April 12th NBA Player Props – Best Bets for Monday Night Games

• Nine games are on the NBA schedule for Monday night
• The Sixers and Mavericks matching up is the pick of the games, while Kevin Durant continues his return from injury against the Minnesota Timberwolves
• Which player props represent the best betting value? See the available props below

There’s a raft of NBA player props to bet on April 12th 2021. With nine games on the schedule and MVP candidates in action, bettors are spoilt for choice. Still awaiting the returns of LeBron James and Anthony Davis, the Lakers are underdogs for a big-market matchup with the New York Knicks.

In the race of the top seed in the East, Philly faces the Mavericks and Brooklyn take on the improving Minnesota Timberwolves. The Kings and Pelicans, two teams retaining play-in ambitions, face off in New Orleans.

April 12th NBA Player Props

Odds as of April 12th at FanDuel

Valanciunas Keeps Producing

The Memphis Grizzlies have the second-best offensive rating in April. It has been a team effort, of course, but Jonas Valanciunas has played a major role in Memphis’ high-scoring run.

The former Raptor is leading the team with 21.3 points per game this month. He’s as dominant as ever on the boards too, grabbing 13.3 rebounds per game. The 71.4% true shooting is among the league leaders in April, with only Dwight Howard and Enes Kanter recording a higher rebounding percentage.

Jonas Valanciunas tonight:

34 PTS – 22 REB – 2 BLK – 64 FG%

30-20 game. BEAST. 😤🔥 pic.twitter.com/ooIko2f0ws

— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) April 12, 2021

Valanciunas does a bit of everything for the Grizz. He can bully opponents on the block, scoring 0.95 points per post-up, a better mark than Giannis Antetokounmpo, Julius Randle and Karl-Anthony Towns.

He can finish as a roll man, and pop for mid-range shots. The Lithuania-born big man is in the 82nd percentile in mid-range efficiency.

After scoring 34 against Indiana on Sunday, Valanciunas is poised for another big night against Chicago. He’ll matchup with Nikola Vucevic, who is average at best on the defensive end. Vucevic is not a great post defender, giving up 0.9 points per possession, and may struggle to cope with Valanciunas’ bully ball.

if i say that i think jonas valanciunas is the best player on the grizzlies right now will i get cancelled

— Molly Morrison (@mollyhannahm) April 12, 2021

Chicago is no better than a mediocre defensive team. They have been much worse than that when Zach LaVine and Vucevic have shared the floor – the Bulls have a -11.1 net rating in 188 minutes with their two All-Stars on the court.

This hot Memphis offense could be in for another big night. Valanciunas has scored 19 or more in five of his last six – he’s a great bet to make that six in seven.

• Pick: Jonas Valanciunas over 18.5 points (-122)

Barrett Stays Hot

The Lakers defense has been the best in the NBA in April and second-best since the All-Star break. This might not suggest betting on the over on Knicks player props on Monday, particularly with New York ranking 22nd in offense since the break and 24th on the season.

RJ Barrett last 5 games:

20.8 PPG
61.0 FG%
69.6 3P%
80.0 FT%

He has averaged 20/5 on 49/45/75% shooting since the start of March. pic.twitter.com/L6Pmd8W2yO

— StatMuse (@statmuse) April 12, 2021

RJ Barrett, though, is quietly breaking out. His true shooting has leapt from 52% in the first half to over 57% since the break. The assist percentage has ticked up, and the scoring has increased from 16.5 before the All-Star break to just shy of 20 per game since.

While the 44.6% from three is unlikely to be sustainable, it’s a hot streak which could carry into Monday’s game. The former Duke wing is 15-for-22 from deep over his last four games. Teams are having to respect him more as a shooter, opening up his driving game.

Everyone who disparaged RJ Barrett over the past year: pic.twitter.com/JIMAitZuFd

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) April 12, 2021

Since the break, Barrett’s combined averages come to 28.5. Accounting for the quality of the Lakers defense might put some off betting the over on this line, but there’s no question Barrett is playing the best basketball of his NBA career. Having scored 20 or more in 10 games in the second half, Barrett might only need a couple of rebounds and assists to do this.

• Pick: RJ Barrett over 27.5 points, rebounds and assists (-102)