The NBA action continues on with eight games set to take place across the Saturday slate. The race to the bottom and the race to the top have both become interesting with the extreme lengths teams are taking to maximize their lottery odds now in full form.
A noteworthy matchup in this race to the bottom will kick off the day as the Charlotte Hornets host the Brooklyn Nets starting at 6:00 p.m. ET. These teams currently hold the second and sixth-worst records in the league. Then, at 7:00 p.m. ET, the Houston Rockets face the New Orleans Pelicans.
A doubleheader will take place at 7:30 as the Toronto Raptors start the first of back-to-back matchups with the Washington Wizards. At the same time, the Indiana Pacers face the Atlanta Hawks. Another pair of matchups will begin at 8:00 p.m. ET as the Milwaukee Bucks take on the Orlando Magic while the Miami Heat host the Chicago Bulls.
Two final games begin at 8:30 p.m. ET with this set to take center stage of the NBA world. The Golden State Warriors will host the streaking Detroit Pistons in one game. In the other, the new-look Los Angeles Lakers will take their first try at the defending champion Celtics in Boston.
With plenty of NBA action ahead, here are my favorite prop bets for Saturday’s slate.
Tari Eason Under 1.5 Made Three-Pointers (+114)
The Houston Rockets will take on the New Orleans Pelicans who are closer in level of talent than the records indicate. Everything that could go wrong for the Pelicans has gone wrong, with injuries being the story of their season. However, they have looked like a different team since Zion Williamson made his return to the floor. The former first-overall pick has flashed the level of talent he has proven to be and the Pelicans are 4-3 in the past seven games that Williamson has played.
Expectations are much higher for the Rockets and their youthful roster has performed up to par this season. Tari Eason is a part of this vision but does not see the level of opportunity he would on other rosters. The 23-year-old is averaging 11.9 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 1.9 steals across his 24.6 minutes of play. Eason is shooting a career-best 36.9% from beyond the three-point arc on 3.2 perimeter attempts per game.
On the season, Eason has been held to under 1.5 made three-pointers in 26 of the 41 games he has played. This is the second-consecutive matchup between these two teams, with Eason shooting a season-best four-for-eight on three-point attempts on Thursday. This is the most three-point attempts and made perimeter shots in any game of his career and it feels like the market overcorrected a bit. He has been held to under 1.5 made three-pointers in 63.4% of the games this season, so look for him to return to his shooting form by being held to under 1.5 three-pointers again tonight.
Josh Giddey Over 32.5 Points, Rebounds, & Assists (-120)
Injuries have taken a toll on the Chicago Bulls with Patrick Williams, Nikola Vucevic, Lonzo Ball, and Ayo Dosunmu each expected to miss this matchup with the Heat. This opens the door for Josh Giddey to continue to produce at a high level. Across the 58 games he has played this season, Giddey is averaging 13.3 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 6.7 assists. He has stepped up amid the injury-riddled stretch, averaging 21.9 points, 11.1 rebounds, and 8.6 assists across his past seven games.
This Heat team simply does not have the look of what we have come to expect from the Miami organization. They hold a record of 29-33 and fall in the middle of the pack by most metrics. The Heat have blown more double-digit fourth-quarter leads than any team in the NBA. Chicago got the better of the Heat in their first matchup, in which Giddey finished with 24 points, seven assists, and five rebounds.
The Australian is coming off a 13-rebound performance and has been especially active on the glass of late. This is especially appealing as Miami ranks 22nd in opponent rebounds allowed. Beyond this, expect Giddey to continue running the show on the offensive end. Giddey has recorded over 32.5 combined points, rebounds, and assists in six straight games entering tonight’s matchup. Expect him to pick up right where he left off by reaching this number against a struggling Heat team.
Wendell Carter Jr. Over 7.5 Rebounds (-135)
The Orlando Magic have been a tough watch lately. Their NBA-worst three-point shooting continues to sink the team after they got off to a great start this season. They now enter this matchup on a five-game losing streak and have dropped 17 of their last 23. There is no time to wait in the NBA and the Magic will buckle up to face the Milwaukee Bucks tonight as they try to turn things around.
Expect the pace that Milwaukee plays with to play a factor in this game. The Bucks rank seventh in the NBA in pace on the season and are third in the league over their past 10 games. In contrast, the Magic rank 29th in the NBA in this category. Look for this to increase the number of possessions and for this to create more rebounding opportunities.
Wendell Carter Jr. will headline this production for Orlando as he is tied for the most rebounds on the team with 7.4 boards per game. While he is tied with Goga Bitadze for the most rebounds, Carter Jr. has seen more minutes of late with the production matching this. Carter Jr. is averaging 9.6 rebounds across his past nine games, going over 7.5 rebounds in six of these. Milwaukee has been vulnerable in this regard, ranking 26th in opponent rebounds allowed on the season, with this issue maximized during Bobby Portis’ suspension. Look for Carter Jr. to lead the charge in on the boards and log eight or more rebounds for the 23rd time this season.
Draymond Green Under 16.5 Points & Assists (-120)
The Golden State Warriors look to be rejuvenated following the trade for Jimmy Butler. They are 10-1 in the games Butler has played and the team will look to add to this as they take on the Pistons tonight. Detroit has now climbed out of the category of just a good story and must be taken seriously by teams around the league. They are 10-2 in their last 12 games with Cade Cunningham making his superstar leap and the young talent around him taking the next steps. Across this 12-game stretch, the Pistons rank second in the NBA in opponent points allowed, second in opponent assists allowed, and third in opponent field goal percentage.
Draymond Green’s resume speaks for itself, but the box score impact has been underwhelming. The four-time champion is averaging 8.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 5.9 assists per game on the season. Since Butler joined the team, these averages have risen to 10.7 points, 6.9 assists, and 6.7 rebounds. Even with this leap he has been held under 16.5 points and assists in five of these games.
Expect Detroit’s youthful and deep roster to make their impact felt in this game with plenty of bodies they can throw at this Warriors offense. Green sits a few notches down on the offensive pecking order anyway and will not have an advantage against the youthful Pistons. He finished with seven points and four assists in the first matchup between these two teams. Expect him to be limited as a scorer, and it should be noted Green has failed to record over six assists in six of his last seven games against top-10 defenses. This is the type of high-profile win the Pistons are hungry for, so expect them to lead the charge on the defensive side of the ball with Green being limited to 16 or fewer combined points and assists.
