Currently sitting at tenth in the Western Conference, the Trail Blazers need every win they can get down the stretch. That means relying on their first-time All-Star, Deni Avdija. Portland’s face of the franchise has blossomed into one of the sport’s top scorers. Now, he’ll have a chance to close out the first half against the Jazz, one of the NBA’s worst defensive units. What should fans and bettors expect from Deni on Thursday?
Portland enters tonight as 8.5-point favorites (-105) over Utah. The total is set at 238.5 points. Ahead of Thursday’s contest, here’s my favorite Deni Avdija prop bet on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Top Deni Avdija prop bet
It’s been a remarkable campaign for Avdija, currently enjoying his sixth season in the NBA. Through 46 games, the 25-year-old is averaging 25.2 points, 7.2 rebounds and 6.6 assists. In addition, he’s shooting 46% from the field and 35% from three-point range. Portland wields several quality offensive players, but it’s number one option is all but set in stone.
A lower back strain has given Avdija some issues over the past month. The wing has suited up for just six of a potential 13 games since January 13th. In each of his two most recent appearances, he’s logged just over 26 minutes. Granted, that’s still enough time for the All-Star to impress. On Monday, Deni tallied 26 points on eight-of-16 shooting against the 76ers. With that being said, he followed that up last night with a meager 11-point showing vs. Minnesota.
If there was ever a spot for Avdija to go off, it’s on Thursday vs. the Jazz. Utah is giving up the most points (125.8) and three-pointers made (15.5) to opponents this season. When these teams last met on January 5th, the forward delivered a 33-point, eight-rebound, nine-assist masterpiece. To make things more enticing, former Defensive Player of the Year Jaren Jackson Jr. is out for the remainder of the season. That should open up plenty of room inside the paint for Portland.
On paper, this looks like a slam-dunk spot for Avdija. However, he’s on the second leg of a back-to-back. Coming off of an injury, it’s uncertain how long Portland will leave its top player on the court. In addition, this game has major blowout potential. Jackson Jr. and standout point guard Keyonte George (ankle) are both absent this evening. Former All-Star Lauri Markkanen will be on a minutes restriction for Utah as well. Keeping that in mind, it’s difficult to imagine a competitive Blazers club coming up short in Salt Lake City. Keeping that in mind, Avdija is unlikely to log enough minutes to go over tonight’s point total.
