Today marks the first NBA player props picks for the new year here at Odds Shark, and the schedule is offering up plenty of juicy opportunities at plus money to appease your appetite for profits.
Here are three player prop expert picks at plus-money odds to consider for games played on Tuesday, January 7, including a Rudy Gobert rebounds prop against a New Orleans Pelicans team lacking in options to box out the Stifle Tower.
Rudy Gobert OVER 11.5 Rebounds vs. Pelicans (+112)
Preview: Minnesota Timberwolves vs. New Orleans Pelicans, 8 p.m. ET
The Minnesota Timberwolves are playing on the second night of a back-to-back when visiting the Big Easy, but a lack of rest isn't enough to deter wagering on Gobert to absolutely decimate the Pelicans in the rebounds department at the Smoothie King Center.
New Orleans allows 45.4 rebounds to opponents at home (25th overall), including the most to opposing centers. Gobert had gone three-straight games without achieving double-digit boards before exploding for 18 on Monday in a win over the Los Angeles Clippers, and that was going up against big man Ivica Zubac who finished with 16 of his own.
There isn't a player of Zubac's stature on the Pelicans, with the only downside here being Gobert sitting should Minnesota blow this game out of the water. Yes, New Orleans has won two in a row SU, but both victories came against the putrid Washington Wizards, and the team had dropped 11 in a row prior to that.
Ryan Dunn OVER 8.5 Points vs. Hornets (+100)
Preview: Phoenix Suns vs. Charlotte Hornets, 7 p.m. ET
With the Phoenix Suns shuffling the deck in order to salvage their season, moving Bradley Beal and Jusuf Nurkic to the bench, one of the biggest beneficiaries could be rookie Ryan Dunn.
The 22-year-old Virginia alumnus has started in five of the team's last six games, but in his first night with Beal manning the second unit, Dunn managed to finish with 15 points on 11 shot attempts across 27 minutes of action in a ten-point win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday. It was the third time in the last four games that Dunn scored 13 or more points.
He's only attempted 10 or more shots six times this season, but three of those instances have come during this recent four-game run. The Charlotte Hornets own the league's second-best defense at 105.8 points allowed per 100 possessions over the last five games, but all Dunn needs is nine points on Tuesday to reach an OVER, and his increased role makes it worth a roll of the dice.
Spencer Dinwiddie UNDER 11.5 Points vs. Lakers (+100)
Preview: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Dallas Mavericks, 7:30 p.m. ET
The Dallas Mavericks need offense with both Luka Doncic (calf) and Kyrie Irving (sidelined), and as we've seen over the team's last two defeats sans their superstar backcourt, it's going to come in many ways, shapes, and forms.
One player who may be on the outside looking in as far as scoring goes is Spencer Dinwiddie, who's averaging just 6.7 points over the last three games while shooting 28.6 percent from the field and 20 percent from 3-point range. He's attempted just 17 total shots and hasn't exceeded more than eight points, despite playing more than 23 minutes each game.
Nine different players on Dallas are averaging more points in the last two games than Dinwiddie, so it's highly unlikely he'll put up 12 or more against his former team in the Los Angeles Lakers if he's that far down the pecking order.
