Game 2 between the New Orleans Pelicans and Oklahoma City Thunder will take place Wednesday evening in the second game of TNT’s doubleheader. The opening game of this 2024 NBA Playoffs series was an absolute thriller, with the Thunder holding on for a 94-92 win as the Pelicans missed a potential game-winning shot at the final buzzer.
Here’s a look at some of our top player prop bets for this game, with odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
Brandon Ingram over 19.5 points (-105)
A lot of bettors will want to fade Ingram after his abysmal showing in Game 1. I’d actually think the opposite is likely to happen in Game 2, especially for a player who operates in the midrange as heavily as Ingram does. Shooting percentages will vary across games, and there should be enough volume for the forward to get over this line. Ingram is just getting back from a knee injury, so maybe he needed a few games to knock off the rust. I think he has a much better outing in Game 2.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander over 1.5 3-pointers (+140)
SGA missed all three of his shots from the perimeter in Game 1, but all three were clean looks. The Thunder point guard struggled until the end of the game when it came to efficiency but similar to Ingram, things can turn around from game to game. I think Gilgeous-Alexander gets one to go from behind the arc relatively early, which should boost his confidence. Even though he hasn’t hit a triple in three straight games, I think he goes over this mark Wednesday.
Jonas Valanciunas over 24.5 points + rebounds (-110)
The Thunder have a weakness on the interior which the Pelicans likely have to exploit in order to stay in this game. With Zion Williamson sidelined, the onus will fall on Valanciunas to dominate in that area. He went for 13 points and 20 rebounds in Game 1, so the production is there to suggest he can do that again. The Thunder will want to keep Chet Holmgren out of foul trouble but don’t have much depth here. That means Valanciunas should put up another strong stat line, especially if he gets enough touches against Oklahoma City’s second unit.
CJ McCollum over 5.5 assists (+114)
McCollum logged six assists in the last game despite going for 20 points. He could’ve likely had more assists had the Pelicans gotten better production out of Ingram and Herbert Jones. McCollum has gone over this line in each of the last two games and remains New Orleans’ de facto point guard, so the usage and opportunities should be there. As long as the shooting percentages normalize somewhat, he should go over this line Wednesday.
