NBA fans might have thought that the Chicago Bulls would finally slide towards the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings after giving up DeMar DeRozan in a sign-and-trade deal in the offseason. As it turned out, DeRozan’s departure was nothing more than an opportunity for center Nikola Vučević to return to nearly the form that made him an All-Star in 2018-19 and 2020-21. The Bulls, meanwhile, are unsurprisingly stuck in the Play-In Tournament muddle with a 15-18 record.
Vučević could eventually have good trade value if Chicago ever chooses to rebuild. He’s averaging 20.6 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 3.3 assists while shooting a career-best 45.3% from three-point range. Tonight, Vučević and the Bulls will travel to the national capital for a 7 p.m. ET clash against the bottom-feeding Washington Wizards (5-25).
On DraftKings Sportsbook, Chicago (-230) is a heavy favorite and the point total is set to 238. Below, I’ve highlighted my favorite prop bets centered around the Bulls’ Montenegrin man in the middle.
Best Nikola Vučević Prop Bets on DraftKings Sportsbook
Nikola Vučević 35+ Points + Rebounds (+115)
Wednesday’s clash will be a shootout between two of the league’s worst defenses, which should ratchet up the scoring and keep things entertaining. By efficiency, the Bulls are slightly better than the Wizards, giving up 115.5 points per 100 possessions to Washington’s 117.9. However, because Chicago plays at such a fast pace — the league’s third-fastest — the teams are close in terms of total points conceded per game. The Wizards have allowed 122.4 points per game — the worst in basketball — and the Bulls are not far behind, allowing 121.0. Washington and Chicago are the only two teams in the league to allow more than 120 points per game.
Defensively, there isn’t much that the Wizards do well. Washington allows the most points, most rebounds, and fourth-most assists to opposing players, and while second overall pick Alex Sarr has made major strides in the last month, he still makes plenty of rookie mistakes. Vučević, a 14-year veteran, should be primed to take advantage. Although Sarr has a team-leading 0.046 defensive win shares and ranks seventh in the NBA with 1.8 blocks per game, he still isn’t the most imposing interior presence. Opponents shoot 2.8 percentage points worse than normal on shots within six feet while guarded by him and 0.3 percentage points better overall. Sarr’s 10.4% rebounding percentage is just 54th among 204 players who have played in at least 20 games and averaged at least 20 minutes per game.
Nikola Vučević 3+ Three-Pointers Made (+165)
Vučević was a floor-spacing big before floor spacing was the norm, first averaging at least one made three-pointer per game in the 2017-18 season as a member of the Orlando Magic. For his career, he has made 837 threes, the third-most in NBA history for a center, and he’s hit them at a very respectable clip.
His floor-spacing ability has allowed him to prolong his career; at 34 years old, he’s the fifth-oldest center in the league, and among all centers in their 30’s, he’s the second-leading scorer, behind only Joel Embiid. This season, his 45.3% clip from deep is fifth among 183 players who have played at least 20 games and attempted at least three three-pointers per game. He has shot three-for-seven from deep in each of his last two games.
Meanwhile, the Wizards allow the third-most attempted threes and sixth-most made threes per game. Particularly concerning is the fact that Washington gives up 21.9 wide-open threes per game, the third-most of any team. This season, Vučević has hit 44.4% of his wide-open threes.
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All odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook, lines and odds subject to change.
I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skills and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.
