It’s Flex Friday on PrizePicks so go on over to your promotions tab and smash that opt-in button to take advantage of the $20 protected flex play. Playing a five or six-man flex is the wise thing to do as you can 10x or 25x your money when your card lights up all green. Yesterday was a profitable day going green on fantasy scores for both Vince Williams Jr. and Domantas Sabonis. We were so close to a big night but got the hook from RJ Barrett as he finished with 32.9 fantasy points when we needed 33.6! Friday brings some excitement with a seven game slate including a potential finals preview between Boston and Denver and the debut of Pascal Siakam for Indiana. Let’s dive into the best PrizePicks NBA picks and player predictions for Jan. 19, starting with LaMelo Ball. Need more action? Our PrizePicks optimizer has plenty more picks waiting for you to view, and our PrizePicks guide can help you make the sharpest plays possible.
PrizePicks NBA Player Predictions: LaMelo Ball & More
LaMelo Ball M/L 40.5 Points + Rebounds + Assists
LaMelo Ball returned from the injured list just one week ago after missing six weeks of action. Good news is he seems to have no minutes restriction after playing 31 minutes on Wednesday before getting benched because of a blowout. Ball is averaging 32.8 minutes on the season and I expect him to play 32+ tonight in a great matchup against the Spurs.
The Spurs rank bottom five against point guards in rebounds and assists and allow the most points to the position. The Spurs rank 24th in defensive rating and third in pace while rookie phenom Victor Wembanyama has been ruled out tonight creating a much weaker interior. Ball is averaging 38.3 PRA on the season and in pace up spot against a bad team Ball scores 30 real points tonight on his way to more than 40.5 PRA. Oh yea, and we are getting some good value too as most books lean heavy to the over while some have this projection at 41.5.
Best PrizePicks NBA Player Prediction: LaMelo Ball More Than 40.5 Points + Rebounds + Assists
Jamal Murray M/L 22.5 Points
I was on the under for Jamal Murray’s points projection just two days ago and we he finished with 17 points in a game that went way over the total. Tonight Murray gets a tough matchup against a fully healthy Celtics team in Boston. Murray is averaging 23.3 points in January boosted by four matchups against bottom 10 defenses, including a 37 point effort against Detroit. Meanwhile, Boston has the second best defensive rating and boasts a league best 20-0 record at home.
For the season, Murray is averaging just 20.5 points and he’s going up against two of the best defenders in the NBA. Derrick White and Jrue Holiday has been superb this season ranking in the top 25 in defensive rating, while White ranks as high as seventh. Not only is this a tough matchup this is a top play on OddsShopper. With a 4% EV and true odds of -129, the books are expecting Murray to go under 22.5 while some have this projection at 21.5.
Best PrizePicks NBA Player Prediction: Jamal Murray Less Than 22.5 Points
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D’Angelo Russell M/L 2.5 3-PT Makes
D’Angelo Russell is back in the starting lineup after coming off the bench for a good portion of the season. Darvin Ham continues to mix in different starting lineups to manage injuries and see what works as the Lakers are just 21-21 sitting in 10th place in the West.
Russell has played great in recent games averaging 22.4 points while shooting 47.4% from beyond the arc. In the last five games, he’s averaging 31.3 minutes which is the kicker here. We can expect 30+ minutes again tonight in a great matchup against his former team, the Brooklyn Nets. The Nets allow the second most points to point guards and give up a league worst 3.86 threes to the position. This puts Russell in a great spot to cash in three 3-pointers tonight. He’s averaging 2.2 on the season but 7.6 attempts in January. The Lakers are 7-point home favorites in the last game of the day.
Best PrizePicks NBA Player Prediction: D’Angelo Russell More Than 2.5 3-PT Makes
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