The NBA regular season is back in action with a excellent 5-game slate on New Year's Day. So, our NBA betting expert Joe Dellera has you covered with his top player prop prediction for today's slate.
Joe's NBA player prop for Thursday is targeting Nikola Jovic.
Continue below for our NBA player prop pick for Thursday, January 1.
NBA Player Prop Picks for Thursday, January 1
| Time (ET) | Player Prop |
|---|---|
| 7 p.m. | |
Specific betting recommendations come from the sportsbook offering preferred odds as of writing. Always shop for the best price using our NBA Odds page, which automatically surfaces the best lines for every game. | |
Heat vs. Pistons
Nikola Jovic Over 6.5 Rebounds + Assists (-115)
The Heat take on the Pistons on New Year’s Day, and I’m looking at Miami’s bench in this spot.
Nikola Jovic returned from injury recently and has been excellent for Miami off the bench.
Jovic has played at least 20 minutes in all three games since returning to the lineup and has quickly taken on a legitimate complementary role.
He recorded 11, 14, and 9 rebounds + assists in those three games, and while he’s scored a decent amount of points in these games, this particular matchup against the Pistons might be tough for Jovic in the scoring department.
When Tyler Herro is out for the Heat, Jovic has cleared this rebounds + assists line in 13-of-18 games on the season, including all three games since his return from injury — averaging 7.2 rebounds + assists per game in those spots.
