The NBA has five games on the schedule for Saturday evening, giving NBA fans plenty to keep up with throughout the evening. While the spotlight is on the matchup in Houston between the Mavericks and Rockets, one fun way to attack a schedule like Saturday’s is to make picks from all across the schedule with a specific focus. One of my favorite ways to attack slates like this is by finding a few players who stand out for their three-pointers made (3PM) NBA prop bets on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Cheering for specific players to hit three-pointers (or not hit three-pointers) is a great way to take in all the action, and DraftKings Sportsbook has plenty of player props on the board to consider. Normally, I try to target low three-point prop totals so that they can hit quickly, either early or late, without needing lots of build-up.
Let’s dive into my top four three-point prop bets for this Saturday’s NBA slate.
Bennedict Mathurin Over 1.5 3PM (-151)
The Pacers host the Hawks, who will be shorthanded in the frontcourt without Onyeka Okongwu and possibly Jalen Johnson, who is questionable. The absences could force Atlanta to play smaller and with more pace, creating what should be a high-scoring environment for both teams. The Pacers just visited Atlanta on Monday, and in that game, Mathurin hit a pair of three-pointers on his way to 16 points in 25 minutes.
In case you’ve been avoiding the Pacers this season (and I wouldn’t blame you, for the most part), Mathurin has been very effective when available but has also had trouble staying healthy. He missed 11 games with a right thumb sprain before returning on Monday for that matchup with the Hawks.
After two 3PM in his return, Mathurin had three 3PM on Wednesday against the Bulls as his playing time climbed from 25 minutes to 28 minutes. He should continue to get more work as he gets back to full speed, and since the Hawks have been a good matchup for scoring wings, he should find room to operate on Saturday.
Mathurin is averaging 2.2 3PM this season, and he should be able to deliver multiple 3PM to go over this prop.
Saddiq Bey Over 1.5 3PM (-153)
I backed Bey in my 3PM yesterday, and he continued to consistently deliver multiple 3PM, going 2-for-7 from long range as the Pelicans knocked off the Grizzlies. It’s the second night of a back-to-back for New Orleans as it swings through Philadelphia, and since its injury report hasn’t dropped yet, it’s hard to know exactly who will be available. Bey has been one of the most consistent contributors on the team this season, though, and if someone like Zion Williamson or Herbert Jones gets the night off, it would only open more playing time for Bey.
On the season, Bey is averaging 1.8 3PM per game, and he has gone over this 3PM prop line in each of his four games since Jones returned. Jones isn’t an aggressive shooter, and Bey is getting plenty of opportunities from long range in the Pelicans’ current rotation, averaging over seven three-point attempts per game over his last four contests.
Bey is a relatively safe play at this prop line since he has been so consistent for the Pelicans, although he doesn’t normally go off for huge 3PM totals. The exception was last week when he dropped six 3PM and scored 36 points to lead the Pelicans to a win in Memphis. He’s having a great bounce-back season for the Pelicans and should hit multiple threes in this matchup.
Cedric Coward Over 1.5 3PM (+114)
Along with the Pelicans, the Grizzlies are the only other team playing for the second night in a row, and they’ll be home to take on the Timberwolves after losing last night in New Orleans. The Grizz have been very shorthanded overall lately, with Ja Morant and Zach Edey out with long-term injuries and Santi Aldama also missing time. With more usage available, rookie Cedric Coward has been getting enough usage to make him a solid pick to hit multiple three-pointers on Saturday.
He hit at least two threes in six of his last eight games, averaging over five three-point attempts per contest over that stretch. In both close games and more lopsided affairs, he has been getting enough opportunities to play him with cofidence at plus-money against the Timberwolves.
The Wolves have very solid wing defense, but the Grizzlies could also take the chance to rest players, making Coward a solid option on Saturday’s slate.
Tari Eason Over 1.5 3PM (-105)
The Rockets have managed Eason’s workload very carefully this season, but when he has played, he has turned in good numbers. He sat out Thursday’s game on the second game of the back-to-back, but he had multiple 3PM in each of his previous three games against the Spurs, Grizzlies and 76ers.
On the season, Eason is averaging 2.2 3PM per game, and now that he’s usually in the starting five, the Bucket from the Bayou gets good looks and plenty of opportunities. In his nine games this month, Eason has hit multiple threes in seven contests, averaging 2.1 3PM on 4.7 attempts in 25.9 minutes per game.
The Mavs should be a pretty good matchup for him and the Rockets on Saturday night, and Eason will hopefully be closing out the night with another green for my 3PM prop bets.
My four picks from Friday came up just one Anthony Black 3PM short of going green across the board. On Saturday, a perfect 4-for-4 would stack up to a juicy parlay of +1048. I also recommend playing them at small units in round robins to still get a solid payout even if just one of these picks comes up short on DraftKings Sportsbook.
