Following an exciting night of NBA basketball headlined by a potential Finals preview between the Thunder and Knicks and a thrilling clash between Victor Wembanyama and Nikola Jokic, the season will continue with a full slate of games today. Nine games will be taking place throughout the night.
The 76ers will look to finish off their six-game road trip on a high note and will face the Nets at 6 p.m. ET. An hour later, the Pistons will host the Timberwolves while the Suns face the Pacers.
The 8 p.m. ET window will be headlined by a rematch of the Spurs and Nuggets as Jokic will seek revenge after last night’s loss. Then the Warriors will host the Grizzlies, and the night’s final matchup will be between the Hawks and Clippers.
Here are my favorite prop bets on the Saturday night slate.
D’Angelo Russell Over 2.5 Made Three-Pointers (-110)
In the first matchup of the night the Brooklyn Nets are hosting the Philadelphia 76ers. The Sixers are coming off back-to-back disastrous losses after starting to build some momentum on the season. This will be the second matchup between the Nets and the Sixers with Philadelphia producing a 15-point victory without Joel Embiid in the first game. But this will be the first matchup with D’Angelo Russell back in a Nets uniform.
The Lakers and Nets made a notable shakeup this week with Russell returning to the Nets in exchange for Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton. While he is not a perfect basketball player, in some ways Russell was a scapegoat for deeper issues with the Lakers team. Across the first 29 games this season with the Lakers, Russell averaged 12.4 points, 4.7 assists and 2.8 rebounds while shooting 33.3 percent from beyond the three-point arc.
Russell has played two games with the Nets thus far. In his debut, he dropped 22 points and eight assists and followed this up with 11 points and 12 assists in his second game. The former All-Star has shot just 2-10 on three-point attempts across the first two games. He will now face a Sixers team that ranks in the bottom 15 in opponents’ three-point attempts and three-point percentage. Russell is a career 36.7 percent three-point shooter. The change of scenery should help spark some positive shooting regression that should start tonight.
Even amid the struggles this year, Russell has made over 2.5 three-pointers eight times and accomplished this in 42 of the 76 games he played last year. Philadelphia is likely to be without Kelly Oubre Jr. who has become a staple of their defense and would likely be tasked with the matchup. Look for Russell to begin to settle in with his new teammates and knock down at least three three-pointers tonight.
Myles Turner Over 14.5 Points (-105)
The Indiana Pacers are set to host the Phoenix Suns tonight and have not gotten off to the start this season that they desired. Both these teams enter this matchup with a record below .500 and are looking to turn things around. While injuries have been the larger issue, the lack of reliable production from the center spot has increasingly become a problem for the Suns. This has shown up on both ends of the floor.
Defensively, Phoenix allows 26.0 points per game to the center position which is the second-worst rate in the league. They also allow the 10th-most points in the paint per game at 48.9. Enter Myles Turner who will benefit greatly from these defensive struggles. Turner is averaging 15.1 points per game and has recorded over 14.5 points in 15 games.
Turner also possess a great three-point shot. The Pacers’ big man is shooting 39.3 percent from beyond the arc this season on a career-high 4.9 attempts per game. Look for Turner to play a key part in this game and produce at least 15 points.
Tyler Herro Over 23.5 Points (-125)
The Heat have made plenty of headlines in recent days as the divorce with Jimmy Butler has gone down the same ugly path as the other stops of his career. While this will steal the spotlight of the NBA for weeks to come, the Heat must continue competing on the floor. They will face the Utah Jazz tonight which provides a great chance for a win.
Luckily for Miami, Tyler Herro has stepped up in a significant way this season. The Kentucky product has played at an All-Star level all season and is averaging a career-high 24.1 points, 5.1 assists and 5.5 rebounds. Herro is also shooting 41 percent on three-point attempts while launching 9.6 attempts per game.
Utah ranks 28th in the NBA in opponents’ points per game and field goal percentage allowed this season. They are still early in their rebuild and Herro can take the opportunity to flourish as the best scorer on the floor. He has recorded over 23.5 points in 15 games already this season including three of the past four. Expect the Heat to lean on their star and for Herro to continue to produce as the team navigates the trade conversations.
Norman Powell Under 22.5 Points (-115)
April 26th marked the last time Kawhi Leonard competed in an NBA basketball game but that is expected to change tonight. The Clippers superstar has battled his knee issues all year but is set to make his season debut tonight and help further elevate a Clippers team. Los Angeles has done a nice job treading water without their star and holds a 19-15 record which puts them in seventh place in the Western Conference.
It is unclear how this will impact the rotation or how many minutes Leonard will take on in the first game. That said, expect Norman Powell to be at the top of the list for players impacted. Powell is in the midst of a career season and is making a legitimate All-Star push himself. The 31-year-old is averaging a career-best 23.6 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists while shooting 44.1 percent from beyond the three-point arc.
While Powell deserves a ton of credit for his strong start to the season, he has cooled off some in recent games. He had his lowest scoring output of the season on Thursday being held to just six points on 1-11 from the field and 0-5 on three-point attempts. Powell has been held to 15 or fewer points in back-to-back games entering this matchup.
With Powell already showing some signs of struggle and Leonard set to leap him in the offensive pecking order, expect a mild scoring output tonight. Powell will still have his nights where he gets hot and leads the offensive charge but expect a conscious effort to get Leonard comfortable in his first game back. Count on Powell to be held to under 22.5 points for the 10th time this season as they face off against the Hawks.
Place your NBA bets at DraftKings Sportsbook or by downloading the DraftKings Sportsbook app.
The Crown Is Yours: Sign up for DraftKings and experience the ultimate host for games and betting experiences!
All odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.
I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is seanbarnard) 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 skill 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.
