After a jam-packed slate last night, NBA fans have just a few games to look forward to today. A rehabilitated Khris Middleton and his Milwaukee Bucks are set to face off with the Memphis Grizzlies, which will be followed by a Western Conference showdown between the Utah Jazz and the New Orleans Pelicans. Below bettors can check out some of the best NBA player props and bets to make for Thursday, Dec. 15.
PrizePicks NBA Player Props | Dec. 15
Khris Middleton Under 5.5 Assists
Considering he is the Robin to Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s Batman, Khris Middleton‘s return to the Bucks lineup is a huge deal. He’s played in five full games this year, with his first coming in the beginning of December. With that being said, Middleton has never been a terrific playmaker for this Bucks squad. Given he is rehabbing and not consistently playing his regular allotment of minutes, his assist line looks a bit too high. Middleton is averaging just 4.3 potential assists per game in his small sample of outings this season, and he’s averaging just 5.8 potential assists per game.
Milwaukee’s primary ball handler and assists leader Jrue Holiday missed last game, and Middleton still finished with just three assists on five potential assists. He’s never once averaged six or more assists per game in any year of his career and is historically a score-first player that records just a few assists per game.
OddsShopper shows this play at -135 on BetMGM, with a 54% chance to win.
Lauri Markkanen Over 7.5 Rebounds
It’s been an absolute breakout season for Lauri Markkanen in his first season with the Jazz. He is averaging 22 points per game, but what’s more impressive is that he’s pulling down 8.6 rebounds per game as a power forward. Markkanen is recording 13.1 rebound chances per game on the season, and that number has jumped up to 14 over his last 10 outings. He’s currently leading Utah in rebounding, and he (along with Jarred Vanderbilt) is consistently its best hope on the glass.
Over his last 10 games, Markkanen has averaged 9.2 rebounds per game and has gone over this line eight times. He’s had eight or more rebounds in 67% of his games this season, and tonight his Jazz are set to face the New Orleans Pelicans — a team against which he recorded 11 and 12 rebounds in his two meetings with them this season. One of those meetings was last game, and Markkanen actually played a couple of minutes fewer than his season average due to blowout run, so look for him to have fresh legs tonight.
OddsShopper has this bet at -110 on Unibet, with a 53% chance to win.
