With 10 games on Friday’s NBA slate, there are plenty of wagering opportunities for prop bettors to choose from.
For my favorite play of the day, I’m targeting a player prop in the matchup between the Charlotte Hornets and San Antonio Spurs.
Let’s look at today’s top NBA prop.
NBA betting odds used for this basketball prop bet are current as of Friday, Jan. 12, and courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
Best NBA Prop Bet Today
Victor Wembanyama: Over 1.5 Threes (-115)
The Spurs’ rookie sensation posted his first career triple-double in Wednesday night’s win over the Detroit Pistons.
However, that occasion also marked the first time in seven games that Wembanyama failed to connect on a three-pointer.
Look for him to get back on track from behind the arc on Friday night against a Charlotte Hornets squad that allows opponents to shoot an NBA-high 39.4% from deep.
How NBA Prop Betting Works
Prop betting is one of the most popular ways to wager on sports.
Props are bets that are not ultimately tied to the final score. There are a few different varieties of prop options for sports bettors to consider across the landscape.
Since the NBA is one of the most popular sports for bettors, and its players are among the most famous athletes in the United States, prop betting on basketball is a big deal.
Here’s a look at how NBA prop betting works.
Best NBA Prop Bets
There are a few different options for NBA bettors to consider when placing prop bets. Here’s a look at each.
Player Props
Player props are the most popular style of prop wager, especially for NBA bettors. Player props are easy to understand and navigate in NBA betting since most wagers are self-explanatory.
Among the types of NBA player props are wagering on one player to score the game’s first basket, as well as Over/Unders tied to individual state categories like points, rebounds, 3-pointers, assists, and much more.
For the prop to be successful, the bettor must either correctly identify whether the player will surpass (Over) or fall short of (Under) the predetermined number.
Game Props
Game props are wagers where a bettor bets on a specific outcome in one game.
For example, a bettor can wager on the number of first-half points or points in the first, second, third, or fourth quarter. He or she can also wager on if the game will go to overtime.
Game props can be a good way to get more lucrative odds if the bettor finds an edge.
Team Props
Team props are wagers tied to an individual team in one game.
There is a wide array of team props, including the Over or Under for each side’s total points in the game, which team will win the race to a certain number of points, or for each side to finish with an odd or even number in the game.
Futures
Futures wagers are props where fans can bet on things like awards or championships — bets that are settled far in the future.
In NBA betting, wagerers can bet on individual awards like MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, Scoring Leader, Coach of the Year, and more.
Bettors could also bet on team futures, like one team going Over or Under a predetermined number of wins, making the playoffs, winning its division, conference, or even being the squad that lifts the Larry O’Brien Trophy as NBA champion in June.
Futures can be a great way to get lucrative odds since betting on outcomes far in advance is really hard. However, with longer odds come a less likely chance of being correct, so tread lightly.
NBA Prop Betting Strategy
The best betting strategy is to do your homework. With props, as with nearly every other type of bet, a wagerer should target trends.
Be sure to consider the odds when targeting prop bets. As a rule, I do not advocate bettors placing any wager with shorter odds than -150, except as a parlay leg, since the payout is not substantial enough to justify the amount a bettor needs to wager.
Be sure to shop around for odds boosts and any promotions available. Nearly every online sportsbook will boost odds for NBA props, and it’s essential to take advantage of those boosted odds when placing basketball bets.
Be sure to have fun and be responsible, especially when prop betting. It is a lot of fun to cash in on a great player, like Stephen Curry or LeBron James, going off, but all it takes is an off-shooting night for your prop bet to be unsuccessful.