The Houston Rockets welcome the San Antonio Spurs to the Toyota Center for the second game of ESPN’s Wednesday night doubleheader.
The Texas rivals are both in good playoff position after strong starts to the season. They’ve split their first two meetings, with the home team winning each matchup.
The Rockets are slight 3.5-point home favorites on DraftKings Sportsbook, with the game total set at 220.5 points.
The teams met last Tuesday in Houston, where the Rockets won 111-106. Houston has won five of its last six games and holds a 28-16 overall record, good for No. 4 in the West. The Spurs are two games ahead of them at 31-15 after going 4-2 over their last six. San Antonio will look to bounce back from Sunday’s loss to New Orleans, while Houston aims to inch closer in the standings.
Let’s take a look at both sides of this matchup and break down a few solid player prop bets to consider in this matchup. You can utilize these picks as stand-alone plays or group them in a Same Game Parlay (SGP), as indicated at the bottom of the post.
Spurs vs. Rockets Best Prop Bets on DraftKings Sportsbook
Kevin Durant Over 5.5 rebounds (+116)
Without Steven Adams (ankle) out for the rest of the season, the Rockets will likely play more of Alperen Sengun in the middle, with Kevin Durant getting more time at power forward. He’s already been rebounding well lately, and sliding down to the four should help bolster his glass-cleaning production.
Durant is averaging 5.5 rebounds per game this season and has cleared his average in seven of his last ten games, including three straight. He only had four boards last time out against the Spurs, but should pull down at least six in the rematch at home.
This prop brings plenty of value at plus money and is a great way to start your betting card for this Wednesday night rematch.
Julian Champagnie Over 9.5 points (-102)
Julian Champagnie has been an unheralded yet crucial contributor for the Spurs this season. He has appeared in all 46 games so far, averaging 28.7 minutes and drawing 32 starts, including his last 14 contests.
He has averaged 16.3 points per game over those 14 starts, clearing 9.5 points in 12 contests during that span. He had 27 points in San Antonio’s loss to the Rockets last week, going 8-for-16 from downtown.
While he likely won’t match that production on Wednesday, he should be able to get to at least 10 points. He has scored at least 13 points in six of his last seven games, including four straight.
Tari Eason Over 1.5 3PM (-144)
The “Bucket from the Bayou” is averaging 2.2 threes per game this season and 12 points per game. He struggled against the Spurs last week and didn’t attempt any threes, but it was his first game after a 10-day layoff — so a little rust wasn’t necessarily a result of the matchup.
Eason bounced back with three triples against the 76ers and four treys against the Grizzlies on Monday. He was back in the starting lineup against Memphis, and he should remain a strong play for the over on his props if he maintains his role in the starting unit.
With Adams out the rest of the season, Eason should be a regular starter at forward next to Durant. If he can stay on the court, he seems well-positioned to become an instrumental part of Houston’s playoff push, barring a radical shift at the trade deadline.
Bonus Parlay Pick: Stephon Castle over 10.5 Rebounds + Assists (-133)
If you’re building an SGP (Same Game Parlay) for this Texas-sized showdown on Wednesday, adding the over on Castle’s rebounds-plus-assists takes the STP to a solid +950 overall, as you can see below. If you want to mix in picks from other games, you can also build a strong SGPx with these core plays.
Castle is averaging 12 combined rebounds and assists this season and tallied 15 in last week’s matchup in Houston. He has cleared this prop line in six of his last eight games, and he should be ready to help the Spurs bounce back from Sunday’s loss on Wednesday night.
