Top 5 NBA Player Prop Bets for Thursday TNT Games: Can Brunson Go Off Against Mavs?

Top 5 NBA Player Prop Bets for Thursday TNT Games

Two nationally televised NBA games await bettors and fans alike on Thursday, February 8 as TNT will showcase the Dallas Mavericks (28-23) at the New York Knicks (33-18) at 7:30 pm. The nightcap is a battle between two Western Conference foes with the Denver Nuggets (35-16) taking on the Los Angeles Lakers (27-25) at 10 pm.

With three of the game’s biggest stars in action Thursday, what player prop wagers should bettors note for these two contests? We’ll reveal our top five NBA player prop bets for Thursday’s TNT games below.

Dallas Mavericks G Luka Doncic OVER 33.5 Points

Dallas is wrapping up its final road game of its three-game Eastern Conference stretch with a visit to Madison Square Garden. The Mavericks feature the NBA’s leading scorer in Luka Doncic as the Slovenian superstar is averaging 34.5 points while also handing out 9.4 assists per game to rank third in the league.

In these two teams’ first matchup last month, Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving poured in a game-best 44 points without Doncic in the lineup. While officially listed as a game-time decision, expect Doncic to torch the Knicks on their home court for at least 34 points Thursday night in this primetime contest.

Los Angeles Lakers PF Anthony Davis OVER 11.5 Rebounds

In his fifth season with Los Angeles, Anthony Davis continues to show his dominance over fell league bigs. Through 48 games, Davis is posting 24.7 points, 12.3 rebounds and a career-best 3.9 assists per outing.

Rebounding, in particular, has become one of Davis’ strengths in the latter stage of his career. In his team’s last 10 games, Davis has secured at least 11 rebounds in all but one outing. Expect Davis to continue this streak Thursday night against Denver, grabbing at least 12 rebounds for the Lakers.

New York Knicks G Jalen Brunson UNDER 32.5 Points

Reports that New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson may not play in tonight’s contest originated after the former Villanova athlete fell awkwardly against the Grizzlies Tuesday night. Before the Memphis contest, Brunson had been on fire as he’d scored 32 or more points in four of his team’s last five games.

While he is expected to play Thursday, do not expect Brunson to fare better in the Knicks’ rematch against the Mavericks. In their first contest, Brunson finished with 30 points on 10-of-22 shooting, including knocking down 8-of-9 from the charity stripe. With the guard nursing his ankle injury, expect Brunson to have a reduced role against Dallas on Thursday night.

Denver Nuggets C Nikola Jokic OVER 0.5 3-Point Field Goals

Denver’s run to the NBA Championship resulted from having one of the biggest stars in the game today in Nikola Jokic. This season, Jokic is averaging 26.3 points, 12.2 rebounds, and 9.0 assists per game – all ranking among the top 12 in the NBA.

In the Nuggets first contest against Los Angeles this season, Jokic finished with 29 points by hitting 3-of-5 shots from behind the arc. Since the start of 2024, the Serbian superstar has hit at least one three-point shot in nine of his team’s 16 contests. Expect Jokic to find success yet again from the three-point line against the Lakers on Thursday night.

Dallas Mavericks G Kyrie Irving Over 37.5 Pts-Rebs-Assts

Pundits thought that Dallas G Kyrie Irving’s addition to a team featuring Doncic would be a nightmare scenario where two alpha athletes could not coexist. Yet this season, both Doncic and Irving have thrived. The latter of these two standouts is averaging 25.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 5.4 assists per game thus far.

In their first matchup this season, Irving exploded for 44 points, 10 assists, and four rebounds, combining for 58 total points, rebounds, and assists. That contest did not feature Doncic, however. With the Mavericks’ one-two punch working together Thursday night, expect Irving will still easily eclipse the 37.5 combination mark needed to make this a successful player prop bet.

Ernie Horn


Sports Betting Contributor

Ernie is a 25-year veteran of the newspaper industry. He spent those early years working as a sports reporter and editor, but made the move back to the digital world in 2022. Ernie covers college football and NFL betting for Hello Rookie.