The Milwaukee Bucks and New Orleans Pelicans will face off Thursday evening as one of just two matchups on the NBA schedule. Both teams are coming off a loss and will be looking to bounce back from that setback in this game. Both teams are in good shape when it comes to playoff positioning, although the Pelicans are in a tougher situation with seeding due to how close the Western Conference standings are.
There’s plenty of star power on display for this game, which means plenty of players to target when it comes to props. Here’s a look at some of our favorite plays for this contest, with odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
Giannis Antetokounmpo over 12.5 rebounds (+105)
The Greek Freak grabbed exactly 12 rebounds in the last meeting between these teams but he’s gone over this mark in each of the last two games and four of the last seven. The double overtime contest against the Lakers certainly helped when it came to crossing this mark but Antetokounmpo should continue to dominate on the glass. The Pelicans are eighth in opponent rebounds allowed so the matchup is tough, but that’s what allows bettors to get plus-money odds on this prop.
CJ McCollum over 5.5 assists (+124)
The Bucks are a league-average side when it comes to opponent assists allowed, although they have slipped slightly in this regard after the All-Star break. McCollum has been hoisting threes at will so it’s going to seem odd to back him on an assists prop, but he has gone over this mark in two of the last three games. The Pelicans guard has become the de facto point guard on this team and with Brandon Ingram still out, he’ll be tasked with initiating the offense again. I like him to hit at least six assists here.
Damian Lillard under 3.5 3-pointers (-140)
It’s risky to take any under on Lillard, largely because his volume is so great from the perimeter he could hit this mark even without being efficient. The Bucks guard has hoisted 9.6 attempts from behind the arc per game over the last 10, connecting on 40.6% of them. However, he’s gone under this mark in the last two games and went under in the previous meeting against the Pelicans. New Orleans is the best team in the league at defending the perimeter, so I think Lillard goes under this line Thursday evening.
Zion Williamson over 26.5 points (-115)
Williamson makes the Pelicans title contenders, and he’s showing why over this recent stretch. The power forward is averaging 26.0 points per game over the last 10 games, and that includes a 4-point dud against the Heat a few games ago. Williamson is shooting 63.5% from the floor over that span and has gone over this mark six times in that stretch. Even if the Bucks key in on him defensively, I think he’s done enough to show he can keep scoring against tougher opposition.