3 NBA Player Prop Bets for Tuesday 12/12/23

Player props can be useful in a variety of ways -- from taking advantage of them straight up to measuring a player's potential to produce in daily fantasy basketball on FanDuel. Here, we're going to focus on the former.

Using a wealth of statistical data, including numberFire's daily basketball projections, here are some NBA player prop bets that look appealing via the NBA odds at FanDuel Sportsbook.

Please note lines are subject to change throughout the day after this article is published.

NBA Prop Bets

Klay Thompson Over 21.5 Pts + Reb (-102)

Klay Thompson has had a rocky start to the season and is a slump-prone player, but he's in the midst of a decent stretch of play, and his combined points and rebounds (PR) prop for tonight is set too low.

Thompson has recorded 22-plus PR in six of his last eight games, averaging 23.7 PR in that span. He'll go up against the Phoenix Suns tonight, a team he has been dominant against in recent history.

When it comes to player props, the Suns aren't the most obvious team to bet against. They allow the 13th-fewest points, 3rd-fewest rebounds, and 7th-fewest three-point attempts (3PA) per game. While this may sound like a nightmare for Thompson, it hasn't been.

In his last five games against Phoenix, two of which occurred earlier this season, Thompson has netted 22-plus PR in each one, averaging a steep 29.8 PR across that sample.

These great numbers are in part due to the Suns allowing Thompson to shoot the three-ball at a high rate. In two games against Phoenix this season, Thompson has fired off a total of 21 3PA. In his last five games against the Suns, he's averaging 11.6 3PA per game.

The Suns also allow the 10th-most field-goal attempts (FGA) from mid-range, and Thompson leads all members of the Golden State Warriors in mid-range FGA.

Based on his recent play and the history of this matchup, I'd be interested in Thompson scoring 22 points alone. Add in that he's been averaging 6.0 rebounds over his last five games, and 22 PR seems more than reasonable.

Jayson Tatum Over 35.5 Pts + Reb (-113)

The Cleveland Cavaliers will take on the Boston Celtics tonight, and despite the slate-high 10.5-point spread which favors Boston, I think we'll see a pretty competitive game that heavily features the star players on each squad. Last year, Boston went 1-3 against Cleveland, including three overtime losses.

Jayson Tatum is averaging 36.2 PR this season, and this matchup and game environment will constitute an average game from Boston's MVP candidate.

The Cavs give up the 10th-most free-throw attempts (FTA) per game. Tatum can make a killing at the foul line, especially against foul-prone teams. He scores 18.9% of his points from here and is averaging the 16th-most FTA in the NBA.

Cleveland's lead-rebounder, Evan Mobley, was out last night due to a knee injury and could be unavailable again tonight. Tatum has turned into a rebounding machine this year, leading all Boston players and ranking second in the league among non-power forwards and centers. Even if Mobley plays, I think the rebounding portion of Tatum's PR will be up to snuff tonight, but the less height around the boards, the better.

Tatum and the Celtics are coming off three days of rest. In two games in this split this season, Tatum is averaging 38.0 PR.

In three games against the Cavs last season (Tatum was hurt for one of the aforementioned four games), he averaged 43.0 PR. This span includes some overtime play, but even when we adjust for regulation, Tatum still averaged 41.0 PR.

Coby White Over 28.5 Pts + Reb + Ast (-122)

Time to check out what Coby White has been up to for the Chicago Bulls. Going into the season, a combined points, rebounds, and assists (PRA) line set at 28.5 wasn't in the question for White, but now it seems like an undervalued play.

Zach LaVine has been intermittently unavailable for the Bulls in six games this season and will be out for tonight's contest against the Denver Nuggets. In six Lavine-less games, White is averaging 36.5 PRA.

But even in recent games with LaVine, White is punching above his weight class, averaging 32.2 PRA across his last 10 games. That number spikes to a lofty 38.0 PRA over his last five games.

The Nuggets aren't an easy matchup, but both squads are coming in off a game last night, meaning rest or worse-than-usual performance is in play for some of the stars on Denver.

However, I don't think this back-to-back will hurt White's minutes or usage. He's a 23-year-old former lottery pick on a Bulls team that currently lacks depth (LaVine and Alex Caruso are both out). It makes sense for this desperate Chicago team to give their potential burgeoning young star the go-ahead to take over this game -- even if Denver's defense poses a few limitations.

The pace of this game will likely be underwhelming, but I think siding with a heat check from White is the move -- at least while LaVine is out and White's PRA line sits below 30.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.