The final matchup of tonight’s eight-game NBA slate will take place between the Phoenix Suns and Portland Trail Blazers. Shaedon Sharpe and company will host the star-studded Suns’ roster who will be on the second night of a back-to-back.
Phoenix continues to desperately try to climb into the true contender conversation but has produced at an inconsistent level all season. It holds a 25-22 record and sit in eighth place in the Western Conference. Injuries have been a notable hurdle all year but they enter tonight with a clean bill of health.
Portland is much further along in their timeline with the organizational priority being on development rather than results this season. It sits in 13th place in the Western Conference but have seen some encouraging play from some of their young talents of late. Matisse Thybulle has been ruled out for this matchup while Jerami Grant and Robert Williams III are questionable.
Shaedon Sharpe has been one of the biggest bright spots for this team. The 21-year-old has taken a stride forward in his development and is averaging 17.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 2.5 assists across the opening 40 games he has played.
The Suns enter this game as four-point favorites and -175 on the Moneyline. The Trail Blazers hold +145 odds on the Moneyline on DraftKings Sportsbook. The game total is set at 226.5.
With the stage set, here are my favorite Shaedon prop bets ahead of the Saturday night matchup.
Best Shaedon Sharpe Prop Bets on DraftKings Sportsbook
Sharpe’s props are listed at over/under 14.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.5 made three-pointers and 20.5 combined points, rebounds and assists.
Shaedon Sharpe Over 1.5 Made Three-Pointers (-145)
While most of his stats have taken a stride forward this season, Shaedon Sharpe is shooting a career-worst 31.8% from beyond the three-point arc. Despite this, Sharpe is attempting a career-high 6.1 perimeter shots per game which comes out to an average of 2.0 three-point makes on average. This is tied for the second-most attempts on the Trail Blazers roster.
Sharpe looks to be turning a corner of late from beyond the arc. Across the past 14 games, he is averaging 16.9 points per game and shooting 37.8% from beyond the three-point arc. He has made over 1.5 three-pointers in six of the past eight games and 23 of the 40 games on the season.
Looking at the matchup, Phoenix ranks 18th in opponents’ points per game. It also ranks 15th in opponents’ three-point attempts allowed and 18th in opponents’ three-point percentage. Sharpe missed one of the two previous matchups with the Suns and was held to 1-for-8 shooting from the perimeter in the game he did suit up for. The former seventh-overall pick has started shooting the ball better since this point and expect this to carry over tonight.
The Trail Blazers will need to keep pace with the Suns’ scoring and Sharpe will take on a large portion of this responsibility. He has made over 1.5 three-pointers in three consecutive games leading into this matchup and count on him continuing this effort tonight.
Shaedon Sharpe to Record 20+ Points (+280)
While some of the improved statistical outputs have simply been due to some positive shooting regression, Sharpe looks to be turning a corner in his processing of the game. The youthful guard has been thrown into the metaphorical fire after sitting out his freshman year at Kentucky despite being a top recruit. The learning curve was steep when Sharpe reached the NBA but he is playing at NBA speed at a much more regular rate in his third season.
Across his past 22 games, in which Sharpe has started 15, he has shown the All-Star potential his talent level has hinted at. Across this period Sharpe is averaging 18.1 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 2.5 assists. The Canadian guard also has shot 46.2% from the field and 35.8% from beyond the three-point arc in this matchup- each above his season average.
Sharpe’s standard point prop is set at 14.5 points on DraftKings Sportsbook. He has recorded over this total in 24 of the 40 games he has played this year. Sharpe has tallied as many as 33 points in a game this season and recorded 20 or more points in 16 games this year. This includes seven of the past 14 games.
The Suns have been inconsistent on the defensive end this season and will be playing on the second night of a back-to-back. Look for Sharpe’s youthful legs to come in ready and be eager to lead the charge offensively for the Trail Blazers. The +280 odds rightfully indicate it is a risk, but these are the type of matchups a young guard should be ready for and I am buying the recent stretch of play from Sharpe.
