Saturday's slate of NBA postseason games includes a Game 1 between the'Denver Nuggets and Phoenix Suns. FanDuel Sportsbook's latest'NBA odds'list the Nuggets as the'3.5-point home favorite'with the projected total set at 226.5 points.
Here are three of the'best NBA player prop bets'for the Suns-Nuggets game, courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook.
Suns vs Nuggets Player Props
1. Kevin Durant – Points: Over 27.5 (-120)
Kevin Durant was up to his usual dominance last round against the LA Clippers. The two-time NBA Finals MVP averaged 28.4 PPG on 51.8% shooting, putting him in a good position to hit the Over on the above prop. Scoring 28-plus points hasn't been an issue for Durant as he's done so in seven of his previous 11 outings – including each of the last three. He's also finished with the Over in each of his last four encounters with the Nuggets and even scored 33 in his most recent trip to Ball Arena. I expect big things from Durant as the Suns attempt to succeed as underdogs.
2. Nikola Jokic – Assists: Under 9.5 (-130)
Nikola Jokic is the best playmaking center in basketball, proven by his averaging 9.0 assists against the Minnesota Timberwolves. While he's recorded double-digit assist totals in two of his past three games, I don't see that occurring tonight. For starters, Jokic has finished with the Under on this prop in four of his last seven outings. Now he faces th e Suns, who allow the third-fewest assists in the Association. Jokic is more than familiar with how difficult it is to set up teammates when playing Phoenix. After all, he's averaging just 6.9 APG in his last 10 matchups against the Suns, finishing with nine or fewer in all but two of those games.
3. Chris Paul – Steals: Over 1.5 (-118)
After averaging the second-fewest steals of his career (1.5) during the regular season, Chris Paul has upped his defensive game in the playoffs. He averaged 2.2 steals against the Clippers, finishing with at least two in four of the five games. After hitting the Over in each of his last three outings, I see Paul making it a fourth straight tonight. As good as the Nuggets are, they're easily pickpocketed, surrendering the eighth-most steals in the NBA. Having also hit the Over in 10 of his last 14 road games against Denver, Paul is clearly in a good spot to make good on this prop again.