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Best NBA Player Prop Today: How to Bet on Naz Reid vs. Lakers

Naz Reid thrived in his sixth-man role last season, and these two stats show why that's due to continue tonight.

By Gage Bridgford

Naz Reid shoots a 3-pointer
Naz Reid shoots a 3-pointer / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
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Our first play of the 2024-25 NBA season will target Naz Reid of the Minnesota Timberwolves, a player we never saw last year. With only a two-game slate, we’ll be a bit more cautious and low volume, but we have to get out some kind of play still to welcome the season.

It’s been a long time since we did any NBA plays in this column, so there’s nothing to recap, but we finished the 2023-24 season 6.41 units in the green, and we’re looking to keep that going heading into our second season on the hardwood.

Best Bets Record to Date

  • 2024 record: 84-103-1 (+13.55 units)

Find Gage Bridgford's Best Bets betting record here.

NBA Best Bet Today

  • Naz Reid O1.5 3s (-110) - 1 Unit BetMGM

Reid was one of the best stories in the NBA last season en route to his Sixth Man of the Year award win over Malik Monk of the Sacramento Kings. Reid notched career-highs in minutes, points, rebounds, assists and steals while also hitting a career-high 41.4 percent from 3-point range on 5.0 attempts per game. The Timberwolves traded away starter Karl Anthony-Towns for Julius Randle this offseason, which will keep Reid in his sixth-man role, but I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing. 

Last season, in four games against the Los Angeles Lakers, Reid cleared this line in all four outings, and he came off the bench in two of those four games. Off the bench, his volume is obviously lower, but the competition is also generally worse as well. Los Angeles is dealing with injuries in the frontcourt with Jarred Vanderbilt and Christian Wood already ruled out for tonight’s game. That just means that Reid will be going against the tired legs of starters or the inexperienced guys down the bench.

The Lakers are bringing back largely the same roster that they had last season, and that group allowed the fifth-most 3-pointers to opposing power forwards. LeBron James is another year older, and Rui Hachimura has never been the league’s best defender. Anthony Davis is going to have his hands full with Rudy Gobert, Anthony Edwards and Randle, and I think that will leave opportunities for Reid open on the outside.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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