Best NBA prop picks December 8: Fade Simons with Lillard back

There are just three NBA games on the schedule for Thursday.

The pregame narrative is that Anfernee Simons will have a hard time scoring with Damian Lillard sharing the ball. Tre Jones has been rolling lately and Kyle Lowry is a good bet to score against a tired Los Angeles Clippers team.

Simons has the talent to score big points, but his role within the Portland Trail Blazers' offence depends on whether he has Lillard alongside him. Lardard has had three days to rest since the last game, so he's unlikely to be restricted. Denver has a middle-of-the-pack defence and is ranked 17th in points allowed per game.

Lillard is back and so is Simons. Simon's top five points this season came in the 10 games Lillard missed.

Jones has topped the 7.5 assists in eight of his last 13 games. Houston Rockets have the 28th-ranked scoring defence in the NBA.

Lowry is averaging 14.4 points per game since joining the Miami Heat. Clippers play tough defence but their best defenders are on the wing.