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NBA Prop Picks and Predictions for Monday August 3

VegasInsider Staff
VegasInsider Staff Sports Betting Expert
5 minute read

NBA Monday Prop Plays

Odds Via Fanduel Sportsbook
T&C's Apply, 21+, Only in NJ, PA, IN, CO and WV

Memphis Grizzlies vs. New Orleans Pelicans
Player Prop Picks

Game set for 6:30 p.m. ET

Ja Morant Over 36.5 – points + rebounds + assists (-108)

Rookie of the Year favorite, Ja Morant and the Memphis Grizzlies will try to bounce back against the New Orleans Pelicans tonight, after dropping the first of a back-to-back yesterday afternoon, 108-106 against San Antonio. In the Grizzlies first game in the bubble, Morant tallied 22 points, 5 rebounds, and 11 assists, over 40 minutes in their OT loss against the Blazers, easily pushing him over his total stats number.

In their second game, Dillon Brooks led the way in shot attempts for Memphis (20), but Morant still ended up leading the team in points (25), also recording 9 rebounds and 9 assists to again easily push him over his total stats number. The Pelicans are 3rd in the NBA in game pace (103.93), trailing just the Wolves (103.94), and the Bucks (105.38), which should inflate the Grizzlies offensive statistics in tonight’s contest if New Orleans is the team controlling the flow of the game.

Fanduel has the Pelicans listed as 4.5 point favorites in this game, and if Memphis is going to pull off the upset, it is going to need to be on the back of their 20-year old star out of Murray State. Morant averages 17.8 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 7 assists per game, but that is not reflective of the usage he now gets for the Griz. He has gone over 36.5 total stats in both of his 2 games in the bubble in regulation, and there is no reason he shouldn’t go over again against a New Orleans team that plays at such a fast pace, and hasn’t been playing defense as well as they are capable of playing.

I expect there to be a little more energy than your typical NBA regular season game tonight, having the 2 frontrunners for the ROY award squaring off on ESPN in a primetime basketball slot. I expect Zion and Ja to both show up and play well. The oddsmakers are predicting a shootout, setting the OU for this one at 236.5.

Bank on Morant to go over his total stats number in a high-scoring duel between ROY candidates.

San Antonio Spurs vs. Philadelphia 76ers
Player Prop Picks

Game set for 8:00 p.m. ET

Ben Simmons Over 26.5 – Points + Rebounds (-110)

The Philadelphia 76ers, after having TJ Warren drop 53 points on them (121-127, L vs. IND) in their first game in the bubble, will get a crack at Demar DeRozan and the San Antonio Spurs Monday night. In the Sixers loss on Saturday, Joel Embiid led the way with 41 points and 21 rebounds, closely followed by Tobias Harris (30 points, 8 rebs).

Coach Brett Brown announced during quarantine that Sixers All-Star point guard, Ben Simmons, would start at the power forward position for the remainder of the season, which appears to have caused his assist numbers to take a hit against the Pacers, but has also paid dividends to his rebounding totals (19 points, 13 rebounds, and 4 assists).

Simmons is averaging 16.7 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 8.1 assists for the season. The total pts + rebs + ast line sits at 33.5, which indicates the oddsmakers are predicting about 7-8 assists out of Simmons tonight. I don’t want to fool around with Simmons assists total after seeing him have just 4 dimes in his first outing at PF (Simmons: Has only gone under 4 assists 5 times this year).

Tobias Harris led the Sixers in field goal attempts (29), compared to Ben Simmons 14 FGA, and I have to imagine that isn’t how things are going to shake out twice in a row. I think Simmons tallies more shot attempts than he did against Indiana and grabs more boards as he begins to get more comfortable and fit in with the Sixers offense at power forward.

Back him to go over his points + rebounds total in a inter-conference matchup against the Spurs tonight.

Los Angeles Lakers vs. Utah Jazz (42-24)
Player Prop Picks

Game set for 9:00 p.m. ET

Rudy Gobert Over 24.5 – Points + Rebounds (-118)

The Utah Jazz lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder Saturday afternoon, 110-91, in a game that felt like the Jazz weren’t mentally engaged in from the opening tip.

Donovan Mitchell went 5-15 from the field and 0-4 from 3-point range, tallying just 13 points on the day. Jordan Clarkson led the way In FGA for Utah, jacking up 17 shots and recording just 11 points in the contest.

Rudy Gobert looked good for the second game in a row, even though the stats don’t necessarily indicate it (5-6 FGA, 10 pts, 7 rebs). The Jazz play at one of the slowest paces in the NBA (25th in NBA; 98.87), and they are playing against a Lakers team that runs at much faster pace (11th in NBA; 101.53). I expect the Lakers to control the pace of this game and inflate the Jazz offensive and rebounding statistics.

Gobert led the Jazz with 12 rebounds along with 14 points in their first game back against New Orleans on ESPN (Over 24.5 rebs +asts). The game tonight will most likely be played in a similar fashion to the one played opening night against the Pelicans, rather than the game played Saturday against OKC. Gobert started in 13 games for the Jazz in the month of January this year, and he went over 24.5 pts + asts in 12 of those; it is crucial to the Jazz for him to return to that form in the near future.

In Utah’s most recent game against the Lakers, Gobert tallied 13 points and 10 rebounds, across 27 minutes in a 121-96 loss; right under his total stats line, but also received fewer minutes than he usually receives.

I expect this game to stay closer than these team’s previous contest, driving Gobert’s points + rebounds total over 24.5 in a high scoring contest with Lebron and company.



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