On Wednesday, the NBA closes the book on 2025 with nine games spread throughout the day. Several games are scheduled for the afternoon, which is rare for any day, but gives fans a chance to check out the games before their New Year’s Eve festivities get underway. In one of the afternoon games, the Indiana Pacers host the Orlando Magic at 3:00 p.m. ET. Each teams has some players with exciting player prop bets available from DraftKings SportsBook, so let’s jump into the matchup and pick a few top options.
In the bigger picture of the matchup, the Pacers are 3.5-point home underdogs, while the game total is set at 226.5.
The Pacers are only 6-27 on the season but are 5-12 at home. They’ve lost nine straight and have dropped to the cellar in the Eastern Conference. The Magic are 18-15 but only 7-9 on the road. They lost a one-point game to the Raptors on Monday but will look to get back on track as they continue their road trip with stops in Indianapolis on Wednesday and Chicago on Friday.
These Eastern Conference foes will meet again on Sunday, and then one more time toward the end of the season. In this matchup, check out these three player props that have good potential on Wednesday afternoon.
Magic vs. Pacers Best Prop Bets on DraftKings Sportsbook
Anthony Black 30+ Points + Rebounds + Assists (+108)
The Magic have multiple injury issues coming into this matchup. Franz Wagner (ankle) remains out while Jalen Suggs (hip) and Desmond Bane (back) are questionable. Suggs has missed the last seven games, so the Magic could see this as a soft matchup to get him ramped back up with limited minutes against the Pacers. They could also try to get Bane a bit of a break since he left Monday’s game with back spasms before returning at the end.
With Suggs possibly returning, Black’s PRA (points, rebounds and assists) line is set a little low for this matchup, based on how well he has been playing lately. Black has at least 31 PRA in four straight games and in five of his last six. He had 33 PRA on Monday against the Raptors on 27 points, three rebounds, and three assists, and he has scored 19+ points in each of his last seven games.
Even if Suggs does return, Black could keep a heavy workload if Bane is out. In another scenario, both those players could be available but play more limited roles while letting Black carry the load.
The uncertainty around his playing time makes this not a sure thing, but it also is baked into the odds a bit, which is why he’s plus-money at a mark he has had no trouble hitting lately.
Jay Huff over 8.5 points (-114)
There haven’t been a lot of bright spots for the Pacers this season, but the play of the 27-year-old Huff has been a nice surprise. He has started the last 15 games for Indiana, and he leads the NBA in blocked shots, producing more than two swats per game.
He’s averaging 8.1 points per game on the season but has averaged 9.6 points since moving into the starting five. He doesn’t take a lot of shots or even play a lot of minutes in many games, but he is efficient and effective in his time on the floor.
He’s averaging 1.6 3-pointer per game in his time in the starting lineup and has hit at least one 3-pointer in five straight games. On Monday against the Rockets, Huff knocked down two threes and finished with eight points.
He had been over this prop line in three straight games and four of his last five before coming up just short on Monday. He’s been better at home than on the road this season, averaging 9.2 points per game in his 17 home contests. The point line is low for the big seven-footer, and I think he’ll clear it on Wednesday afternoon without much trouble.
Wendell Carter Jr. under 8.5 rebounds (-129)
Carter has been playing big minutes for the Magic, and he has been a key to their recent success. However, he hasn’t been getting a ton of rebounds, which makes the under on his boards a strong option to consider.
WCJ has come in under this prop line in five straight games and seven of his last eight. He has also been under this total in 15 of his last 20 games as well.
The Pacers are a favorable matchup for centers, but Carter could end up with fewer minutes if the game turns into a blowout. There’s also a little bit of a revenge storyline to consider with his backup Goga Bitadze, who could be ready to post a big game in his return to Indy, leaving Carter with less work to do on the glass.
Bonus Parlay Pick: Aaron Nesmith over 1.5 3PM (-182)
Nesmith has taken more work on in the absence of so many scorers for the Pacers. He’s averaged 14.8 points in his 13 games this season, and he has hit multiple 3-pointers in 10 of those 13 games (77%) including in each of his two games since returning from his most recent injury. He had three 3-pointers against the Heat and four 3-pointers against the Rockets, while working his way back to his full workload.
If you’re looking to use these props to create a Same Game Parlay (SPG) or as part of an SPGx, adding in the over on Nesmith’s 3PM takes your SGP to a solid +800, as you can see below.
