3 NBA Player Prop Bets for Mavericks-Timberwolves Game 1

Player props can be useful in a variety of ways -- from taking advantage of them straight up to measuring a player's potential to produce in daily fantasy basketball on FanDuel. Here, we're going to focus on the former.

Using FanDuel Research's daily basketball projections -- which are powered by numberFire -- as a guide, here are some NBA player prop bets that look appealing via the NBA odds at FanDuel Sportsbook.

Please note: lines and projections are subject to change throughout the day after this article is published.

NBA Prop Bets

Luka Doncic Over 8.5 Assists (-106)

The Dallas Mavericks will visit the Minnesota Timberwolves for Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals, and I like where we're finding Luka Doncic's assist prop.

In the regular season, Doncic averaged 9.8 assists and 16.9 potential assists per game. He's netting 9.1 assists and 15.7 potential assists in the playoffs, surpassing 8.5 assists in 9 out of 12 games.

This series will serve as Dallas' biggest challenge yet, and while we should see production decrease in many areas, I don't think it will negatively impact Doncic's dime numbers.

The Mavs shoot a ton of threes, averaging the second-most attempts in the regular season and the third-most attempts in the playoffs. Minnesota has been allowing the fewest three-point attempts (3PA) per game during the playoffs and forcing teams to score a below-average amount of their points from behind the arc.

Luckily, Dallas assists on three-point shots at a league-low rate. Plus, due to Minnesota's D, Doncic might not be able to maintain his usual hefty shot volume from downtown (9.4 3PA per game), forcing him into a playmaking role.

Minnesota allowed Nikola Jokic to average 15.7 potential assists in the second round, which was more than Jokic's 14.9 potential assists average in the regular season.

This matchup should allow Doncic to maintain his potential assists average. A heavier focus on interior shooting in lieu of three-point shooting would result in Dallas getting more looks from higher shot percentage areas of the floor, which is key when looking for Doncic to convert assist opportunities at a decent rate.

Naz Reid Over 14.5 Pts + Reb (+102)

This season's Sixth Man of the Year looks primed to carry a big weight in the Western Conference Finals.

Naz Reid averaged 18.7 combined points and rebounds (PR) in the regular season but is totaling a tamer 14.0 PR in the playoffs.

Even still, Reid logged 22.3 minutes per game in the second round, which is notable considering he has cleared 14.5 PR in 64.3% of games this year where he has played between 20-29 minutes (36 out of 56 contests). Further, he recorded at least 14.0 PR in 80.4% of these games.

Reid has been awesome, but his workload has been a bit more limited given the efficiency of Minnesota's starters. I think we'll start to see that change as the Wolves get deeper into the playoffs.

Off the heels of a tiring seven games against the Denver Nuggets, Minnesota could turn to their bench more frequently early on this series, and they need Reid in this matchup against Dallas.

The Mavs rank second in offensive rebounding rate (Denver ranked 11th) and typically bring center Dereck Lively off the bench first. The Nuggets were, more or less, bringing only guards off the bench, so I'd expect Reid to get more playing time this round than he did last round.

Plus, the Mavs are skilled at drawing contact. They drew the second-most fouls per game in the regular season and have been drawing the fourth-most in the playoffs. We know Karl-Anthony Towns (3.9 fouls per game) and Rudy Gobert (3.6 fouls) are prone to foul trouble, and Reid could see his minutes balloon if either Gobert or KAT has foul issues.

Reid averaged a walloping 22.6 PR in four games against Dallas this season, logging 25.5 minutes per contest. He has cleared 14.5 PR more often than not in the postseason despite limited minutes, so I'm happy to get this prop at plus odds.

Add in a solid opportunity for more court time, and I think Reid is a worthy target in this market.

Derrick Jones Jr. Over 12.5 Pts + Reb (-108)

Derrick Jones Jr. has played a big role for Dallas during this postseason, averaging 14.6 PR from 30.5 minutes per game.

He's cleared 12.5 PR in 8 out of 12 playoff contests and should be in a good spot to continue that trend in this series.

Jones nets 53.8% of his points in the paint (second-highest percentage among Dallas starters), which should come in handy against a Minnesota team that forces opponents to look toward the interior.

The Wolves have limited teams to the fewest field goal attempts (FGA) per game during these playoffs, but they have let up the sixth-most shot attempts from the 20-24 foot range and the seventh-most looks from inside 5 feet.

Luckily for Jones, he is shooting 75.6% of his attempts from the aforementioned ranges, so his typical shot selection has a positive correlation with this matchup.

The Mavs have made it this far by amping up their efforts on defense, going from a 114.9 defensive rating in the regular season (18th) to a 110.6 rating in the postseason (6th-best). Jones has played a huge part in that, owning the best defensive rating among Dallas starters and the fourth-best defensive rating among all NBA forwards who have participated in at least 10 postseason games.

His importance on defense has allowed him to play upwards of 30 minutes throughout the postseason, which puts him in a good spot to clear his PR prop. With a date against Anthony Edwards on tap, Jones' defense should be needed.

In games where Jones has played at least 30 minutes, he is averaging 18.2 PR and eclipsing 12.5 PR at a 73.9% rate (17 out of 23 contests).

Minnesota is an intimidating foe, but Jones managed to average 17.7 PR in three regular-season meetings against them.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.