Roughly 10 games remain on each NBA team’s schedule before the regular season concludes. This final stretch is set to have some significant implications for playoff seedings and lottery odds, with teams on each end of this spectrum having this fully in mind.
In the opening game of the night, the Philadelphia 76ers will host the Washington Wizards. A half-hour later, the Brooklyn Nets will play the Toronto Raptors. All four of these teams rank in the top seven for lottery odds with the Nets and Sixers currently tied in the standings. The outcome of these two games will shake up the bottom of the standings and each organization has gone to some significant lengths of late to maximize their lottery odds.
Also at 7:30 p.m. ET, the Los Angeles Lakers will play the Indiana Pacers and the New York Knicks will host the Los Angeles Clippers. Then, at 9:00 p.m. ET, the Milwaukee Bucks will face the Denver Nuggets following a concerning injury update surrounding Damian Lillard. Finally, at 10:00 p.m. ET, the Boston Celtics and Phoenix Suns will face off to round out the six-game slate.
Keep a close eye on the injury reports as the grind of the season has taken a toll around the league. With plenty of NBA action ahead, here are my favorite prop bets for Wednesday’s slate.
Justin Edwards Over 2.5 Made Three-Pointers (+114)
If you are checking in on the Philadelphia 76ers and Washington Wizards for the first time in a while expect to see some unfamiliar faces. For Philadelphia, Joel Embiid, Jared McCain, Eric Gordon and Paul George have already been ruled out for the season, while Tyrese Maxey, Kelly Oubre Jr, Andre Drummond, Lonnie Walker IV and Kyle Lowry have all been ruled out for tonight. Washington has sidelined Marcus Smart, Khris Middleton, Bilal Coulibaly, Keyshawn George, Corey Kispert, Malcolm Brogdon and Saddiq Bey for tonight’s game.
It has been a nightmare situation for both teams this season but the action continues on the floor. Justin Edwards has been a great example of a player making the most of an expanded opportunity and has continually progressed as the season expanded. The undrafted rookie has been upgraded from a two-way contract to a standard NBA deal and he has been thrust into the starting lineup at a regular rate. Edwards has started 20 of his 38 games at the NBA level averaging 9.9 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game. The Kentucky product is shooting 37.1% from beyond the three-point arc on 4.4 perimeter attempts per game.
Since the season has fully gone off the rails for the Sixers, Edwards has seen his role expanded even further. He has logged 30+ minutes in each of the past five games connecting on three or more three-pointers in each of these matchups. Edwards is attempting 7.2 three-point attempts per game across this period and will now face a Wizards team that ranks dead-last in points allowed to opponents, 24th in opponent three-point attempts allowed, and 22nd in opponent three-point percentage. Someone needs to continue shooting and scoring on the floor and Edwards has done a nice job filling this role. Look for him to continue maximizing his opportunity and knock down over 2.5 three-pointers for the sixth straight game and 13th time this season.
Austin Reaves Over 24.5 Points & Assists (-110)
The Los Angeles Lakers have hit their first bit of turmoil since the addition of Luka Doncic. They have lost three straight games and seven of their last 10. LeBron James has battled back from a groin injury and the Lakers are looking to get back on track before the postseason starts. The honeymoon period of the Lakers playing high-level defense has worn off and their lack of rim protection to anchor their defense has been extremely evident in recent games. They will now take on the Indiana Pacers, who have turned their season around in recent weeks and played at a much higher level.
While James and Doncic are of obvious importance, Austin Reaves continues to play a significant role on this Lakers team. Looking at the usage rates in recent games, Reaves has been counted on more frequently than James, with the Oklahoma product averaging 22.9 points and 5.7 assists per game in March. He has tallied over 24.5 combined points and assists in seven of his past eight games.
Indiana plays at an uptempo pace, which can lead to some impressive offensive outputs for both teams on the floor. Reaves dropped 45 points against this Pacers team in their first matchup this season, although both Doncic and James missed this game. Even with both stars back on the floor, there are enough opportunities for Reaves to still get his numbers. Look for him to continue providing a positive spark and record over 24.5 combined points and assists for the 35th time this season.
Christian Braun Over 13.5 Points (-105)
The Denver Nuggets also have not been immune to injury issues with Nikola Jokic having missed the past five games. While the Nuggets seem optimistic Jokic could return soon, he’s currently listed as doubtful and Aaron Gordon is also listed as questionable. Regardless of whether Jokic can return, look for Christian Braun to continue asserting himself as a scorer just as he has in recent games.
On the season, Braun is averaging 15.1 points per game on an impressive 57.4% shooting from the field. The Kansas product has scored over 13.5 points in 42 of the 71 games played, including nine of his past 13 games.
Denver will take on the Milwaukee Bucks tonight following the deflating news of Damian Lillard’s blood clot. To make matters worse, Giannis Antetokounmpo has been ruled out for the matchup with a foot injury. Braun finished with 13 points in the first matchup with Milwaukee a month ago. He has continued to play at a high level and has taken his game to new points since this time. Milwaukee ranks 12th in opponent points per game and is 25th in opponent three-point attempts allowed. Braun has stepped up in a major way for this Nuggets team all season and will continue to have plenty of responsibility on his plate.
Kristaps Porzingis Over 7.5 Rebounds (+110)
In the final matchup of the night’s slate, the Phoenix Suns will host the Boston Celtics. Jayson Tatum is considered doubtful for the matchup due to an ankle injury. In addition, Phoenix has struggled to get production from the big man position all season, ranking 17th in opponent rebounds allowed and 24th in total rebounds per game. The trade for Nick Richards has not fixed their issues and this all spells a great chance for Kristaps Porzingis to assert himself on the boards.
While injuries and availability have been an issue for Porzingis, his production has still been solid this season. Across the 36 games he has played, Porzingis is averaging 19.4 points and 6.9 rebounds. This is his lowest rebounding output since the 2017-18 season when he was still playing for the New York Knicks. Even still, the 7-foot-2 big man has recorded over 7.5 rebounds in 17 games.
Assuming Tatum cannot play, the Celtics will need to make up for the 8.7 rebounds that he provides. Porzingis has tallied over 7.5 rebounds in each of his last three games. Look for him to continue growing his rebounding output and eclipse 7.5 rebounds for the fourth straight contest. Count on Porzingis to capitalize on the weakness of the Suns, make up for Tatum’s absence, and produce a strong rebounding output tonight.
