The debate on whether Bronny James should declare for the 2024 NBA Draft rages on, but former Lakers champion Metta Sandiford-Artest has thrown his support behind the USC freshman.
Sandiford-Artest believes the 19-year-old has a lot of potential and shouldn’t be perturbed by his first college season.
“I think he has a good option,” Sandiford-Artest told TMZ Sports when asked what kind of advice he would give Bronny. “… He’s very athletic. I still think he hasn’t grown into his body yet. So, I don’t know if he’s going to be top 50 all time. But in terms of his ability to become a really good player, a starting point guard, I think he’ll be a point guard. He obviously can play the two. But I think with his unselfish play, with his passing ability, like I said, he’s only a freshman.
“So, a lot of people was talking about his numbers, but name a freshman that never averaged more than four or five and then had no chance going pro. Freshman numbers are freshman numbers, right? So, I think he has a shot to be a really good point guard, a starting point guard, maybe even an All-Star.”
Bronny has faced his fair share of criticism, since he averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists while shooting 36.6 per cent from the field in 19.9 minutes during his 25 games for the Trojans.
Though it must be remembered that is recovering from cardiac arrest he suffered in July, which caused him to miss the entire preseason with the team.
Former NBA All-Star Stephon Marbury also gave his support to LeBron’s eldest son recently, saying on Ball Don’t Stop, “Bronny James is a pro. You can’t go by stats with him right now because he’s only playing half the game. His ability to shoot, get to the rim, pass and block shots is grade A.”
We may not have seen the best of Bronny yet, but we have certainly seen some glimpses of brilliance from him.
It doesn’t matter what Bronny’s college stats are or whether he declares for the 2024 or 2025 Draft, plenty of teams will go for him in the hopes it will lure LeBron to their franchise.
We’re back today with another exciting NBA slate featuring some of our favorite matchups here at Basketball Forever. With the help of advanced simulations and machine learning, our Basketball Forever bot has run thousands of simulations on every game to expertly pinpointed our best player bets for tonight’s NBA slate. (3/22)
1. JADEN IVEY OVER 3.5 TOTAL REBOUNDS (+124)
Odds: +124
Probability: 58.4
Projection: 5.0
Edge: 13.8%
Game: Celtics vs Pistons (7PM EST)
Our Basketball Forever betting bot has identified the best NBA player prop bet for today’s NBA matchups. The best player bet takes place in the Celtics vs Pistons matchup – with Jaden Ivey showing value in the total rebounds prop market. Our model has narrowed down Jaden Ivey Over 3.5 Total Rebounds as the best player bet for today. Our model predicts that Ivey will hit the 3.5 rebound line, predicting a total of 5 rebounds. Ivey averages 7.5 rebounds in the season matchups against the Celtics, and our Basketball Forever betting bot predicts Jaden Ivey having five tonight.
Our model recommends placing a wager on Jaden Ivey Over 3.5 Total Rebounds at +124 odds and an attractive 13.8% edge through Fanduel Sportsbook, making this our best player bet of the day.
2. CHET HOLMGREN OVER 2.5 TOTAL BLOCKS (+145)
Odds: +145
Probability: 52%
Projection: 2.7
Edge: 10.4%
Game: Thunder vs Raptors (7PM EST)
The next NBA player prop bet our betting bot recommends playing comes in the Thunder vs Raptors game, with Chet Holmgren showing value in the over blocks prop market.
Over the course of the 23/24 season Holmgren has averaged 2.5 blocks per game. Tonight marks the second night that the Thunder and Raptors face off this season. Over his last two, Holmgren has registered a treble of blocks. Our Basketball Forever betting bot predicts that Holmgren will be able to keep that trend going tonight, hitting the over.
The Basketball Forever betting bot predicts Chet Holmgren Over 2.5 Total Blocks in tonight’s game, which gives us a 10.4% edge on the +145 odds currently available at Fanduel Sportsbook.
3. KELLY OLYNYK UNDER 0.5 TOTAL STEALS (+190)
Odds: +190
Probability: 43.1%
Projection: 1
Edge: 9.3%
Game: Thunder vs Rockets (7PM EST)
According to our model, another best player prop bet for today’s NBA slate takes place in the Thunder vs Rockets game, with Kelly Olynyk showing value in the under steals market. Olynyk averages .9 steals per game on the season, with a 0.3 average against the Thunder.
The Basketball Forever betting bot recommends placing a wager on Kelly Olynyk Under 0.5 Total Steals, with an edge of 9.3% at +190 odds available on Fanduel Sportsbook.
4. STEPH CURRY OVER 27.5 POINTS (-122)
Odds: (-122)
Probability: 56.4%
Projection: 30.2
Edge: 9.2%
Game: Pacers vs Warriors (10PM EST)
According to our model, the last player prop bet in the NBA tonight features Steph Curry in the Pacers vs Warriors showdown. Our betting bot has found value in Steph Curry Over 27.5 Points.
Over the course of the 2023/24 season Curry has averaged 26.8 points per game. Our model predicts that Curry will be able to exceed this line – projecting 30.2 total points in tonight’s matchup.
Our Basketball Forever betting bot highly recommends wagering on Steph Curry Over 27.5 Points, with a detected edge of 9.2% and -122 odds on Fanduel Sportsbook.
What Is an Edge in NBA Betting?
An edge occurs when the Dimers.com prediction model projects the probability of an event to be higher than the best odds available with the U.S Sportsbooks. Essentially, it means that the Dimers/Basketball Forever NBA model projects that a bet has a better chance of cashing than the sportsbooks do. That’s why the higher the edge, the better for you.
Although an edge does not guarantee a win, consistently taking picks with a higher betting edge can increase your chances of being a profitable bettor in the long run. This is an essential aspect of successful sports betting.
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