The San Antonio Spurs are officially here. When the groups for the Emirates NBA Cup were announced, San Antonio didn’t look to be the favorite to top a group that featured the Oklahoma City Thunder, Los Angeles Lakers, Phoenix Suns, and Utah Jazz. But, thanks to their win over the Thunder on November 19, the Spurs control their own destiny and will win West Group B if they beat the Suns at 9 p.m. ET tonight in Phoenix. The Suns can top the group with a win and a Thunder loss to Utah.
Of course, the Spurs’ competitive position in the crowded Western Conference standings is due primarily to center Victor Wembanyama, the French phenom who has shrugged off any talk of a sophomore slump with his brilliant play in recent weeks. In his most recent game, he became the fourth 20-year-old in league history to record a 30-point triple double, raising his season averages to 24.0 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 3.6 assists.
On DraftKings Sportsbook, San Antonio (+240) are big underdogs and the point total is set to 229. Below, I’ve highlighted my favorite prop bets centered around Wembanyama.
Best Victor Wembanyama Prop Bets on DraftKings Sportsbook
Victor Wembanyama 12+ Rebounds (+115)
After dealing with significant injury problems for most of the young Kevin Durant-Devin Booker-Bradley Beal era, the Suns enter tonight’s game mostly healthy, with only Beal listed on the injury report among Phoenix’s Big Three. Still, the one major injury concern that the Suns have — the right thigh contusion that will hold starting center Jusuf Nurkić out for tonight’s contest — will help Wembanyama control the glass.
Struggling through arguably the worst season of his career, Nurkić isn’t elite at much anymore, but at seven feet tall and 290 pounds, the Bosnian Beast is still one of the league’s best rebounders. Nurkić has averaged nearly 10 boards in just 24 minutes per game, and his replacement, Mason Plumlee, isn’t nearly as imposing an interior threat. With the much slimmer Plumlee manning the middle and Phoenix head coach Mike Budenholzer expected to play small, I like Wembanyama to reach the 12-rebound mark for only the seventh time this season.
Victor Wembanyama U3.5 Blocks (-154)
With his eight-foot wingspan, Wembanyama’s jumper is more or less unblockable. But tonight, he will face one of the few players whose shot also carries the same moniker: Suns forward Kevin Durant. Durant’s seven-foot-five wingspan and his high and quick release has made him one of the greatest isolation scorers in NBA history. Led by KD, Phoenix as a team gets blocked just 4.5 times per game on average, the eighth-lowest rate in the league.
For all of his defensive brilliance, Wembanyama has recorded three or fewer blocks in nine of his last ten games, and Spurs fans shouldn’t expect that to change tonight.
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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 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 skills 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.
