Even with Monday Night Football scheduled tonight, the NBA found a way to sneak in a very intriguing slate for the basketball lovers. Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat are set to face the Indiana Pacers, and there’s also a matchup between the Portland Trail Blazers and Minnesota Timberwolves that will tip off later on in the night. Below, bettors can check out some of the best NBA player props and bets to make for tonight along with some analysis for each pick. For more NBA prop bets, check out the OddsShopper tool to identify the best NBA bets.
PrizePicks NBA Player Props | Dec. 12
Jimmy Butler over 20.5 Points
The Miami Heat have been consistently injured for the past few weeks, but they are finally starting to get a little bit healthier. Jimmy Butler has looked better and better as the season has progressed, so bettors may want to check out this points line as it seems to be bit too low when compared Butler’s recent scoring performances. The gritty Heat forward has played four games in December, averaging 24.8 points per game on 34 minutes per game. What’s equally as important for this bet is the fact that Butler has been attempting 15 field goal attempts per game over that four game span.
His field goal attempts per game average jumped from 13 per game up to 15 per game this month. Tonight, Miami is set to face off against the Indiana Pacers, who are allowing 116.7 points per game to opposing teams, the fourth-highest mark in the NBA this season. They also give up the most free throw attempts per game this season and Jimmy Butler has averaged nearly 8 free throw attempts per game. Butler has attempted 8 or more free throws in seven of his games this season. He’s scored 21 or more points in six of those seven outings, securing an average of 25.7 points per game in those games. He had a usage rate of 32.3% in his most recent game and should look to stay hot in a favorable matchup against the Pacers.
Using the OddsShopper tools, bettors will find that this bet is listed at -111 on Caesars.
Anthony Edwards over 1.5 Steals
The 2022-2023 NBA season has been full of ups and downs for the Minnesota Timberwolves, but Anthony Edwards has played some really good defensive basketball as of late. He has recorded 2 or more steals in six straight games, averaging a ridiculous 4 steals per game over that span.
Tonight, he will face the Portland Trail Blazers who are giving up 7.8 steals per game, a bottom-ten mark in the NBA this year. Just last game the Blazers allowed the Timberwolves to come up with 11 steals. Expect Edwards to play a lot of minutes, and to stay hot on the defensive end tonight against the Blazers’ sometimes over-aggressive guards. Damian Lillard and Anfernee Simons are combining for 6 turnovers per game by themselves this year.
Using the OddsShopper tools, bettors will find that this bet is listed at -130 on DraftKings.
