NBA Player Props and Best Bets: LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard & More Picks for Dec. 18

Finally, the NBA is back in full swing on Thursday, and I’m here to share my favorite player prop picks for the evening.

Josh Giddey was a standout last night, dropping 23 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists in the Chicago Bulls’ win over the Cleveland Cavaliers. Later in the evening, Jaren Jackson Jr. went for 28 points and 12 rebounds in the Memphis Grizzlies’ road win over the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Today’s loaded schedule is headlined by the Denver Nuggets hosting the Orlando Magic, as well as the Dallas Mavericks taking on the Detroit Pistons.

Here are my top NBA player prop picks and bets for Thursday, Dec. 18.

Best NBA Prop Bets for Thursday, December 18

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LaMelo Ball Over 7.5 Assists (-130) at FanDuel Sportsbook

Who knows what the future holds for Ball, once the franchise player for the Charlotte Hornets. While that uncertainty remains, he went over his assist line in 13 of 16 games, excluding his last one, which he left after 12 minutes.

The Hornets have their main pieces back on the floor back together and should be able to generate efficient offense. They’re also taking on an Atlanta Hawks squad that could be welcoming Trae Young back, and if they do, that will give them a weakness at the point of attack. That means defensive help and rotations, and passes to open players.

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Dylan Harper Over 3.5 Rebounds (+104) at FanDuel Sportsbook

Harper looked a lot like someone worthy of being taken second overall in the NBA Draft during Tuesday’s NBA Cup final loss to the New York Knicks, going for 21 points and seven rebounds in 28 minutes. Beyond the box score, he brought intensity, was constantly in the right places, and played with a true desire that will translate across an entire career.

Harper went over this line in four of his last six games. He had a stretch in November when he couldn’t cash an over, but he also didn’t play for more than 20 minutes in a game. Given that he appears to be earning solid minutes again, and the Washington Wizards are horrible on the glass, this is a nice matchup for the young guard.

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Kawhi Leonard Under 24.5 Points (-130) at FanDuel Sportsbook

Whatever is going on, the Los Angeles Clippers are ready to be put out of their misery. They’re a pitiful 6-20 with no real long-term vision, and they’re facing an OKC Thunder team that is 24-2 and hasn’t played since it lost the NBA Cup semifinal to the Spurs.

James Harden is out, which means that Leonard will be the primary scorer from the opening tip. He averaged 25 points per game, yet he went under this line in four straight games and is about to take on a defense that allowed the fewest points per game in the entire league.

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Paolo Banchero Under 1.5 Threes (-144) at FanDuel Sportsbook

Banchero fell in love with the three-ball in his last game on Saturday, but he did not make a single shot in seven attempts. He’s gone under this line in six of his last nine games and only made 1.1 attempts per game on a career-worst 26.6 percent shooting from beyond the arc.

The Denver Nuggets don’t exactly have the best three-point defense in the world, in part because of Nikola Jokic’s inability to defend that far away from the rim. That said, Banchero hasn’t shown any real consistency from the perimeter, and he only took four attempts per game.

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LeBron James Over 6.5 Rebounds (-102) at FanDuel Sportsbook

The reports are that JJ Redick held a meeting and called for more defensive intensity from his stars, Luka Doncic and LeBron James. Rebounding is a part of defense, and “The King” proved his ability on the glass a week ago when he snatched 15 rebounds against the Spurs.

James went under this line in three of five games in December, but the Utah Jazz also ranked 22nd in rebounds allowed per game over their last 15 outings. I’d bank on him applying the message from Redick to the glass, pushing the pace in transition, and getting over this line.

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