The NFL's Super Bowl has come and gone, so NBA action will be taking center stage with several high-profile matchups on Monday night, and there's money to be made in the player props market across the 10-game slate.
Here are three expert player prop picks to potentially boost your units, including a scoring prop for Dallas Mavericks wing Max Christie (-111) as he tries to make yet another positive impression on a fanbase which just took another punch to the gut over the weekend with an injury to the team's newly-acquired superstar.
Max Christie OVER 12.5 Points vs. Kings (-111)
Preview: Sacramento Kings vs. Dallas Mavericks, 8:30 p.m. ET
The blockbuster trade which manifested out of thin air sending Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers was already an emotional roller coaster for Mavericks supporters to deal with, but witnessing Anthony Davis suffer a left adductor strain in his debut on Saturday after putting up sensational numbers may put them over the edge. Davis is expected to miss multiple weeks and up to a month with the injury, and considering how there were protests outside of the American Airlines Center from disgruntled fans already angry with the team's front office, who knows what the reaction will be like in the Lone Star State on Monday as things have gone from bad to worse in a heartbeat.
Christie was also brought aboard from the Lakers in that aforementioned deal, and his 23-point performance coming off the bench in Dallas' 126-115 victory over the Houston Rockets was a breath of fresh air. He converted 4-of-5 from 3-point range and got to the charity stripe a career-high 10 times, connecting on nine. It was the most points Christie had scored all season, and just the second time this season that he's exceeded the 20-point mark.
The 22-year-old wing needs only 13 points against the Sacramento Kings for an OVER to connect here, and while one game isn't much of a leg to stand on, it goes to show that head coach Jason Kidd will offer him consistent playing time even as a reserve, especially if starter P.J. Washington needs to sit with an ankle injury.
Kyle Kuzma OVER 29.5 Points + Rebounds + Assists vs. Warriors (-111)
Preview: Golden State Warriors vs. Milwaukee Bucks, 8 p.m. ET
Kyle Kuzma's debut with the Milwaukee Bucks Sunday afternoon perhaps didn't pack the same punch that Christie's did with the Mavericks, but it was still fine for what it was and helped secure his side a home victory coming off a four-game road trip. He finished with 13 points, eight rebounds, and five assists while shooting 5-of-13 from the field in an eight-point win over the Philadelphia 76ers.
Now his 26 PRA (combined points, rebounds, and assists) would have gone below a 29.5 line set by oddsmakers for Monday's clash with the Golden State Warriors at Fiserv Forum. Keep in mind, though, that Milwaukee will be on the second night of a back to back and could lean on Kuzma with Giannis Antetokounmpo sidelined through the All-Star break and Damian Lillard playing 44 minutes while dropping 43 points to beat Philly. Even Gary Trent Jr. got trigger happy off the bench with 15 3-point attempts for 23 points, which may be hard to replicate over 24 hours later.
Kuzma's 36 minutes were the second-most of any Bucks player behind Lillard, and while he's only reached an OVER on a 29.5 PRA 26.5-percent of the time this season, it's hard to put too much stock into that as he was playing for the league-worst Washington Wizards and being moved to the Bucks is essentially a new lease on life.
Deni Avdija UNDER 18.5 Points + Rebounds vs. Nuggets (-104)
Preview: Portland Trail Blazers vs. Denver Nuggets, 9 p.m. ET
The Portland Trail Blazers have surprisingly strung together a 10-2 record over their last 12 outings, and while Deni Avdija has contributed heavily to much of that success, his last three games have left a lot to be desired. He's averaging just 7.7 points and 3.7 rebounds during that stretch and shooting just 26.1 percent from the field.
Avdija will now face a Denver Nuggets team which is allowing the third-fewest rebounds to opponents at Ball Arena at just 41.4 per game. He's gone UNDER this combined prop in three-straight outings and five of his last six, including two of his last three versus Denver head to head.
More and more options are emerging in Portland's rotation, and Avdija's cold streak has taken a huge chunk out of his playing time as he's failed to play more than 23 minutes during this aforementioned run. His inability to score in the double digits lately paired with Denver's relentless rebounding makes an UNDER the correct path.
