As part of the eight-game slate taking place tonight in the NBA, the Oklahoma City Thunder and Chicago Bulls are the lone game taking place at 8:00 p.m. ET. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and company sit comfortably at the top of the Western Conference and defeated the Bulls 114-95 in the previous matchup this season.
Gilgeous-Alexander is at the heart of everything the Thunder do and is looking to solidify his MVP campaign down the home stretch of the season. The 26-year-old is averaging a league-leading 32.9 points, 6.3 assists, 5.1 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game. He is also shooting 37.2% from beyond the three-point arc while launching a career-high 5.7 three-point attempts per game.
The Thunder are currently 14-point favorites and -1000 on the Moneyline on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Bulls hold +650 odds on the Moneyline with the game total set at 240.
Chet Holmgren, Jaylin Williams and Isaiah Hartenstein are listed as questionable for tonight’s matchup while Aaron Wiggins has been ruled out for the Thunder. The Bulls will be without Ayo Dosunmu, Tre Jones and Kevin Huerter while Lonzo Ball is listed as doubtful.
With the stage set, here are my favorite Gilgeous-Alexander prop bets ahead of the Monday night matchup.
Best Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Prop Bets on DraftKings Sportsbook
Gilgeous-Alexander’s props are listed at over/under 32.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 1.5 made three-pointers and 44.5 combined points, rebounds and assists.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Over 32.5 Points (-125)
While he deserves credit for impacting the game in all areas, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is at his best as a scorer. He leads the NBA with his 32.9 points per game this season and this is a great matchup to add to this. The MVP favorite has tallied over 32.5 points in 30 of the 71 games this season.
Chicago has been one of the hottest teams in the NBA of late, winning nine of its last 12, but defense continues to be its biggest issue. On the season, the Bulls rank 28th in opponent points allowed and allow the most field-goal attempts of any team in the league. Nikola Vucevic leaves plenty to be desired as a rim protector with the Bulls giving up an NBA-worst 54.4 points per game in the paint.
Gilgeous-Alexander was held to an uncharacteristic 23 points in the first matchup against the Bulls, shooting 9-for-21 from the field. This was his fifth-lowest scoring total on the season so expect him to get his revenge tonight. The Thunder star has shown no signs of slowing down and enters this matchup having recorded over 32.5 points in back-to-back games and seven of his last 12.
Expect Gilgeous-Alexander to have greater success getting to his spots and be looking to attack the basket throughout. Chicago will not have an answer for his array of moves around the rim with the previous matchup marking his 12th-worst shooting performance of the season. Look for him to lead the offensive charge for Oklahoma City again tonight and record over 32.5 points for the 31st time this season.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to Record 3+ Made Three-Pointers (+185)
Gilgeous-Alexander is still at his most effective when attacking the basket and operating in the midrange. However, his growth as a three-point shooter has been a necessary step toward becoming a complete scorer. He is shooting 37.2% from beyond the three-point arc on 5.7 attempts per game. This comes out to 2.1 made three-pointers per game and he has connected on three or more in 29 games this season.
In the first matchup with the Bulls, Gilgeous-Alexander shot 2-for-9 from beyond the three-point arc, which is tied for his fifth-most three-point misses in a game this season. The standard three-point prop for Gilgeous-Alexander is set at 1.5 with the over favored at -154 odds. The three-time All-Star has made three three-pointers in two of his last three games leading into this matchup.
Looking at the defense, the Bulls allow 39.5 three-point attempts to opponents, which ranks 28th in the NBA. Expect Gilgeous-Alexander to make his impact felt early on in this game by attacking the basket and for this to open up all areas of his scoring ability. Getting +185 odds is great value so look for the star guard to pour it on from the perimeter with the threat of his drive making these opportunities prevalent.
