Player props have become one of the NBA’s most entertaining ways to bet, offering value beyond the standard spread or total. Each night, this column highlights the best opportunities on the board — from points and rebounds to assists and combo lines — using matchup data, recent performance, and betting trends to find edges. Keep reading for the top NBA player prop picks for January 22. Also, make sure you check out our live VSiN programming for more. Our hosts and analysts will be all over the NBA, which is why it pays to be a VSiN Pro subscriber.
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2025-26 NBA Record: 279-263 (+6.01 units)
Thursday Player Prop Best Bets
Below you’ll find my official plays on the player prop market for Thursday. These are the ones that make the VSiN Pro Picks page and count towards my season-long record.
Peyton Watson Over 18.5 Points (-117) vs. Wizards
Nuggets at Wizards – 7:00 pm ET
Watson has really taken advantage of this stretch without Nikola Jokic, averaging 21.0 points per game with the superstar out of the lineup. Watson is starting to look like a big-money player in this league, and he should be a major X-factor as the Nuggets look to knock the Thunder off when the postseason rolls around.
Tonight, Watson happens to have a great matchup. Washington is the second-worst team in the league when it comes to defending inside 10 feet, and that’s where Watson scores 61% of his points. Watson has also become a more reliable catch-and-shoot player, knocking down 40.3% of his 3s (on 3.4 attempts per game). Well, the Wizards are 26th in the NBA guarding spot-ups. On top of that, Washington is bad in transition, and the team tends to foul a lot. That should all be a good thing for an active off-ball wing with serious athleticism.
Isaiah Collier Over 18.5 Points + Assists (+100) vs. Spurs
Spurs at Jazz – 9:00 pm ET
Lauri Markkanen is out for the Jazz tonight, so Collier is going to have an expanded role. When playing without Markkanen this season, Collier is averaging 19.5 points and assists. That’s an average that’s a little higher than his total here. That said, there’s a good chance he ends up hitting this mark no matter what happens with the rest of the injury report. However, Keyonte George is also questionable for Utah tonight, and that could make things really interesting. In the one game Collier played without both Markkanen and George this year, he had 16 points and 10 assists.
The Spurs are obviously a tough matchup for any team, so Collier won’t be working against a soft defense. But these teams are both top-15 in pace — and the Jazz are actually third in the league (102.6) — so that should mean opportunities for a quick, explosive driver like Collier to thrive.
Donovan Clingan Over 11.5 Points (-115) vs. Heat
Heat at Trail Blazers – 10:00 pm ET
Robert Williams III is questionable for the Blazers tonight, and that could mean a big game for Clingan. In the last three games that Clingan has played without the Time Lord, he has played at least 34 minutes and finished with at least 18 points. However, even if Williams does play, I still view this as a favorable matchup for Clingan. Portland’s rising star is a massive human, so he should get some putbacks against a Miami team that is the fourth-worst group in basketball when it comes to preventing those types of buckets. The Heat are also 21st in the NBA defending rollers in pick-and-roll plays, and they’re 21st defending above-the-break 3s. That said, look for Clingan to do some damage around the basket, and don’t be surprised if he knocks down a 3 or two. He’s rapidly developing into one of the best young centers in basketball.
RELATED: Check out our new live NBA in-game odds page!
Noteworthy OptaAI Player Prop Edges
Check out the OptaAI Player Props pages for more of these! VSiN Pro subscribers can find 50+ player prop ideas on a daily basis! We’ll list the top edges in some of the biggest markets below, but there will always be a lot more to uncover on the pages themselves.
Joel Embiid Under 25.5 Points (-124) vs. Rockets
Our OptaAI player prop projections have him going for 22.66 points.
Rudy Gobert Under 12.5 Rebounds (-133) vs. Bulls
Our OptaAI player prop projections have him finishing with 10.47 rebounds.
Luka Doncic Under 9.5 Assists (-142) vs. Clippers
Our OptaAI player prop projections have him projected for 7.87 assists.
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