The 76ers have been a disaster by just about every measurement to start this season. The lone bright spot has been the level of output from rookie Jared McCain.
After being selected with the 16th overall pick in this year’s draft, the Duke product has been thrust into a larger role than expected due to injury and is making the most of it. McCain has started five of the 15 games this year and in his 23.7 minutes per game has averaged 16.5 points, 2.7 assists, and 2.3 rebounds. In the past five games as a starter, McCain has averaged 26.6 points, 5.2 assists, and 2.8 rebounds per game.
With Joel Embiid and Paul George remaining out due to their respective knee issues, McCain will continue to receive an increased level of opportunity. The 76ers will be facing the Clippers for the second time this season. Los Angeles will be without Norman Powell as he nurses a hamstring injury.
The Clippers enter this game as 1.5-point favorites on DraftKings Sportsbook. The 76ers are +105 underdogs on the Moneyline with the game total set at 210 points.
Here are my favorite player prop bets for McCain.
Jared McCain Prop Bets on DraftKings Sportsbook
DraftKings Sportsbook has set Jared McCain’s prop lines for points (21.5), rebounds (3.5), assists (4.5), and made three-pointers (3.5). Here are the top betting options to consider:
Over 21.5 Points (-115): The point line for Jared McCain is set at 21.5 points with the odds set at -115 for both the over and under. McCain has gone over this number in five of the past seven games. He also has attempted 13 or more field goal attempts in each of these games and attempted over 20 shots twice.
With Embiid and George out due to injury, the Sixers have asked McCain to step up as the engine of the offense and the rookie has delivered. Los Angeles is holding opponents to the fourth-fewest points per game this season. While the strong perimeter defense is worth noting, McCain creates most of his looks through constant off-ball motion. Philadelphia will continue leaning on him heavily and I like McCain to continue his level of production exceeding 21.5 points in this game.
Over 3.5 Rebounds (-142): The rebounding prop for Jared McCain is set at 3.5 with the over favored at -142 odds and the odds for the under set at +110. Rebounding has been another area of weakness for the Sixers as they rank 29th in the NBA in rebounds per game. While the 6-foot-3 guard’s impact will not be headlined by his rebounding, he is better in this area than most would expect. The NBA is a different beast, but McCain averaged 5.0 rebounds per game last year at Duke which was third on the team.
Andre Drummond was expected to be the fill-in starter in games that Joel Embiid could not play but he has underwhelmed thus far this season. The Sixers have opted to play more small-ball which provides a greater need for each player to help out on the boards. McCain has only tallied over 3.5 rebounds in three games total this season, but has reached it in two of the past three games. The -142 odds are a bit steep, but I lean toward the rookie reaching this number again tonight.
Over 4.5 Assists (-110): The assist prop for McCain is set at 4.5 with the under-favored at -120 and the odds for the over set at -110. He is averaging 2.7 assists per game on the season, but 5.2 per in his five games as a starter. McCain has tallied as many as 10 assists already this year, but has been held to fewer than 4.5 assists in 11 of the 15 games overall. He has reached this number in two of the five games as a starter.
The Sixers are still sorting out if McCain or Tyrese Maxey will serve as the primary playmaker in the offense moving forward. Both are score-first guards, but McCain has shown more encouraging flashes. Maxey is also still working his way back from a hamstring injury so it is too early to make a full declaration here. If he is asked to do so McCain is capable of being a playmaker, but concerns with the reliability of the Sixers’ supporting cast leads me to believe he will be in attack mode. I lean toward the under on the assists.
Over 3.5 Made Three-Pointers (+120): The three-point line for Jared McCain is set at 3.5 with the under-favored at -154 and the odds for the over at +120. McCain has no fear pulling from any distance and has made at least three three-pointers in each of the past eight games. He has made over 3.5 three-pointers in six of these eight games. Overall this season he is attempting 5.9 three-pointers per game and connecting at a 42.7% rate. In his five games as a starter, McCain has connected on 48% of three-pointers while attempting 10.0 per game. In the past two weeks, only Tyler Herro (34) and Malik Beasley (36) have made more three-pointers than McCain (31).
The Clippers rank third in the NFL in opponents’ three-point percentage which is notable. However, McCain creates most of his perimeter looks off relocation and in transition rather than when the defense is set. He has excellent shooting footwork and a quick release that does not need much of a window to get it off. He has not been held to fewer than seven three-point attempts across the past eight games including attempting as many as 13 in a game. With the Sixers starved for offense, expect McCain to be ready to let it fly early and often from deep. Taking the rookie to knock down over 3.5 three-pointers is my favorite bet of the available options.
Futures Outlook: The impressive stretch of performances by Jared McCain is rightfully seeing plenty of attention. After his odds for Rookie of the Year opened at +3500 and slipped to +10,000 after the first few games, McCain is now the betting favorite at -140 odds. The Sixers will need his level of production to continue as they dig out of their 3-12 hole.
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All odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook, lines and odds subject to change.
I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is seanbarnard) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.
