These are dangerous times for NBA bettors. It’s the final week of the regular season, and who knows how hard these teams are playing down the stretch. Will playoff-bound clubs be resting up for a postseason run? Will eliminated teams be daydreaming about their impending vacations in Cancun? Despite these challenges, let’s check the Wednesday NBA props menu and see if we can unearth a few nuggets.
Keep in mind that five of today’s six games involve teams that played Tuesday, so the “back-to-back” element is another key handicapping consideration. One solid bet: Despite the back-to-back, Brooklyn Nets superstar Kevin Durant will be ready to play against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden.
Props.com breaks down the top three Wednesday NBA props options.
Odds from DraftKings as of 2:30 p.m. ET on April 6.
Dallas Mavericks: C Dwight Powell
The prop: 11.5 points (at Detroit)
The odds: Over -130/Under +100
The Detroit Pistons have been a covering machine down the stretch, going 8-2 ATS in their last 10. But their strength is on the wing with Cade Cunningham and Saddiq Bey.
It’s a different story for Detroit down the middle, which is where Dwight Powell resides. The 6-foot-10 Canadian had 22 points in the Mavericks’ 118-112 win at Milwaukee on Sunday, and he has scored at least 12 points in six of Dallas’ past eight games.
Considering Powell eclipsed this prop number in just 19 of his first 71 games, the recent scoring outburst is a sign that he’s found his offensive groove. With the Pistons playing out the string and the Mavericks just a game behind Golden State in the race for the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference, look for Powell to be a big contributor in a crucial game for Dallas.
Brooklyn Nets: F Kevin Durant
The prop: 28.5 points (at New York)
The odds: Over -140/Under +100
Kyrie Irving poured in 42 points in the Nets’ 118-105 victory over Houston on Tuesday. On the second night of a back-to-back, it’s now Kevin Durant’s turn.
With Irving leading the way, Durant scored only 18 against the Rockets on Tuesday. But he scored 55 against Atlanta in the previous game and 53 the last time he played the Knicks.
With Brooklyn still looking to secure home-court advantage for next week’s play-in games, expect Durant — who has averaged 29.5 points in 22 career games against New York — to have a big night at Madison Square Garden.
Chicago Bulls: F DeMar DeRozan
The prop: 4.5 rebounds (vs. Boston)
The odds: Over -150/Under +110
The Bulls have faded down the stretch, slipping to the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference, and Wednesday’s matchup against Boston could very well end up being a first-round playoff preview.
Chicago, which can only climb as high as fifth in the Eastern Conference standings, has little to gain by going all out here. DeMar DeRozan will get his shots up, as always, but he probably won’t be looking to do too much dirty work on the boards. In the past two games, he had four rebounds combined in similar spots (at home against highly seeded Eastern Conference teams Milwaukee and Miami).
While the Bulls played last night against the Bucks, the Celtics have been off since Saturday. So the rest factor favors Boston, a terrific rebounding team that ranks seventh in the league in rebounding margin.
DeRozan won tip the scales here. Take him Under 4.5 rebounds at the plus-price.