NBA Best Bets For Thursday, Jan. 2: Back Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s Passing
The NBA has six games on the schedule for Thursday, Jan. 2, including a matchup between Minnesota and Boston.
Keep reading for NBA best bets below, and bet with your favorite sportsbook apps.
Contents
NBA Best Bets For Thursday, Jan. 2
Check out three bets below for Thursday’s NBA games.
Luguentz Dort Over 2.5 1st Quarter Points (-130 FanDuel)
This season, 34.5% of opponents’ first-quarter shots against the Clippers have been above-the-break triples, which is the fourth-highest percentage in the NBA. That bodes well for Luguentz Dort because 52% of his first-quarter shots come from this area. He’s also knocking them down at an excellent rate.
Since the start of last season, Dort has cashed this line in 72 of 110 regular season games — a 65.4% hit rate. His -130 odds indicate an implied probability of 56.5%, or about 9% less than his long-term hit rate.
It’s worth noting that Dort reached 3+ first-quarter points in four of five matchups versus the Clippers during this 110-game span.
Overall, I recommend playing the line at one and a half units because the matchup and prop history are both tantalizing.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 6+ Assists (+110 FanDuel) & 8+ Assists (+400 FanDuel)
The Clippers do a great job of limiting isolation and pick-and-roll scorers. These form the foundation of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s points. Derrick Jones Jr. is also a lengthy defender who has given SGA a little bit of trouble in the past, while Ivica Zubac adds a sturdy rim protector to the mix.
Now, I still expect a strong scoring night from SGA, but I envision Los Angeles forcing more passes and kick-outs than usual here via traps and doubles.
In the previous two matchups between these teams this season, Gilgeous-Alexander has averaged nine assists and 16 potential assists per game. Look for this trend to continue tonight.
I suggest playing his 6+ line at one unit and his 8+ line at a quarter of a unit.
Parlay (+144 FanDuel): Rudy Gobert Under 1.5 Blocks & Joel Embiid 4+ Assists
Boston’s offense is leading the league in 3-point attempt rate and taking the fewest field goal attempts per game where the defender is within four feet of the shooter. It features numerous stretch fives that pull big men away from the basket, too.
As a result, it’s hardly surprising that opposing centers are averaging the third-fewest blocks versus the Celtics. They rarely get the chance to contest!
Rudy Gobert is producing the second-lowest block percentage of his career, and he’s gone under 1.5 blocks in 59.3% of games this season. Finally, Gobert has faced Boston four times since being traded to Minnesota, and he recorded one block in 140 minutes of action during those contests. Yes, you read that correctly — a single block.
Meanwhile, Joel Embiid has notched four-plus assists in 54.5% of his games this season. He meets a Warriors defense that has stifled paint attempts but has allowed the fourth-most catch-and-shoot jumpers per game. There are plenty of quality shooters surrounding Embiid, so he should capitalize against Golden State, which has surrendered the third-most assists per game to centers.
I would play this parlay at one unit.
