We have a total of three NBA props for this Saturday, and our staff of basketball betting experts is focused on some key players or teams who could be in line for noteworthy performances to start the weekend.
Read below for our NBA prop picks for Saturday, January 4.
NBA Props for Saturday, January 4
- Bam Adebayo
- Jalen Duren
- Hawks-Clippers First Quarter Spread
Bam Adebayo Over 17.5 Points (-120)
Jazz vs. Heat, 8:00 p.m. ET
Bam Adebayo has taken on an expanded role as a distributor for the Heat this season, but he's reverted to more of a scoring role when Jimmy Butler is out.
It's the inverse of last season, when Adebayo would step up as a distributor (+4.1% assist rate bump) any time Butler was on the bench.
Adebayo has seen a team-leading 1.9% usage rate boost with Butler off the floor. His assist rate has gone down (-1.8%), but his shot attempts and scoring have increased.
Adebayo is averaging 17.7 points on 14.3 shots and 5.3 free-throw attempts in the 10 games Butler has missed. In 21 games with Butler, Adebayo has averaged 15.1 points on 12.9 shots and 3.8 free throw attempts.
Utah is an excellent matchup for Bam. The Jazz rank dead last in defensive rating and 28th in points allowed per game. They are allowing the 3rd-most points per game to centers, and allowing the 9th-most points per game in the paint.
Adebayo is shooting more 3-pointers this season, but he's still scored nearly 60% of his points from inside the paint. His 3-point shot hasn't been effective at increased volume, but Utah could get him back on track.
The Jazz allow the most made 3-pointers per game to centers.
Pick: Bam Adebayo Over 17.5 Points (-120)
