Monday night features a loaded 12-game slate in the NBA, including a handful of marquee games that should be must-see TV. As we do we're taking to BetMGM to uncover the best NBA player props, highlighting the highest-value odds so you can start your week off with some winning bets.
The stars will be out this evening. In the early slate, we'll see Donovan Mitchell and the Cavaliers host Kawhi Leonard and the Clippers (7:00 p.m. ET), as well as Jayson Tatum's Celtics hosting Zion Williamson and the Pelicans (7:30 p.m. ET).
The Wolves and Thunder, the two teams atop the Western Conference standings, square off at 8:00 p.m. ET in what should be a great duel between Anthony Edwards and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Then at 9:00 p.m. ET, Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks visit Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets in a battle of two-time MVPs and one-time league champions.
Got all that!? It's just the tip of the iceberg, and we can't wait to get some props in for this action-packed night in the Association. We've been crushing our best bets, top props, and Prop-A-Shot series all season, going a collective 66-46 with our betting recommendations. That's a winning percentage of nearly .590, a number we're aiming to elevate even more as the season progresses.
There's never been a better time to wager on props. Scoring is way up in the NBA, stars are breaking out everywhere we look, and the parity this season has been fantastic. It often feels like the playoff race has been surging since November.
Let's dive into the Monday night slate and pinpoint our best bets on BetMGM, our go-to spot for all the latest odds, lines, and props. Good luck, have fun, and enjoy what should be another great night of NBA hoops!
All odds courtesy of BetMGM, an authorized gaming operator of the NBA.
Best NBA Prop Bets Today: Top Props for Monday, Jan. 29
Kawhi Leonard, F, Clippers at Cavaliers — OVER 24.5 points (-120)
Kawhi has been smooth and steady this season, looking as healthy as we've seen him to this point in a season in years. He's also the undisputed leader and top-scoring catalyst on a title contender, with James Harden and Paul George deferring to him as the Clippers' No. 1 option. And as the two-time NBA champ proved on Saturday against the Eastern Conference-leading Celtics, he remains matchup-proof.
Leonard dropped 26 points on 10-of-15 shooting in Boston, home of arguably the best defense in the NBA. A few days prior, he put a casual 25-spot on the Lakers. He has gone OVER 24 points in 12 of his past 20 games, a span in which Los Angeles has gone 18-2. Everything's clicking for Ty Lue's squad right now, so don't expect the Clips to suddenly deviate from Kawhi being the guy. Especially with Ivica Zubac still out with a calf injury — and the Cavs winning nine of their past 10 games — Leonard should be scoring early and often again this evening.
Other Clippers-Cavaliers props we like: Jarrett Allen OVER 16.5 points (-125); Donovan Mitchell UNDER 29.5 points (-110); Mason Plumlee OVER 7.5 rebounds (+100)
Jayson Tatum, F, Celtics vs. Pelicans — UNDER 2.5 three-pointers (+105)
Tatum has enjoyed another fantastic season in green, but with Kristaps Porzingis sidelined he still tends to force shots up a bit too frequently. When Boston's core is in tact, things flow much more smoothly on the offensive side of the floor, whereas JT reverts back to hero ball when one or two key cogs are out.
Tonight could be one of Tatum's more bumpy evenings, as New Orleans ranks in the top 10 in the Association in defensive rating (114.0) and allows opponents to shoot the fourth-lowest percentage from three-point land (34.6%). JT knows a little something about the Pels' three-point defense — he only shot 27.8 percent from downtown against them last season.
Herb Jones and Trey Murphy are vastly underrated perimeter defenders, Brandon Ingram has a 7-3 wingspan and Zion Williamson is one of the stronger forwards in the league. When all is said and done tonight, I\it's very likely Tatum fails to hit three treys for the seventh time in 10 games.
Other Celtics-Pelicans props we like: Zion Williamson OVER 20.5 points (-120); Jonas Valanciunas double-double (+160); Tatum OVER 2.5 turnovers (+100)
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, G, Thunder vs. Wolves — OVER 42.5 points + assists + rebounds (-110)
SGA has been a video-game cheat code over the past two months, and we have trouble putting anything but OVER next to any of his props at this point. Since Nov. 1, he's averaging 31.6 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 6.4 assists per game. He leads the NBA in 30-point games and averages 43.9 points + assists + rebounds per game at home. So, yeah, we think he's going to step up big time against a Wolves team that's tied with OKC for the best record in the West.
Gilgeous-Alexander has already battled Minnesota three times this season, averaging 33 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 6.3 assists per game against Chris Finch's squad. On the one occasion that the Wolves visited OKC, SGA put up 34/6/9, good for 49 total points + assists + rebounds. This feels like a layup, which could very well turn into an and-one since we're talkin' 'bout SGA here.
Other Thunder-Wolves props we like: Chet Holmgren UNDER 7.5 rebounds (-140); Rudy Gobert OVER 2.5 blocks (+130); Holmgren OVER 1.5 blocks (-165)
Giannis Antetokounmpo, F, Bucks at Nuggets — OVER 31.5 points (-110)
Giannis might be the only player more stat-conscious and legacy-minded in the NBA than LeBron James. The two-time MVP is well aware of the barrage of scoring taking place in the Association of late, and he knows full well that the league's MVP race is as tight as perhaps ever before. He also probably knows that MVP voters take mental notes during clashes of the titans like tonight's battle against reigning Finals MVP Nikola Jokic.
Antetokounmpo has scored at least 32 points in exactly half of his 44 games this season, but only once in Milwaukee's past seven games and twice in the Bucks' past 10 (dating back to Jan. 8). He's overdue for a scoring explosion, and what better night for it to happen than in Denver against a fellow two-time MVP and the reigning champions of the hoops world?
The Nuggets have surrendered a whopping 59.3 points in the paint per game over their past three contests, and we expect Giannis to attack the interior mercilessly all night in Doc Rivers' head coaching debut with the Bucks. Only time will tell if Rivers will work in Milwaukee, but we know full well that he will ride Giannis offensively until the wheels fall off. Giannis averaged exactly 32 points per game against Denver last season, and we have him scoring 35 tonight.
Other Bucks-Nuggets props we like: Nikola Jokic triple-double (+155); Jamal Murray OVER 2.5 three-pointers (-140)
