Since the four-team Play-In Tournament was instituted prior to the 2020-21 season, the Miami Heat have appeared in it twice. In both the 2023 and 2024 postseasons, they came through the tournament as the eighth seed. Five games behind the Detroit Pistons for the sixth seed, Miami is in line to make the Play-In again this season.
It’s been an inconsistent season for both Adebayo and the Heat, marred by the Jimmy Butler trade saga, but for the season, he’s averaging a solid 17.2 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game, and his three-point shot is starting to come around. He should also receive Defensive Player of the Year consideration for the sixth straight season.
Tonight, Miami will be on the second night of a back-to-back as it hosts the hapless Washington Wizards for a 7:30 p.m. ET clash.
On DraftKings Sportsbook, the Heat are eight-point favorites and the total is set for 218. Below, I’ve highlighted my favorite prop bets centered around Adebayo.
Best Bam Adebayo Prop Bets on DraftKings Sportsbook
Bam Adebayo 25+ Points (+200)
In their last 10 games, the Wizards have been merely bad, not historically awful. Over that stretch, they’ve gone 3-7 and posted a negative-3.7 net rating, merely the 11th-worst in the league. Washington’s new acquisitions — Khris Middleton and Marcus Smart — have made somewhat of an impact, and rookies Bub Carrington and Alex Sarr have continued to show flashes. But part of its recent defensive form has has to do with its opponents — the Brooklyn Nets and Charlotte Hornets have had the league’s two worst offenses over their last 10 games.
Adebayo scored 30 points last night against the New York Knicks, shooting 12-for-16 from the field for his second-highest scoring outing of the season, in a game that Tyler Herro struggled mightily with his shot and which Andrew Wiggins missed. Wiggins is questionable again tonight with his ankle injury, so in his absence, Adebayo should play a bigger role. Plus, while Herro will be Miami’s first scoring option, he might find himself somewhat limited by Smart, the 2021-22 Defensive Player of the Year, and be forced to dish it inside to Adebayo.
Bam Adebayo U0.5 Blocks (+100)
One of the rare areas of basketball in which the Wizards have been okay at is block avoidance. Washington has allowed the most points, most rebounds, fifth-most assists, fourth-most steals, aaaaaaand only the 10th-most blocks. Sarr has had an up-and-down rookie season, but his nine-foot-two standing reach and relatively high release make him a difficult player to block. In his first 44 games, Sarr has been swatted just 21 times, tied for the 55th-fewest among 203 players who have played at least 1,000 total minutes this season. He’s also three inches taller than the six-foot-nine Adebayo.
Also, while he’s a strong rim protector in his own right, Adebayo’s defensive calling card is his versatility, and he’s averaging a career-low 2.0% block percentage this season. He’s only recorded one total block since the All-Star break, and he’s had 32 zero-block games this season. Especially if he plays limited minutes in a noncompetitive game, I wouldn’t be surprised if he goes block-less tonight. Since the All-Star break, he’s contested only 4.8 two-pointers per game, fewer than Wiggins.
