Best Underdog NBA Picks for Tuesday, January 16: Expect a Big Night from Jokic and Embiid

Happy Tuesday! We know you are all recovering from the weekend that was in the NFL. It was a crazy weekend of action, but three NBA games are still taking place if you’re looking to get your fix of sports tonight.

The Denver Nuggets take on the Philadelphia 76ers, the Sacramento Kings and Phoenix Suns match up, and the nightcap is a highly-anticipated game between the Los Angeles Clippers and Oklahoma City Thunder.

While only three games are on the slate, we’re confident all three will provide an excellent evening of viewership. With this in mind, we’ve studied Underdog’s player props board and found our two favorite picks from each game. Here they are; best of luck!

Nikola Jokic OVER 46.5 Points, Rebounds & Assists

Conventional wisdom might tell you to take the under on this line, especially since Nikola Jokic has traditionally struggled against the 76ers. However, we expect this to be a close game, meaning Jokic must play many meaningful minutes.

When he plays a long stretch, it typically spells him hitting all of his overs, which is why we’re taking the over on his PRA total tonight.

Joel Embiid OVER 49.5 Points, Rebounds & Assists

Jokic might have a poor history against the 76ers, but Embiid plays exceptionally well against the Nuggets. He put up 47 points, 18 rebounds, and five assists in their matchup, a sign that he can play well against Jokic. This should be a battle of the stars, so we’re also taking over Embiid’s PRA.

Harrison Barnes UNDER 9.5 Points

Harrison Barnes is having a roller coaster of a season. In some games, he can pop off for 15+, while in others, he only scores 3 or 4. The Suns are a tough matchup defensively, and we anticipate the stars on his team to shine, leaving Barnes little opportunities to score more than 10 points.

Jusuf Nurkic OVER 10.5 Rebounds

Jusuf Nurkic has been a welcomed addition to this Suns roster. He’s a fantastic player in the paint, racking up a ton of boards every game. He averages 10.4 per game on the year, and it shouldn’t be tough for him to get 11 boards tonight, especially against the Kings.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander OVER 30.5 Points

At this point, it seems foolish to bet against SGA. He is one of the best players in the NBA this season, and he will likely be called upon early and often in this one to keep up with the Clippers.

The Clippers are loaded with stars who can score at will. SGA must put together another massive performance if the Thunder wants to win this one.

James Harden UNDER 16.5 Points

James Harden can still score a lot when needed, but we’re not necessarily expecting the Clippers to need him to score 17+ tonight. They have plenty of other play-makers that can make things happen, and with Harden not eclipsing this total in the last three games, we don’t think tonight will be that night either