NBA Player Props Today: 3 Best NBA Best Bets and Odds December 3

We are SO back with the NBA, so let's look at the top prop bets for today!

Cade Cunningham, Detroit Pistons, NBA. Photo Courtesy of Getty Images

It's a hopping time in the NBA right now! The Detroit Pistons run the East with a 17-4 record, the OKC Thunder are off to a 21-1 start, and both the Sacramento Kings and Los Angeles Clippers are off to rocky starts with 5-16 records.

Perhaps the most shocking news this morning is fresh out of Los Angeles: The Clippers are parting ways with NBA veteran Chris Paul. Signed with LA in the offseason, Paul's farewell retirement tour was cut short after playing just 16 games with LA this season.

With nine games scheduled on the Dec. 3 NBA slate, there's several key matchups to watch and bet on!

Perhaps the hottest matchup of the night will feature the Miami Heat vs the Dallas Mavericks. Can the struggling Mavericks get their third straight home win tonight? Do Cooper Flagg, Klay Thompson, and Anthony Davis have the star power to overcome Tyler Herro, Norman Powell, and Bam Adebayo? Highlighting two top defensive teams in the NBA, the Heat are 5.5-point spread favorites on the road.

Battle of the NBA MVP: Cade Cunningham vs. Giannis Antetokounmpo

In the East, the No.1 seed Detroit Pistons will square off against the 9-13 Milwaukee Bucks in the Cream City. The tides have turned, as the Pistons were the laughing stock in the East for years. Tonight, we get a treat as two of the most elite stars, Cade Cunningham and Giannis Antetokounmpo, will face off. Just 2-8 in their last 10 matchups, the Bucks have slipped out of playoff contention and are tabbed as 4.5-point spread underdogs tonight. Currently, Cunningham (+5000), and Giannis (+5000) are among the top five in NBA MVP voting.

A matchup between the Sacramento Kings and Houston Rockets features the largest spread of the night. With sportsbooks favoring the Rockets by 15.5 points, Houston remains a top favorite to win the 2025-2026 NBA Finals (+950). Folks, this is not a drill—Kevin Durant and company are the real deal. Now, H-Town faces a struggling Kings squad with just five wins on the season. Where did the Kings go wrong? Losing Domantas Sabonis to injury was gut-wrenching, but how about Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, Russell Westbrook, and Keegan Murray?

NBA FanDuel Betting Odds And Schedule For Wednesday, December 3

If you're betting on the NBA, welcome in!

With several games on the slate, the first matchup between the Portland Trail Blazers and Cleveland Cavaliers will tip off at 7 p.m. ET. The start of the last showdown featuring the Heat and Mavericks will begin at 8:30 p.m. ET.

While no matchup will be featured on prime television, you can watch each game on local networks and NBA League Pass.

In this article, you will find a mix of player prop bets that include popular point guards, forwards, and rookies in the NBA!

Let's take a deeper dive into my three best NBA bets for the Wednesday, Dec. 3 NBA matchups! But first, here is the full schedule and betting odds for tonight's games!

Are you looking to bet on NBA player props all season long? Here at Ballislife Bets, we've gathered a complete list of the best sports betting offers here.

NBA Best Bets For Wednesday, December 3

Player Prop Bet #1: Cade Cunningham

Cade Cunningham 2025 –2026 NBA Stats

GP: 18 | PPG: 28.2 | FG: 45.7 % | FT: 82 % | 3PT: 30.1  % | REB: 6.5 | AST: 9.3 | STL: 1.5 | BLK: 0.8

• OVER 33.5 Points + Rebounds (-106 FanDuel)

My first best bet for today, I placed one unit on Detroit Pistons star Cade Cunningham to record over 33.5 points and rebounds against the Bucks.

Fourth in MVP voting (+5000), Cunningham is putting up career numbers. Responsible for turning the organization around, he's led the Pistons to a 17-4 record and ranks ninth in scoring with 28.2 points per game.

What makes Cade so elite is his innate ability to impact the box score in multiple ways—standing at 6'6", he ranks top 1o in double-doubles (11), and top four in triple-doubles (2).

May I add, it was a remarkable month for the Motorcade, which produced 31.6 points and 6.8 rebounds in November. In 12 games, he produced two 40+ point games and three 30+point outings.

A true 3-level scorer, Cade is cutting up defenses left and right. In fact, he just dropped 39 points alone against a stingy Orlando Magic defense.

The Pistons' leading scorer (28.2 PPG), Cunningham additionally leads the team in assists (9.3), FGA (21.9), and FTA (7.7). A two-way star, Cunningham has the size and strength to muscle his way through the paint on ball, in addition to his mid-range shot.

Is Cade Cunningham a top MVP Candidate?

I'm not worried about Cunningham's shot volume or minutes—he's averaging a career-high 36.8 minutes per game for J.B. Bickerstaff, and is averaging 23 shot attempts over the last four games. Not to mention, he's averaging a career-best 6.5 rebounds per game and remains one of the premier rebounding guards in the NBA. Let's face it—he's grabbed 21 rebounds against the Hawks and Magic alone this week.

In 18 games this season, Cade is boasting a 9.6 rebound percentage and an impressive 32.6 usage percentage! The focal point of Detroit's offense, he now gets a fairly decent matchup against the Bucks.

Milwaukee might be shorthanded, especially if Kevin Porter, Giannis, and Gary Trent aren't able to lace up. With the departure of Damian Lillard, this is certainly a squad that's regressed. Ranked No. 23 in defensive rating (116.8), we are talking about a team that allows 118.4 points and 44.8 rebounds per game. Even with Antetokounmpo and the newly-signed Myles Turner, the Bucks average the third-fewest rebounds per game (39.7)!

This is where Cunningham can undoubtedly take advantage—the Bucks allow the 13th most points to guards, and 12th most rebounds to point guards.

We've seen this once this season, where Cade delivered 29 points, six rebounds, and 10 assists in the Pistons' 129-116 victory over the Bucks just a few weeks ago.  Shooting 10-18 from the floor, Cunningham shot a perfect 6-6 from the charity stripe and 3-6 from beyond the arc in 33 minutes.

Mind you, this was without Giannis, and Jaden Ivey returned for the first time since breaking his fibula last January.

Final NBA Player Prop Betting Prediction: Cade Cunningham OVER 33.5 Points + Rebounds (-106 FanDuel)

Overall, Cunningham is averaging 34.7 points and rebounds on the season, and is coming off an absurd three-block and six-steal performance against the Hawks on Monday.  Clearing this player prop line in four of the last six games, he soared over this in their last matchup (37 PR).

Aside from Cade, Tryese Maxey, Donovan Mitchell, and Luka Dončić all crushed this line.

• I'm taking Cade Cunningham to record over 33.5 points and rebounds tonight. The books are expecting a close matchup, and Detroit starts and ends with the Motorcade.  Expect Cunningham to be heavily involved in some Jalen Duren pick-and-rolls, along with trips to the charity stripe. Given Milwaukee allows 27.2 free-throw attempts per game, look for Cunningham to crash the boards and feast tonight. 

Player Prop Bet #2: Kawhi Leonard

Kawhi Leonard 2025 –2026 NBA Stats

GP: 11 | PPG: 26.4 | FG: 51.8 % | FT: 96.7 % | 3PT: 43.5  % | REB: 5.5 | AST: 2.8 | STL: 2.1 | BLK: 0.4

• OVER 23.5 Points (+102 FanDuel)

My second-best bet for today, I placed one unit on LA Clippers swingman Kawhi Leonard to record over 23.5 points.

As aforementioned, it's a war zone in Clippers land lately. We know the Norman Powell swap for an injured Bradley Beal was questionable—but did we really envision a 5-16 start? Not to mention, they waived veteran Chris Paul in the midst of his farewell tour.

Leonard is back and active, although lacing up for just 11 of 21 games this season. With just five wins on the season, are the Clippers cooked?

CP3's departure doesn't change anything, given he averaged just 2.9 points per game in 16 games. It's no secret that LA has one of the last productive benches (19.1 PPG) in the NBA, and Leonard and James Harden make up nearly 50 % of the offense.  We are talking about a team that struggles offensively, averaging just 112.2 points per game.

Is it time for the Clippers to blow up the team? For now, Leonard and Harden must continue to lead the way. While injuries have been a critical factor, Leonard is undoubtedly having one of the best seasons of his career. Even when facing off-court scandals, it seems not to be affecting the Claw.

Will The Clippers Trade Kawhi Leonard Amid Chris Paul News?

Averaging 26.4 points per game, Leonard's scoring production has increased north of 22 % from last season.  Not to mention, he boasts a career-best 96.7 free-throw, 43.5 3-point, and 51.8 field goal percentage.  When healthy, Kawhi is one of the purest shooters and scorers in the NBA.

While betting on the Claw can always be risky, we can't ignore his recent performances. Eclipsing 30+ points in three straight games, here are Leonard's stats over the last three games:

• 35 PPG
• 56.5 FG %
• 56 3PT %
• 29.3 MPG
• 21.6 FGA

These are numbers that nearly resemble Leonard's 2019 championship season with the Toronto Raptors. Now, he gets an up and coming Hawks team that ranks top ten in defensive rating (112.4). With that, the Clippers continue to be bogged down by injuries—first to Bradley Beal, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Derrick Jones, and Jordan Miller.

While this is a vastly different Hawks team, Kawhi's been a Hawks killer for quite some time now. Soaring over this player prop line in three of the last four outings, he's averaged 25 points per game against them since 2024.

Leonard will certainly have quite the matchup with Zaccherie Risacher, who's one of the top two-way rising players in the league. With that, the Hawks have been forgiving, allowing the eighth most 3-pointers to forwards.

Final NBA Player Prop Betting Prediction: Kawhi Leonard OVER 23.5 Points (+102 FanDuel)

There's chaos in LA and visible frustration on the outside. However, Kawhi is playing at an all-star level and gets a team that has somewhat survived without its top star, Trae Young.

• I'm taking Kawhi Leonard to record over 23.5 points today. I do think the books are sleeping on this value (+102) given this matchup and recent surge. Soaring over this player prop in 7/11 games this season, look for Kawhi to roll.

Player Prop Bet #3: Kon Knueppel

Kon Knueppel 2025 –2026 NBA Stats

GP: 21 | PPG: 18.3 | FG: 46.5 % | FT: 89.8 % | 3PT: 41.5  % | REB: 5.7 | AST: 3.0 | STL: 0.8 | BLK: 0.2

• OVER 18.5 Points (-116 DraftKings)

My third-best bet for today, I placed one unit on Charlotte Hornets rookie Kon Knueppel to record over 18.5  points against the Knicks.

Drafted No. 4 overall out of Duke, Knueppel is a sensational addition to Charlotte and has morphed far beyond a flamethrower. While Cooper Flagg was the consensus Rookie of the Year heading into the season, Knueppel has challenged that. As the race tightens, Knueppel has narrowed the gap between himself and Flagg for ROY (+130).

Although the Hornets continue to rebuild, the team has been plagued by injuries. Grant Williams, LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, Tre Mann—and now Pat Connaughton. Now is the time for Knueppel to continue stepping up and earning opportunities amid several injuries.

Leading all rookies in points per game (18.3 PPG), Knueppel is shooting over 41 % from three and has quickly moved up on the rookie ladder! In fact, he averaged 18.4 points and 5.7 rebounds, earning Rookie of the Month for October/November.

Is Kon Knueppel the NBA Rookie of the Year?

Taking responsibility for the Hornets' recent skid, Knueppel  called the last loss "unacceptable" and "disappointing."

Charlotte's third leading scorer behind Miles Bridges and Ball, Knueppel, has cleared this prop line in 11 of the last 16 games, including an enormous stretch of high-scoring performances in November. I mean, we are talking about a player that's averaging 20.2 points, shooting 43.2 percent from three over the last 10 games.

Now he gets his second matchup against the Knicks, who cracked just outside the top 15 teams defensively. And there's no doubt he struggled in the Hornets'129-101 loss against New York last week.

In a nightmare matchup, Knueppel scored just six points, shooting 2-12 from the field, and 0-7 from beyond the arc in 30 minutes. One could argue that it was the worst outing of his rookie career.

Final NBA Player Prop Betting Prediction: Kon Knueppel OVER 18.5 Points (-116 DraftKings)

The Knicks have been at the bottom tier against shoot-and-catch players, which would be Knueppel. Could this be a redemption game, given Knueppel is one of the top catch-and-shoot 3-point players in the NBA?  This is where Norman Powell (19 points), AJ Green (18 points), and Desmond Bane (27 points) have exposed New York's defense this season.

• I'm taking Kon Knueppel to record over 18.5 points tonight. I'm not expecting a repeat 0-7 performance from the 3-point line, and he's averaging 8.3 3PA over the last three games alone. Boasting a 62.2 true shooting %, he has a usage rate of over 21 percent on the season.