It is a light six-game NBA slate of games on Saturday, but there are still some notable matchups to keep an eye on.
The day kicks off at 4 p.m. ET as the Detroit Pistons host the Phoenix Suns. At 7 p.m. ET, the Philadelphia 76ers will face the Indiana Pacers while the Boston Celtics play the Atlanta Hawks on the second night of a back-to-back.
At 8:30 p.m. ET, the Golden State Warriors will play the Washington Wizards before the Cleveland Cavaliers and Minnesota Timberwolves face off at 9 p.m. ET. Finally, tipping off at 10 p.m. ET, the final matchup of the night will be between the Portland Trail Blazers and Houston Rockets.
With plenty of action on the NBA schedule, here are my favorite prop bets across the Saturday slate.
Tyrese Haliburton Over 25.5 Points & Assists (-115)
The Indiana Pacers will host the Philadelphia 76ers whose season is teetering on disaster. Joel Embiid is set to be shut down for at least another week, and the Sixers’ next 13 of 14 games are against teams with above .500 records. This creates a great chance for Tyrese Haliburton and the Pacers to capitalize with Philadelphia’s defense showing signs of weakness.
It has been an up-and-down season for Haliburton this year but he has increased his averages to 18.1 points and 8.8 assists per game. The two-time All-Star has played much better at home this season shooting 47 percent from the field and 40.9 percent on three-point attempts at home compared to 42.7 percent from the field and 32.5 percent on three-point attempts on the road. The Sixers have looked completely disconnected on the defensive side of the ball and been especially vulnerable to opposing guards. Across the past six games, they allowed 38 points to Jalen Brunson, 32 points to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, 27 points to Cole Anthony, 38 points to CJ McCollum, 26 points to Jared Butler and 25 points to Bradley Beal.
Haliburton operates as a playmaker in the offense more frequently than several of these names, so opt toward the points and assists combined for this matchup. Still, don’t be shocked if he clears this number with just his scoring. The All-NBA guard should have his choice for the best method of attack and be in the driver’s seat against this struggling Sixers defense. Haliburton has recorded over 25.5 points and assists in 22 of the 41 games he has played thus far, so count on him to add to this list tonight.
Vit Krejci Over 6.5 Points (-125)
Now in his fourth year in the NBA but with just 106 total games played, Vit Krejci is largely unknown to many NBA fans. The Czech Republic native is beginning to carve out a legitimate role for himself in the Atlanta Hawks rotation and has been especially impressive of late.
On the season overall, Krejci is averaging 5.2 points, 2.4 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game across his 17.4 minutes of play. However, he is averaging 12 points across his past five games and has logged 22+ minutes in each of the last eight games. He also has started in seven of the past eight games. Krejci has recorded over 6.5 points in six straight games entering this matchup and will face off with the Celtics tonight.
While the defending champions are a difficult matchup for any player, Boston is allowing 5.8 three-point attempts to opposing small forwards which is the second-worst rate in the league. While there is more to his game than just perimeter shooting, Krejci is more than comfortable letting it fly from the perimeter. He has connected on 34.3 percent of his three-point attempts this season but shot 41.2 percent from beyond the arc last year. Atlanta has played at the fastest tempo in the league over the past five games and Krejci has been a part of this. He plays with a nastiness that stands out on this Atlanta roster and is necessary to its improved play. Look for him to continue his streak of strong play and for the 24-year-old to record over 6.5 points for the seventh straight game tonight.
Buddy Hield Over 12.5 Points (-105)
There have already been some notable ups and downs for Buddy Hield during his time with the Warriors. The 32-year-old got off to a red-hot start to the season but then went through some shooting struggles. Hield looks to be returning to form and has seen an increased offensive role in recent games.
He is averaging 12.5 points while shooting 41.9 percent from the field and 37.8 percent from beyond the three-point arc this season. He is attempting 10.7 field goal attempts per game on average. Over the past five games, Hield has attempted 14 shots per game and 9.6 three-point attempts while seeing an average of 30.4 minutes of play. He has recorded over 12.5 points in three of the past four games.
Golden State is set to face off with the Washington Wizards tonight who play with the fourth-fastest pace on the season so expect an increase in shot opportunities. In addition, they are dead last in points allowed, 23rd in opponents’ three-point percentage and 23rd in opponents’ field goal percentage allowed. Hield has snapped out of his shooting slump and has played better basketball of late. He also finished with 20 points in the first matchup with the Wizards this season. With a struggling defense in front of him, look for Hield to add another solid offensive performance and record over 12.5 points tonight.
Alperen Sengun Over 10.5 Rebounds (+100)
The final matchup of today’s NBA slate will be between the Portland Trail Blazers and Houston Rockets. Houston has successfully taken the next step as an organization and currently sits in second place in the Western Conference while the Trail Blazers remain early in their rebuild. Alperen Sengun has grown into a foundational part of this Rockets team and was rewarded with a lucrative extension this past summer.
Sengun is averaging 19.3 points, 10.4 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game. He ranks 11th in the NBA in rebounding and has a great chance to add to this as he matches up with the Trail Blazers tonight. Portland ranks 24th in total rebounds this season and 21st in opponent rebounds per game. This will be the third matchup between these two teams and the Trail Blazers have done a nice job limiting Sengun’s rebounds to this point but expect that to change tonight. Donovan Clingan is set to miss tonight’s matchup while Deni Avdija is listed as doubtful.
Sengun has recorded over 10.5 rebounds in 16 games already this season. Expect Sengun to have success battling for position against Deandre Ayton and to have an advantage without Clingan available off the bench. Expect his physicality to be a factor in this matchup and for Sengun to eclipse 10.5 rebounds against the poor rebounding opponent.
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 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.
