3 NBA Star Player Prop Bets for Thursday 2/8/24

Player props are a fun way to get involved with the NBA each night, especially when it comes to the game's elite players.

That's what we'll focus on here -- prop bets for the NBA's best players via FanDuel Sportsbook's NBA Star Player Props.

Using FanDuel Research's daily basketball projections -- which are powered by numberFire -- as a guide, 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 Picks

Victor Wembanyama Under 21.5 Points (-110)

Victor Wembanyama has met high expectations and is the current frontrunner for this season's Rookie of the Year Award (-270), but I don't think he is primed to crack more than 21.5 points in tonight's matchup against the Orlando Magic.

On the season, Wemby is averaging 20.4 points per game. The -110 odds for this prop suggest a 52.4% probability, but he has recorded less than 21.5 points in 57.8% of his games this season.

The Magic should prove to be a tough matchup for Wemby, especially since this will be the second game of a back-to-back for the San Antonio Spurs.

Orlando is surrendering the ninth-fewest points to centers. They tout the league's fifth-best defensive rating and are sacrificing the 10th-fewest paint points. Wemby relies on the paint to net 48.0% of his points.

Wemby has played in four back-to-backs this season. He has averaged 18.5 points per contest in the second legs and has exceeded 21.5 points just once. We could see his lack-of-rest struggles come into play tonight.

The Magic are favored by 10.0 points in this one. Wemby has participated in 16 games wherein the Spurs lost by more than 10 points. In this split, he is averaging just 16.2 points per game and is hitting under 21.5 points at a whopping 81.3% clip.

While Wemby is a scary guy to take the under on and is someone who will scare opposing teams for years to come, I don't think tonight's game environment will constitute a major scoring performance for the star rookie.

Stephen Curry Over 28.5 Points (-110)

A matchup between the Indiana Pacers and Golden State Warriors provides us with a slate-high 249.0 over/under, so let's look for Stephen Curry to get in on the fun.

Curry is averaging 27.7 points per game this season, but there are a few reasons why I think he can punch above his weight in this one.

Indiana has been giving up the sixth-most points to point guards over their last 15 games. On the season, they are surrendering the third-most points per 36 minutes to guards.

The Warriors play at the 12th-fastest pace in the league, but Indiana has them beat, playing at the second-fastest pace.

Curry has participated in 15 pace-up games for Golden State this season. In that span, he is averaging 32.9 points per contest and is exceeding 28.5 points at a 66.7% rate, which is noticeably higher than the 52.4% implied probability for this prop at these -110 odds.

Golden State will be playing the second night of a back-to-back. This might cause concern for certain players -- but not Curry. In eight second legs of back-to-backs this season, he is averaging a whopping 33.4 points.

Plus, Curry played only 25 minutes in last night's game and took just seven field goal attempts (season low), so he should be ready to perform as the Warriors seek their third straight victory.

Nikola Jokic Over 0.5 Made Threes (-180)

These odds may seem unappealing, but the market is giving us a good deal on Nikola Jokic's made threes prop.

The -180 odds imply a 64.3% probability for Jokic to drain a three, but in reality, Jokic has hit at least one three-pointer in 69.4% of his games this season.

The Denver Nuggets will square off against the Los Angeles Lakers tonight. Denver and Jokic are coming off three days of rest and should be ready to go in a matchup that has the Nuggets favored by just 3.5 points.

Jokic is playing 33.8 minutes per game, and when we factor in the recent rest and the close spread, it seems he should hit that mark tonight. In 42 games where Jokic has played more than 28 minutes, he is exceeding 0.5 three-point makes (3PM) at a 76.2% clip.

The Lakers are a perfect matchup, too. They are allowing opposing teams the second-most 3PM per game and are letting centers shoot the three-ball at the league's eighth-best percentage.

Jokic got busy from downtown against the Lakers in this year's season opener, nailing three triples in that contest. I'll side with him to make at least one shot from behind the arc tonight.

Dive into the action with FanDuel Sportsbook's No Sweat Same Game Parlay for the upcoming Mavericks vs Knicks and Nuggets vs Lakers games on February 8th. See the promotions page for more information.

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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.