Three games remain on each respective NBA team’s regular season schedule, with some playoff seedings still up for grabs. Tonight’s slate is loaded, headlined by Luka Doncic’s return to Dallas for the first time since the blockbuster midseason trade. In total there will be 10 games being played tonight.
Starting at 7:00 p.m. ET, the Philadelphia 76ers will face the Washington Wizards while the Boston Celtics play the Orlando Magic. A half-hour later, the Toronto Raptors will host the Charlotte Hornets while the matchup between the Lakers and Mavericks takes center stage. This will be an unprecedented return to the organization with there sure to be plenty of vocal support for Doncic as frustration with the Mavericks organization continues among fans.
At 8:00 p.m. ET, the Chicago Bulls will face the Miami Heat. An hour later, the Portland Trail Blazers will take on the Utah Jazz. It is a busy late slate of games as the Oklahoma City Thunder take on the Phoenix Suns at 10:00 p.m. ET, following the Suns officially being eliminated from the postseason race last night. At the same time, the Sacramento Kings will host the Denver Nuggets while the Golden State Warriors play the San Antonio Spurs. Finally, the final game of the slate will be between the Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Clippers tipping off at 10:30 p.m. ET.
Across a busy 10-game slate of basketball, here are my favorite prop bets on the Wednesday night NBA slate.
Alex Sarr to Record 8+ Rebounds (+115)
The Washington Wizards have shown some signs of life with the season winding down with Alex Sarr helping to lead this charge. The second-overall pick has come into form as the season progressed and has taken some positive steps in his development. Sarr and the Wizards will take on the Philadelphia 76ers tonight who are 3-22 since the All-Star break.
Overall, Sarr is averaging 13.1 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 2.4 assists in his 27.3 minutes per game this season. Over his past 19 games he is averaging 16.8 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game. Sarr stands 7-foot with impressive athleticism built to exploit this Sixers team. Philadelphia has struggled on the boards all season ranking 24th in opponent rebounds per game and dead last in total rebounds secured.
Sarr is coming off a 12-rebound performance last night and had seven rebounds about two weeks ago against the Sixers. Guerschon Yabusele has been ruled out for this game for Philadelphia to further weaken their interior options. The standard rebounding prop for Sarr is set at 6.5 at -145 odds on DraftKings Sportsbook. The rookie has tallied eight or more rebounds in 19 games this season and this is a favorable matchup for the young athlete who is playing his best basketball. Look for Sarr to impose himself on the glass tonight and record 8+ rebounds as these two lottery-bound teams face off.
Anthony Davis Over 10.5 Rebounds (-105)
All attention has been paid to Luka Doncic making his return to Dallas, but this is a revenge game for Anthony Davis as well. This will mark his eighth game in a Mavericks jersey and his first time facing the Lakers. Through his opening seven games played, Davis is averaging 20.6 points 9.6 rebounds, and 3.4 assists in 28.9 minutes per game. This is below the 25.7 points and 11.9 rebounds he averaged through the first 42 games with the Lakers.
Health has been a familiar problem preventing Davis from performing. But when he is at his best he has a case for being the best rebounder in the NBA and the lack of interior presence on the Lakers is a notable weakness. Los Angeles allowed 15 rebounds to Isaiah Hartenstein last night and ranks 15th in total rebounds since the trade.
Davis has tallied 15+ rebounds in two of his seven games with the Mavericks and has recorded over 10.5 rebounds in 30 of the 49 games he has played this year. Expect some additional motivation on Davis’ part and for him to have success imposing himself against Jaxson Hayes and the rest of the Lakers’ interior options. Count on Davis’ sheer size to cause some issues and record over 10.5 rebounds in his first crack against his former team.
Luka Doncic to Record 5+ Made Three-Pointers (+140)
While the props surrounding Luke Doncic are (rightfully) a bit pricy, it feels like the stars have aligned for Luka Doncic to have his moment in his former city. He was ejected last night against the Thunder to add to his frustrations and emotions are sure to be high in the building from all parties. It does not take an advanced eye to note that Doncic takes things personally on a basketball court and is motivated by resentment.
There have been some early ups and downs with Doncic in his tenure with the Lakers. Across his first 26 games in Los Angeles, he is averaging 27.1 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 7.6 assists per game. Doncic is shooting 36.0% from beyond the three-point arc while launching 9.6 perimeter shots per game. This comes out to an average of 3.5 made three-pointers per game and he has connected on five or more three-pointers in seven games with the Lakers.
Expect Dallas to be fully focused on making life difficult for Doncic tonight. They have continued to run with their belief of building a defensive-minded basketball team as the driving force for moving on from their superstar in the first place. They have some high-level rim protection which will make it difficult to attack the basket, and Doncic has not shown much with his ability to get to the rim since joining the Lakers. Look for the Lakers’ star to combat this by creating from the perimeter and shooting over the top of the rim deterrence. His standard three-point prop is set at 3.5 with the over favored at -135 odds. I am taking it a step forward for Doncic to knock down at least five three-pointers at +140 odds on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Chet Holmgren Over 19.5 Points & Rebounds (-115)
This season has been as bad as could be imagined for the Phoenix Suns. They will have some big-picture questions to address this offseason, but they must limp to the finish line in these final three games. Phoenix will take on the Oklahoma City Thunder tonight who sit comfortably at the top of the Western Conference. While there are plenty to list, the lack of production at the big man position has been a huge source of the Suns’ struggles. They rank 24th in opponents’ points per game, 18th in opponents’ rebounds allowed, 25th in total rebounding, and 18th in points in the paint allowed.
Chet Holmgren will have a chance to make his impact felt in this matchup with this weakness in mind. The Gonzaga product is averaging 14.7 points and 8.0 rebounds per game on the season. It shouldn’t be a surprise if the Thunder rest some notable names with their seeding secured and on the second night of a back-to-back. But Holmgren played just 25 minutes in the previous victory, the fewest of any starter and sixth-most on the team, so I am optimistic he suits up tonight.
Holmgren has recorded over 19.5 combined points and rebounds in 20 of the 31 games he has played this season. This is his first matchup against the Suns this year but it is worth noting he cleared this total in both matchups last season. Expect Holmgren’s 7-foot-1 frame to cause some issues tonight and for him to showcase his offensive skillset without a clear matchup for him on this Phoenix roster. Count on him to record 20+ combined points and rebounds for the 21st time this season in this favorable matchup.
