The knockout stages of the NBA Cup have arrived with tonight marking the second night of the elimination games. Last night, the Oklahoma City Thunder and Milwaukee Bucks officially punched their tickets to the semifinals in Las Vegas with victories over the Mavericks and Magic, respectively. The final two seeds will be decided tonight.
Tipping off at 7:10 PM EST, the New York Knicks will host the Atlanta Hawks. The Hawks have won six of their last seven games entering this matchup while New York is 5-1 in its last six games and is coming off of a thrilling 113-108 victory over the Raptors the last time it took to the floor. The Knicks enter this game as eight-point favorites on DraftKings Sportsbook while the Hawks hold +280 odds on the moneyline and the game total is set at 237.5 points.
In the later game, the Houston Rockets will host the Golden State Warriors. Houston sits in third place in the Western Conference with a 16-8 record while the Warriors have cooled off a bit from their hot start to the season, losing six of their last eight games. The Rockets enter as two-point favorites on DraftKings Sportsbook while the Warriors hold +102 odds on the moneyline and the game total is set at 221.5 points.
You can check out each matchup and all prop bets on DraftKings Sportsbook. Ahead of night two of the NBA Cup quarterfinals, here are my four favorite player prop bets.
Josh Hart Over 8.5 Rebounds (+105)
There are plenty of more talented basketball players on the roster, but the Knicks’ scrappy 6-foot-4 shooting guard is the Hart (pun intended) and soul of the team. The Villanova product is averaging 13.9 points, 8.3 rebounds and 5.5 assists across his 37.0 minutes per game. Despite measuring just 6-foot-4, Hart is second on the Knicks in rebounding, trailing only Karl-Anthony Towns, who is producing an impressive 13.3 boards per game.
Looking at this matchup, the Atlanta Hawks rank fifth in rebounds per game but 21st in opponents’ rebounding. They allow a 25% offensive rebounding rate, which ranks 16th in the NBA and an average of 11.1 offensive rebounds per game, which ranks 17th. Josh Hart is effective at stealing extra possessions. He averages 1.6 offensive rebounds per game and has recorded four offensive rebounds in four separate games this season.
Overall, Hart has recorded over 8.5 rebounds in 12 of the 24 games he has played on the season. Hart has also been more effective rebounding the ball in home games, where tonight’s game will take place, and he is averaging 8.9 rebounds per game at Madison Square Garden compared to 7.8 per game on the road. Hart is a big-game player who feeds off the energy of the crowd and atmosphere. Atlanta will struggle to keep a body on Hart as he crashes the boards from the perimeter and expects him to make use of his athleticism and physicality. Hart is a tone-setter for this Knicks team, so look for him to do exactly that as he records over 8.5 rebounds tonight.
OG Anunoby Under 17.5 Points (-115)
It has been an inconsistent season for OG Anunoby thus far. Overall, he is averaging 17.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists across his 36.7 minutes per game. While he has scored as many as 40 points in a game this season and over 20 points in nine total games, Anunoby has been held to less than 10 points in four games as well. Overall, he has been held under 17.5 points in 14 of the 24 games.
Atlanta has struggled defensively this season and is currently allowing 119.8 points per game, which ranks 28th in the NBA. The Hawks also rank 20th in opponent field-goal percentage and 18th in defensive efficiency. While none of these numbers drive much confidence, the Hawks are a better defensive team than they have played like thus far. Their up-tempo style of play allows for additional possessions and has inflated the numbers to an extent.
Looking specifically at Anunoby, this is a matchup he will struggle with. Atlanta is led defensively by Jalen Johnson and Dyson Daniels. Zaccharie Risacher and De’Andre Hunter also each have the size and physicality to go toe-to-toe with Anunoby, which cannot be said about many teams. The former Raptors star is at his best offensively when he can use his size and physicality advantage to attack. Atlanta is built to combat this, and Anunoby was held to 15 points in the first matchup even while shooting the ball 13 times. Anunoby has also struggled offensively of late. He has been held under 17.5 points in five of the past seven games. Expect these struggles to continue and for Atlanta’s wing defenders to impose themselves on Anunoby for stretches tonight. The former Raptors star will have a few flashes but expect most of his impact to be felt defensively. Count on Anunoby being held under 17.5 points for the sixth time in the past nine games.
Buddy Hield Over 11.5 Points (-110)
While “Splash Buddy” may not have quite the same ring to it, the Warriors have gotten some impressive production from their most notable offseason addition. Buddy Hield has cooled off a bit from his red-hot start to the season but is averaging 14.5 points and 3.5 rebounds across his first 23 games. The 31-year-old has seen an uptick in shot volume and is averaging 11.2 field-goal attempts and 7.6 three-point attempts per game this season.
There should be plenty of offensive opportunities as Houston plays with a high pace that ranks sixth in the NBA across its past five home games. There should also be additional possessions created off the offensive glass as Golden State ranks third in the league in offensive rebounds with 13.1 per game. The Warriors are desperately searching to make changes within their team to put them among the top teams in the Western Conference. Hield is an option they need to lean on more and this was seen the last time he stepped on the floor when he erupted for 27 points.
Expect Hield to build off this performance and for the Warriors to continue to count on him. He has gone over 11.5 points in 12 of the 23 games he has played this season. Look for Golden State to make a conscious effort to create shooting opportunities for him and for Hield to be ready to deliver. His scoring eruption during Sunday’s Warriors’ victory is a great launching point, so look for this to continue as he records over 11.5 points again tonight.
Draymond Green Over 20.5 Points, Rebounds & Assists (-105)
The most notable recent shakeup by the Warriors has been the decision to bring Draymond Green off the bench. It is unclear if this will be something that will continue as Green came off the bench during Friday’s loss in favor of Jonathan Kuminga, but he was back in the starting lineup on Sunday. While the optics of it may have changed, the level of opportunity has not as Green remains a key part of this Warriors team. Despite not starting in Friday’s matchup, Green still produced 10 points, nine rebounds and six assists, comfortably clearing the 20.5 combined prop total.
Overall, Green has recorded over 20.5 combined points, rebounds and assists in 12 of the 21 games he has played. If anything, expect his level of opportunity to expand in this matchup as Green will likely be tasked with shutting down the craftiness of Alperen Sengun. While the Turkish big man carries a questionable tag, Sengun is averaging 18.5 points, 10.6 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game and will be a huge factor if he plays.
This will mark the third matchup between the Rockets and Warriors this season. While Green was inactive for the most recent game, he produced 14 points, 11 rebounds and three assists in the first matchup. Green is shooting 3.7 three-point attempts per game this season, his most since the 2017-18 season, and connecting at a 39.0% rate. Expect Green to remain a key part of this Warriors team and look at this as a chance to get some value on his player prop. He has looked sharp against the Rockets already this season and remains a huge part of this Warriors team. Count on him to eclipse 20.5 combined points, rebounds and assists for the 13th time this season as the Warriors desperately attempt to keep their window of contending open.
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All odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook and all 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.
