NBA Best Bets Today (Predictions, Prop Bets for Jalen Williams, Evan Mobley, Clippers

Injuries have rocked the NBA over the last week, with Ja Morant, Zion Williams, Kevin Durant and Chet Holmgren all out for extended periods.

Now the Oklahoma City Thunder (without Holmgren) and the New Orleans Pelicans (without Zion) are among the ten teams in action on Monday night.

The biggest story on Monday, however, is the Cleveland Cavaliers’ 11-0 win as they are favored on the road against the Chicago Bulls – a chance to extend their winning streak to 12. Cleveland is the only undefeated team in the NBA season this year.

As far as my NBA games go, it’s been a slow start to this season, but with the NBA Cup starting tomorrow, let’s use Monday as a springboard for some positive momentum.

Here’s a breakdown of the three bets I’ve placed and three more that – barring some injury issues – I should consider on Monday.

Find Peter Deweys NBA betting record here (Futures included). You can also follow my daily pieces on BetStamp here.

Los Angeles Clippers +6.5 (-105) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder

Oklahoma City is 7-3 and 3-2 as the home favorite this season, but Holmgren’s injury is particularly significant on Monday.

Losing the last true center on the roster who was healthy is a big problem for the Thunder, as big man Ivica Zubac is off to a great start for the Los Angeles Clippers this season.

OKC has no one who can keep up with him, and the Thunder have already struggled on the glass (28th in rebounding percentage) during the 2024-25 season.

The Clippers are now a perfect 3-0 on the road and have won their last four games. While Los Angeles doesn’t have a ton of star power, players like Norman Powell (25.5 points per game) have stepped up, and Ty Lue has plenty of long wings he can rotate to join Jalen Williams and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander protect.

OKC may have beaten the Clippers by 13 points in Los Angeles, but the Thunder now look like a completely different team without Chet.

Since this game is also OKC’s second night in a row, I’ll go for the points with the Clippers on Monday. The Clips are 6-4 overall this season.

Jalen Williams OVER 25.5 points and rebounds (-125) – 0.5 units

With Holmgren out due to a hip fracture he suffered in the Oklahoma City Thunder’s loss to Golden State on Sunday, Jalen Williams could get a boost for OKC on Monday.

Not only will the former lottery pick play plenty of power forward when the Thunder are struggling, but one would also expect some of Holmgren’s shots to be distributed to Williams in this OKC attack.

So far this season, J-Dub is averaging 19.1 points and 6.2 rebounds per game while shooting 49.1 percent from the field and 38.3 percent from 3 on 15.9 shots per game. In theory, he should be asked to carry a heavier load on the glass, with the Thunder likely having to play small until one of Jaylin Williams or Isaiah Hartenstein can return to action.

Williams has 25.5 points and rebounds in five games this season, but if he sees an uptick tonight, I think he’ll have no trouble doing so against the Clippers. The last time these teams met, he scored seven goals.

Evan Mobley Double-Double (+130) – 0.5 units

Cavs big man Evan Mobley has a dream game on Monday against the Bulls, a team he cheered for with 25 points and 13 rebounds in their last meeting against them last season.

Not only do the Bulls rank last in the NBA in points allowed per game during the 2024-25 season, but they also rank 27th in opponent rebounds per game.

These are good prospects for Mobley to record his fourth double-double of the season on Monday night. The former lottery pick has averaged 18.4 points and 8.5 rebounds per game so far this season, but he averaged 23 points and 16 rebounds against the Brooklyn Nets.

Mobley will score 10 points – he has at least 13 in every game this season – so we’re betting he scores 10 or more on Monday. It’s hard to find a much better matchup for the Cavs’ big man.

Other plays to consider (awaiting injury clarification)

Averaging 9.0 rebounds per game, Murray has been a beast this season. He has scored at least 10 points in five of his last six games, but oddsmakers expect him to post a double-double at +260 in this one. He has recorded a double-double in four of his last six games.

There were some injury concerns as both Washington and Houston played each other on the second night. But over his last seven games, Coulibaly is averaging 18.3 points per game on 12.1 field goal attempts and 4.4 3-point attempts per game.

Depending on the injury report, I may add something else: The Kings played (and won) an OT game against the Phoenix Suns on Sunday.

The Spurs are coming off a tough loss at home to Utah and may be a bit overrated in this game. However, it is possible that the Kings players will take a break for the second night in a row.

Odds are updated regularly and are subject to change.

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