The NBA action continues with the regular season beginning to wind down and playoff seedings at stake. While college basketball has started to steal some of the buzz in the basketball world, eight games are taking place across today’s Saturday slate.
Starting at 6:00 p.m. ET, the Boston Celtics will take on the Brooklyn Nets. The defending champions officially clinched another playoff opportunity last night and the injury report is one to monitor leading up to this game. Both Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum are questionable while Al Horford and Derrick White are each listed as doubtful. An hour later, the Oklahoma City Thunder will travel to take on the Detroit Pistons with Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren set to miss the matchup.
Three games will be tipping off at 8:00 p.m. ET. The Rockets will host the Bulls, the Grizzlies will take on the Heat, and the Pacers will face the Bucks during this window. Starting at 8:30 p.m. ET, the New York Knicks will play the red-hot Golden State Warriors while the New Orleans Pelicans face the San Antonio Spurs. In the final matchup of the night, the Denver Nuggets will host the Washington Wizards after they went down to the wire with a shorthanded Lakers squad last night.
With plenty of NBA action ahead, here are my favorite prop bets for Saturday’s slate.
Cameron Johnson Over 4.5 Rebounds (+110)
The Brooklyn Nets will take on the defending champion Celtics to start the day, with injuries being a story for both rosters. With four of their most important players listed as questionable or doubtful, it is almost certain Boston will not be at full strength tonight. Brooklyn’s 22-44 record is even more of a reason for the Celtics to be careful in their player management ahead of this matchup. On the other side of things, the Nets are set to be without Cam Thomas, Nic Claxton, Noah Clowney and Trendon Watford.
Regardless of who is available, this game will take place and someone has to produce on the floor. Cam Johnson has been left in this unfortunate situation all season and is averaging 18.8 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game. Without Claxton and Clowney on the floor, Johnson is forced to scale up his role of rebounding the basketball. His rebounding output has climbed to 5.2 rebounds per game during March. He has tallied five or more rebounds in each of the past four games and tallied eight rebounds in a previous matchup with the Celtics this season.
Boston launches three-pointers at a historic rate, which creates some significant variance from a rebounding standpoint. But the volume of these shots also creates plenty of chances, with Johnson set to be looked at as one of the more prominent rebounding options. Look for him to continue his streak of strong rebounding outputs and pick up the slack of the missing players. Johnson has tallied over 4.5 rebounds in 22 games this season. Look for him to add to this tonight and be active on the boards against the defending champions.
Cade Cunningham Over 26.5 Points (-120)
One of the more notable matchups of the night will take place between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Detroit Pistons. The Thunder have officially clinched their playoff opportunity and have checked just about every box for what you look for in a contender. Detroit is looking to join them in the conversation of young talented cores and it has taken a huge stride forward this season. The Pistons have climbed to sixth place in the Eastern Conference and are 12-4 in their last 16 games.
Cade Cunningham is at the heart of this production and has spearheaded this organizational leap. The former No. 1 overall pick is averaging 25.9 points, 9.3 assists and 6.0 rebounds per game. Cunningham has continued to get better as the season has progressed and is averaging 29.3 points per game in March. He is coming off a 38-point scoring performance against the Wizards on Thursday and has tallied over 26.5 points in 29 of the 62 games this season. This includes six straight games leading into this matchup.
Oklahoma City has been one of the best defenses in basketball but will be incomplete tonight with Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren set to miss. It is giving up 117.3 points per game since the All-Star break despite allowing just 107.2 points per game on the season. Cunningham will continue to be at the epicenter of the Pistons’ offense and may be getting this high-level matchup at the right time. While the Thunder are built to sustain injuries better than most rosters, look for Cunningham to take advantage of the absence of Williams and Holmgren and assert himself offensively. Count on him to record over 26.5 points for the seventh straight game and 30th time this season.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Over 41.5 Points & Assists (-115)
On the other side of the matchup sits MVP-favorite Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The Thunder star has taken his game to new heights this season, averaging a league-leading 32.8 points, 6.2 assists and 5.1 rebounds per game. Gilgeous-Alexander more than holds his weight on the defensive end, but his primary role is to be the offensive engine for this Western Conference contender. Expect this to especially be put on display tonight without Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren and the 36.3 points per game they provide.
On the season, Gilgeous-Alexander has tallied over 41.5 combined points and assists in 18 games. His prop lines have been increased for this matchup due to the injuries and rightfully so. The standard point prop for Gilgeous-Alexander in this game is set at 34.5, which he has eclipsed in 23 games this season. However, the loss of Williams is notable in how opposing teams guard Gilgeous-Alexander. Williams is the only other high-level creator outside of SGA who can put the ball on the floor and create for himself and others. Oftentimes, opposing teams send multiple defenders in Gilgeous-Alexander’s direction to dare other members of the Thunder to beat them.
With this in mind, look toward the combined points and assists prop. Gilgeous-Alexander is too talented of a scorer to be fully shut down but is more than capable of serving as a primary playmaker if this is what the game script commands. Detroit ranks 14th in opponent points per game and is not a defense that should strike fear into the MVP favorite. Expect Gilgeous-Alexander to take an even larger workload on his plate than usual due to the injuries on the roster and play his way to over 41.5 combined points and assists for the 19th time this season.
Khris Middleton Over 12.5 Points (-125)
The Washington Wizards have been the NBA’s biggest bottom-feeders from just about start to finish this season as they begin their youthful rebuild. They hold an NBA-worst 14-51 record on the season and have their full focus on maximizing their draft lottery odds. With this said, they made some surprising moves at the trade deadline to add some veterans to the organization, with Marcus Smart and Khris Middleton headlining this effort. The veterans have brought in some necessary professionalism with both their level of play and approach to the game.
On the season overall, Middleton has suited up for just 32 games. He is averaging 12.5 points, 4.3 assists and 3.9 rebounds overall. Since joining the Wizards, Middleton has averaged 12.2 points, 4.1 assists and 4.3 rebounds in his 24.4 minutes of play. The 33-year-old has recorded over 12.5 points in four of the past six games.
Washington will take on the Denver Nuggets tonight, who are on the second night of a back-to-back. They have struggled defensively on the season and especially as of late. Denver ranks 24th in opponent points allowed and 24th in defensive rating. Over its last 10 games, every opponent has eclipsed 110 points against Denver, including a Lakers team without LeBron James and Luka Doncic last night. Denver allows the most points to opposing shooting guards on the season and Middleton is beginning to see his minutes expand. The 33-year-old is looking to prove he is still a capable NBA contributor and is coming off 26:41 of game time on Friday, which is the most since joining the Wizards. With a struggling defense and Middleton proving capable of filling it up, look for him to record over 12.5 points for the fifth time in a Washington uniform.
