We receive a complete menu and a multitude of possibilities from which we may sift betting value tonight after a modest slate of activity in the association marred by blowouts. For Friday, January 12, these are my top picks for NBA player prop bets.
In an effort to get retribution, the Orlando Magic will travel to play the Miami Heat tonight, but Wendell Carter Jr., Franz Wagner, and Gary Harris are out. Paolo Banchero, the Magic’s breakout player, has averaged 5.4 assists per 36 minutes in a tiny sample size sans Wagner; nevertheless, he will now face a mismatch that will push him into a facilitator position.
The Heat defense, led by the brilliant game-planning of Erik Spoelstra, will devote all of their resources to containing Magic player Paolo Banchero. The fact that Bam Adebayo and Haywood Highsmith, the Heat’s two greatest defensive players, are both healthy will make it much simpler for Miami to get the ball out of Banchero’s hands. Hard closures on drives and blitzes at the top of the key are examples of it. Miami’s defense has been below average against 3-pointers this season, and nearly 43% of Banchero’s assists have come from the 3-point line.
