP’s season average, he’s worth a look in Game 2.

Jalen Brunson OVER 27.5 Points (-105)

There’s a lot of reasons to believe in Knicks star Jalen Brunson putting a huge number on the scoreboard on Monday after he tied Willis Reed for the second-most 30-point playoff games in Knicks history. 

Not only did the Knicks guard finish with 34 points in Game 1, but he attempted 27 shots and 10 free throws while playing 40 minutes. 

Brunson is going to have a massive workload all postseason long, and he showed last season that he will score at a high rate in the playoffs – averaging 32.4 points per game.

At home, he’s worth a look at after finishing Game 1 with a 9-for-13 shooting performance in the second half.  

James Harden OVER 9.5 Assists (-120)

Clippers star James Harden averaged 8.7 assists per game during the regular season, but he’s coming off an 11-assist showing in Game 1 on Saturday afternoon. 

Harden closed out the regular season with six games of double-digit assists in his last seven, and he had two regular-season games with 11 or more dimes against Denver. The Nuggets have been a beatable defense all season long, ranking 29th in the NBA in opponent assists per game.

With how much Harden has the ball in his hands, he’s worth a look in this market. During the regular season, Harden averaged 13.7 potential assists per game, and he 17.0 potential assists in Game 1. 

Cade Cunningham OVER 8.5 Assists (-135)

Even though the Pistons lost Game 1, Cunningham dished out nine assists, finding open shooters all night against the Knicks defense.

New York has now allowed 12 or more dimes to Cunningham twice in five games this season, and the All-Star guard did finish the regular season averaging 9.1 assists per game. 

He’s worth a look at this number, especially since he played 40 minutes and had the ball in his hands a ton in Game 1.

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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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