NBA Player Props Today: Picks for De’Aaron Fox, James Harden (Friday, Jan. 12)

NBA Player Props Today | Friday, Jan. 12

Last night, blowouts were rampant in the NBA, including in Los Angeles where the Suns had their way with the Lakers. As a result, Anthony Davis never really threatened to score 30 points. There is a 10-game slate tonight and hopefully there are a few more competitive games.

There may be one in Philadelphia where the 76ers will be hosting the Kings. Sacramento is a short road favorite and the total is over 240 points. That could set up a big game for De'Aaron Fox.

Another high total is in Atlanta where the Hawks will be hosting the Pacers. Last Friday, the Pacers blew out the Hawks in Indiana, but this time they will be without Tyrese Haliburton. The Hawks will look to return the favor with DeJounte Murray and Saddiq Bey leading the way.

There should be a lot of points scored in Philadelphia and Atlanta, but there should also be a lot of points scored by the Clippers. They have won 16 of their last 19 games and their offense has been rolling on all cylinders of late. That has led to a ton of assists for James Harden and he will be looking for another double-digit assist performance in Memphis.

In the table below, you'll find each of my NBA player prop picks for Friday, January 12 featuring De'Aaron Fox, James Harden and more.

It has not been a happy new year for De'Aaron Fox thus far. In January, he is averaging just 19.5 points per game and shooting 41.8% from the field. He has not scored 28 points in his last five games, as the past three were not helped by blowouts.

However, Fox is still the seventh-leading scorer in the league and averaging 27.9 points per game. He has hit this line in 18-of-31 games this season. Tonight, he will have a good spot for a bounce-back performance against the 76ers. Fox hit this line in one of the two meetings against Philadelphia last season, scoring 31 points in the second meeting.

Tonight, he will not have to worry about Joel Embiid impeding his path to the basket. On Wednesday, we backed Jalen Johnson partially because of that and he scored 25 points as the Hawks scored 64 points in the paint. More relevant is the fact that Trae Young scored 28 points despite an off-shooting night and DeJounte Murray scored 25 points as well.

Fox is a blur getting to the basket and often has little trouble getting to his spots. However, one of those spots has been behind the 3-point line this season. Fox is averaging 3.3 made three-pointers per game and shooting 39.3% from deep this season, both career-highs. He has made three 3s in seven of his last 10 games. If he knocks down at least three tonight, that will put him a third towards this line.

Additionally, on the other side will be Tyrese Maxey, another Texas native that went to Kentucky. Fox and Maxey are friends and I would expect both of them to go at each other. It would not be a surprise if each scored 30 points and you can take that for +233 on FanDuel.

Pick: De'Aaron Fox Over 27.5 Points (-111)

As mentioned above, DeJounte Murray is coming off a 25-point game on Wednesday night. Tonight, Murray's points line is 23.5 points and he has hit that line in four of his past five games and six of his last 10 games. That includes scoring 30 points against the Pacers last Friday. The Pacers present a great matchup for Murray and I lean towards him getting 24 points tonight.

However, at the same time, he has scored 24 points in just 36% of his games this season and in two of his last five games against the Pacers. I feel more comfortable taking him for 20 points as it increases his hit rate significantly. Murray has scored 20 points in 12 of his last 15 games and 20 of his last 30 games. He has also scored 20 points in four of his last five games against the Indiana.

Now, taking him for 20 points offers little value as a straight bet, so I am pairing him with Saddiq Bey's rebounds. Bey is averaging 6.7 rebounds per game this season and he has had at least six in 24-of-36 games this season, including nine of his last 10 games. Now, the lone game in which Bey did not record six rebounds was last Friday against the Pacers. However, the Pacers scored 150 points so there were not too many rebounds for any of the Hawks players.

Bey has had at least six rebounds in three of his last four games against Indiana and he is averaging 7.8 rebounds per game in that span. Without Tyrese Haliburton, I expect a few more misses from the Pacers tonight. That will help him to get to at least six rebounds tonight. By combining Murray's points with Bey's rebounds, we get plus odds on FanDuel. I expect both trends to continue tonight.

Pick: DeJounte Murray / Saddiq Bey 6+ Rebounds (+117)

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James Harden has averaged over 10 assists in each of his last five seasons. That streak will likely come to an end this season as he is currently averaging 8.4 assists per game. However, Harden has showed his old form of late.

Harden has dished out 10 assists in six of his last nine games. In two other games in that span, he was hooked on nine assists. The hook was a non-issue for Harden the last time he saw the Grizzlies. Back on December 29, Harden had 13 assists against the Grizzlies. It is one of three games this season that he has had at 13 assists this season.

Memphis presents a great matchup as it is allowing the sixth-most assists (9.53) per game to point guards, per FantasyPros. Additionally, the Clippers are leading the league in offensive rating over the past 15 games. Their offense has been rolling ever since Russell Westbrook offered to come off the bench.

Harden still has a pair of all-stars in the starting lineup to set up in Paul George and Kawhi Leonard. His chemistry with center Ivica Zubac continues to grow. Additionally, Terence Mann is shooting nearly 65% from the field this month and scored at least 10 points in four of his past six games.

The Clippers have scored 120 points in four of their past six games. Another scoring outburst tonight will likely result in a lot of assists for Harden. I am expecting him to reach double digits again and if he has 13 assists against the Grizzlies again, you can bet that up to 12 at +320 on FanDuel.

Pick: James Harden Over 9.5 Assists (+100)