The Philadelphia 76ers have reached their desperation-mode far quicker than anyone expected this season. Through the opening 17 games, they are just 3-14 and sit in 14th place in the Eastern Conference. Just about the only thing that hasn’t gone wrong for the franchise was the selection of Jared McCain in the NBA Draft.
Across his first 17 NBA games, McCain has averaged 16.5 points, 2.7 assists, and 2.4 rebounds. He also has shot 37.4% from beyond the three-point arc while launching 6.3 three-point attempts per game. Across his seven games as a starter, McCain is averaging 23.7 points, 4.4 assists, and 2.9 rebounds and is shooting 38.2% from beyond the three-point arc while attempting 9.7 long-range shots per game.
Philadelphia received some positive injury news as Paul George has been upgraded to questionable after missing the past three games due to a bone bruise in his knee. George has played just eight games so far this year. Caleb Martin and Reggie Jackson are each also listed as questionable for this game while Joel Embiid and Kyle Lowry remain out. Bobi Klintman is the only player set to miss for Detroit. Cade Cunningham and Tobias Harris were each listed as questionable before last night’s game but both were able to suit up and play.
The Pistons enter this game as 1.5-point favorites on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Sixers are +110 underdogs on the moneyline with the game total set at 216.5 points.
Jared McCain Prop Bets on DraftKings Sportsbook
DraftKings Sportsbook has set Jared McCain’s prop lines for points (20.5), rebounds (3.5), assists (4.5), made three-pointers (3.5), and combined points, rebounds, and assists (28.5).
The Philadelphia 76ers have struggled greatly in just about every offensive metric to start the season. Currently, they rank 29th in points per game, 28th in field goal percentage, 30th in three-point percentage, 30th in assists, and 29th in rebounding.
While the outlook has been bleak as a team, Jared McCain has been the closest thing that Nick Nurse has found to a solution. He has been thrust into the starting lineup over the past seven games and provided more of a spark than the Sixers had received before this.
Unfortunately, McCain has also now made his way onto the scouting reports of opposing teams. After seven consecutive games of 20+ points, McCain was held to just 33 combined points over the past two matchups. The Duke product shot just 9-34 (26.5%) from the field and 2-18 (11.1%) from beyond the three-point arc in these two games. It should be noted that this was against the Rockets and Clippers, who rank 3rd and 4th in opponents’ points per game and have several high-level athletic defenders built to shut down smaller guards like McCain.
The expected return of Paul George will limit some of McCain’s offensive opportunities but will allow him a break from the increased defensive attention. While George will take on some of the playmaking and shot creation responsibilities, expect McCain to be further maximized as a spot-up shooter. He has attempted at least seven three-point attempts in each of the past ten games and made over 3.5 of these in six of these games. The Duke product shot just 2-18 from beyond the arc and is due for some positive shooting regression. This is especially the case as the looks should be easier to come by with his nine-time all-star teammate returning to the floor.
With a weaker defense in front of him and less pressure as an offensive creator, expect McCain to be active from beyond the arc. He and Tyrese Maxey will still be expected to carry the bulk of the Sixers’ scoring and he can be counted on to knock down over 3.5 made three-pointers for the seventh time in 11 games.
The Pick: Over 3.5 Made Three-Pointers (+130)
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All odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook, lines and odds subject to change.
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