Four NBA games are coming up on Tuesday night, and I've got prop bets from three of them.
Tonight's NBA props narrative: In the late window, Cade Cunningham looks to put on a show against the Los Angeles Lakers. Earlier on, Jaylen Brown has an opportunity to ride an epic scoring binge right into 2026.
Check out my top NBA prop picks for Dec. 30, featuring a prediction on Nique Clifford.
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NBA prop picks Dec. 30
Best bet: Brown over 31.5 points (-118)
Brown has been the NBA's best scorer this month, and he's completely deserving of this line.
- In nine December games, Brown is averaging 32.7 points while shooting 54.4% from the floor (43.2% from 3-point range).
- Though he isn't putting up a ton of shot volume from beyond the arc, Brown raises his scoring floor with free throws. This month, his average of 9.0 free throw attempts is fourth in the NBA.
- On the season, Brown is averaging the most 2-point attempts in the league (15.9/game).
It's not a surprise that Brown has shouldered more of the offensive load for the Boston Celtics with Jayson Tatum out this season. But there was no guarantee that it would turn out this well.
In Year 10, Brown is posting career-high marks in points (29.7/game), field goal percentage (50.6%), free throws made (5.8/game) and free throw percentage (77.9%).
-> Bet on Celtics star Jaylen Brown!
Tonight, Brown and the Celtics face the worst scoring defence in the league, which belongs to the Utah Jazz. Utah allows 127.1 PPG.
When he last faced the Jazz, back in early November, Brown went 0-for-9 from deep ... but he still managed to rack up 36 points.
Key stat: Brown has 30+ points in 12 of his past 13 games and is averaging 32.5 PPG in that span.
Best NBA picks
Clifford over 7.5 points (-120): Clifford has been on the right side of the Sacramento Kings' war of attrition lately, and he's done enough to earn my trust on this line.
Sacramento is still missing two of its top-three scorers (Domantas Sabonis, Zach LaVine), and its fourth-leading scorer, Keegan Murray, is questionable.
Clifford, who balled out at Colorado State but wasn't immediately effective in his rookie season, is starting to come around. With some key players out, he has now played 20+ minutes in six straight games.
In that six-game span, here's how he fared:
- 9.8 PPG
- 5-1 vs. this prop
- 43.1 FG%
- 30.4 3PT%
-> Full betting markets for Tuesday's NBA slate
Those shooting numbers aren't great, but they're a step up from where he'd been in his first 22 games: 37.8 FG%, 27.5 3PT%.
Clifford will face a Los Angeles Clippers squad that allows the eighth-most points to opposing shooting guards, per Fantasy Pros.
NBA player prop predictions
Cunningham over 9.5 assists (-125): While Brown is the hottest scorer in the NBA right now, Cunningham is the league's most active passer.
- Over his past 10 games, Cunningham is averaging an NBA-high 19.2 potential assists (i.e., passes that lead directly to a shot). Those have converted to 10.5 assists per game.
- On the season, Cunningham is averaging 9.6 APG (second in the NBA). He is 15-14 vs. this prop.
-> Bet on Cade Cunningham in tonight's Pistons vs. Lakers matchup!
Cunningham has 49 assists through four games on Detroit's West Coast swing. Now, he'll have a Los Angeles Lakers squad that allows the eighth-most assists to opposing point guards.
Last year, Cunningham went 2-0 vs. this prop when facing the Lakers.
NBA prop picks made at 10 a.m. ET on Dec. 30, 2025.
