3 NBA FanDuel Studs to Target on 12/13/18

James Harden, SG, Houston Rockets

Price: $11,500

Tonight's matchup between the Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Lakers has a hefty 223.0-point over/under, which is the highest on the slate. Favored by 5.5, the Rockets' 114.25-point implied total is also Thursday's top mark.

Houston ranks only 29th in pace this season, but they'll be playing way up in pace tonight against a Lakers team that ranks 3rd in that category. LA boasts a solid eighth-ranked defensive rating, but thanks to that high pace, they're still giving up above-average points per game.

James Harden has not produced well over his last six games (averaging 41.9 FanDuel points), but his five games before that saw him top 70 FanDuel points three times.

His recent drop in production includes playing 30.3 or fewer minutes in three of his last six -- all games decided by 15 or more points. With a tighter spread tonight, a blowout doesn't appear too likely, so we should get Harden playing his usual workload of minutes.

He's still averaging an elite 1.41 FanDuel points per minute on the year, and combining that with a full workload in what projects to be a high-scoring spot positions him well for a bounce-back tonight.