The focus of the NBA Cup quarterfinals shifts to the West on Wednesday night, and in the first matchup of the evening, the defending NBA Champion Oklahoma City Thunder host the Phoenix Suns. The Suns have been one of the most pleasant surprises in the early part of the season, while the Thunder have been absolutely dominant. There are plenty of fun player prop bets on both sides of the matchup on DraftKings Sportsbook, so let’s take a look at my favorite player prop options from Wednesday night’s showdown.
In the big picture, the Thunder are heavy 14.5-point home favorites, with the game total set at 224.5 points. The Suns faced the Thunder in OKC a couple of weeks ago, and the Thunder won a close matchup, 123-119.
The Thunder are an astounding 21-1 to start the season and are a perfect 11-0 at home. The Suns have been solid at 14-10 and 6-6 on the road, and they’ll get another shot at knocking off the champs on Wednesday night.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander missed the last game but will return for this matchup while Devin Booker (groin) is questionable and could also be back in action. Let’s check out my top three player prop bets from this Western Conference quarterfinal.
Thunder vs. Suns Best Prop Bets on DraftKings Sportsbook
Jalen Williams Over 30.5 Points + Rebounds + Assists (-109)
Williams stepped up with SGA out on Sunday and had 25 points, eight assists and three rebounds for 36 PRA (points, rebounds and assists). He has played just five games this season, but he has at least 28 PRA in each of his last four games.
He went over this prop line in two of his last three games, and he only played 25 minutes to get to 36 PRA on Friday. He won’t have that level of usage with SGA back in the mix, but he should still have a good chance to get to 31 PRA since the Thunder will lean a little more heavily on their starters.
Last year the Thunder made it to the NBA Cup finals before losing to the Bucks, and they seem set on claiming this year’s Cup and avenging that defeat. If they’re at their best, they have proven that they can be the best team in the NBA.
Collin Gillespie over 2.5 3PM (-147)
Gillespie has been a big part of the Suns’ rise in the West this season. The third-year guard has been very involved either in the lineup or off the bench, with or without Devin Booker.
He’s averaging 3.0 three-pointers per game this season and has made at least three three’s in nine of his last 10 games. He only made one three against the Rockets last Friday, but he dropped three triples on Monday to lead the Suns past the Timberwolves.
Gillespie had six three-pointers in the first meeting between these teams, and if the Suns are going to keep this game close, they’ll need another big performance from the undrafted free agent from Villanova.
Ajay Mitchell over 2.5 assists (+102)
Mitchell has given the Thunder a huge boost this season, helping to fill in while Williams was injured and averaging 26.6 minutes per game. In the first game against the Suns, though, he played just five minutes before leaving with a left knee contusion.
Mitchell has been excellent outside of that game, handing out at least three assists in seven of his last eight games aside from that down game against the Suns. Longer term, he has at least three assists in 14 of his last 17 games outside of that injury-shortened outing.
He only had two assists last Friday against the Mavericks, coming under this prop line, but he handed out four helpers on Sunday. He should be able to go over this assist line on Wednesday night, and he typically gets plenty of run, whether games get lopsided or stay close.
