The Houston Rockets will be looking to even up the series against the Golden State Warriors tonight after falling short in the series opener. It has to be frustrating for Alperen Sengun and company after they limited the Warriors to 95 points and won the rebounding battle 52-36 in the loss. Regardless, they have to wipe the slate clean and prepare for Game 2.
This is a matchup that surely falls under the must-win category from Houston’s perspective. Going down 0-2 to the Warriors before the series heads to Golden State is a steep hole to climb out of, especially considering the gap in experience between these two sides. The second-seeded Rockets will look to protect their home court tonight in a matchup in which desperation should be visible in their play.
The Rockets enter as 3.5-point favorites and -162 on the moneyline on DraftKings Sportsbook. Golden State holds +136 odds of getting the outright victory, with the game total set at just 204.
With the stage set, here are my favorite Alperen Sengun prop bets ahead of the fateful Game 2 matchup.
Best Alperen Sengun Prop Bets on DraftKings Sportsbook
Sengun’s props are listed at over/under 20.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 0.5 made three-pointers and 35.5 combined points, rebounds and assists.
Alperen Sengun Over 10.5 Rebounds (-105)
The rebounding battle was the biggest point of concern coming into the series for the Warriors. Golden State is at its best when playing small with Draymond Green as the primary big man. In contrast, Houston has recently leaned even more into its interior production, getting great success from playing Steven Adams next to Alperen Sengun in stretches. Houston dominated the rebounding battle in the first game, including tallying 22 offensive rebounds and outrebounding the Warriors by 16.
However, it is also obvious the Rockets need to find ways to generate more offense. Scoring 85 points in today’s NBA is not going to win you very many games, especially when playing the Warriors. The Rockets must make some sacrifices to get more reliable offense on the floor. Expect this to put more on Sengun’s plate from a rebounding perspective and for him to deliver in this role.
On the season overall, Sengun averaged 10.3 rebounds and tallied over 10.5 rebounds in 33 games this season. The Turkish big man averaged 11.2 rebounds per game across his five matchups with the Warriors during the regular season, recording over 10.5 boards in three of those games. This also occurred while not logging more than 32:51 of game time during any regular-season matchup. Sengun played 36 minutes in the series opener and should be in line for this same type of workload tonight.
Expect to see more significant minutes with Sengun as the lone big man and for his 6-foot-11 frame to stand out against this undersized Warriors team. He was a few bad bounces away from reaching this total in the opening matchup, so count on him having some more chances tonight. Look for Sengun to tally at least 11 rebounds in this pivotal Game 2 matchup.
Alperen Sengun to Record 40+ Points, Rebounds & Assists (+165)
When looking at the offensive advantages the Rockets have to rely on, Alperen Sengun jumps to the top of the list. There are some pretty concerning realizations surrounding the outlook for Jalen Green, with the rest of this series important for his future outlook. Green was limited to seven points on 3-for-15 from the field and 0-for-4 from beyond the three-point arc in the series opener. The Rockets attempted to clear space and allow Green to attack Steph Curry often during this matchup. The 23-year-old failed to create any sort of advantage, and the Rockets’ offense largely struggled as a result.
Green will have better games than this, but the takeaway for Houston must be that it cannot live and die with this approach. Enter Alperen Sengun, who has shown the capability of serving as the engine of the offense for stretches. While he is not at the level of Nikola Jokic, Sengun can be a hub that equates to team success in the right matchups. Draymond Green is far from a throwaway defender, but Sengun is five inches and 15 pounds bigger than him.
Sengun averaged 19.1 points, 10.3 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game throughout the regular season. This was a slight step back from the 21.1 points and 5.0 assists he averaged last year, but he still tallied 40+ combined points, rebounds and assists in 22 games this season. This includes once against the Warriors.
Expect the Rockets to attack on the interior and for Sengun to have the answers as both a passer and a scorer. Look for his usage to be increased from the opening game and for the big man to make his size felt on the interior. Getting +165 on DraftKings Sportsbook is great odds for this and count on Sengun to lead the charge with the desperate outlook on this Rockets team.
