And then there were four.
The NBA Cup semifinals are set to tip off tonight, with all eyes on Las Vegas. The festivities get started with an Eastern Conference showdown between the Knicks and Magic. To close things out, Victor Wembanyama is expected to make his return for the Spurs against the juggernaut Thunder.
Who will step up tonight in primetime? Here are my two favorite NBA Cup player prop bet picks on DraftKings Sportsbook for Saturday’s contests.
Top NBA prop bet picks
Josh Hart 23+ points + rebounds (-116)
The Knicks have won eight of their last nine games, surging towards the top of the Eastern Conference. During that time, Josh Hart has returned to the team’s starting lineup. Despite an early-season finger issue, the wing has continued to do a little bit of everything for New York. Through 23 games this season, he’s averaging 12.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 5.0 assists. In addition, the 30-year-old has delivered 51/40/82 shooting splits. Hart’s ability to contribute even when his shot isn’t falling makes him valuable to any club.
Scoring opportunities could be hard to come by tonight. The Magic have surrendered the seventh-fewest points (113.4) and eighth-fewest rebounds (50.7) to their opponents. However, two-way forward Franz Wagner (ankle) remains sidelined. When these teams last met on December 7th, Hart tallied 17 points and 12 rebounds over 34 minutes. In fact, the veteran has notched at least 23 points + rebounds in seven of his last ten outings. Even against Orlando’s stingy defense, Hart has a chance to do damage on Saturday.
Victor Wembanyama 9+ rebounds (-121)
As previously mentioned, Wembanayama is expected to play for the first time in nearly a month. When healthy, the big man is already one of the sport’s most dominant players. Over 12 games, he’s posted 26.2 points, 12.9 rebounds and 4.0 assists. That’s in addition to terrific defense on the other end of the floor. Granted, San Antonio’s offense could look different with both Wemby and De’Aaron Fox active. The latter of the two has also missed time this season due to injury.
There’s a good chance head coach Mitch Johnson keeps his franchise player on a minutes limit tonight. Still, that shouldn’t derail the Frenchman’s chances at making an impact. To be fair, Oklahoma City’s defense is tenacious, especially when it comes to defending the paint. However, the Thunder are a league-average club when it comes to recording rebounds. Wembanyama has secured at least 12 boards in three of his previous four meetings with OKC. There won’t be many chances to support Wemby at such a low total – bettors should strongly consider backing the big man this Saturday.
