Wednesday Best Bets: One NBA Side, Two NBA Props

It’s an NBA-heavy version of the Best Bets series! We have two games from the NBA play-in tournament on Wednesday’s slate, and that’s more than enough for us to gather three NBA picks for the night.

The Bostonian vs. The Book correctly sided with the Cavaliers +9.5 on Tuesday, and they like another NBA underdog on Wednesday.

Throw in a pair of NBA props, and your wagering bases should be covered for Wednesday’s brief NBA slate.

With that, let’s dive into the Best Bets!

Best Bets Track Record

Tuesday: 1-2
Year-To-Date: 51-47-1

Bostonian vs. The Book: 14-15-1
BetPrep Prop of the Day: 13-18
NBA Props: 17-8
NHL Props: 6-6
MLB Props: 1-0

NBA Side: San Antonio Spurs at New Orleans Pelicans

The bet: San Antonio Spurs +5.5 (at New Orleans)
The odds: -110
Where to bet: Caesars Sportsbook
From: Matt Perrault via The Bostonian Vs. The Book podcast

As he did on Tuesday, Matt Perrault of The Bostonian Vs. The Book Podcast is looking toward the NBA play-in tournament for his portion of Wednesday’s Best Bets. Perrault likes the San Antonio Spurs, who are catching 5.5 points on the road at the New Orleans Pelicans.

“The Spurs ended the season on [a 10-1 ATS] run and they were [7-0] over the last [seven] ATS,” Perrault said. “I got Popovich catching points against a Pelicans team I’m not too sure I want to trust to win this game by six points or more.”

Dave Sharapan, co-host of the podcast, agreed and emphasized that this is just too many points for him to pass on the bet.

“If this was 3.5, I wouldn’t be so inclined to take it,” Sharapan said. “I think the Spurs can win the game and we get over two buckets. I’m good with 5.5.”

Sharapan made it very clear that both teams are out for blood while hunting for a playoff spot. There are no more random injuries or resting star players down the stretch, just all-out balling on the court. In turn, that should lead to a competitive game between the Spurs and Pelicans.

If you think the Spurs can keep the momentum on Wednesday, you can find San Antonio +5.5  at Caesars Sportsbook.

You can listen to the replay of The Bostonian vs. The Book podcast on YouTube, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts.

NBA Prop: G Devin Vassell (San Antonio Spurs)

The bet: Over 19.5 points + rebounds + assists (at New Orleans)
The odds: -120
Where to bet: DraftKings Sportsbook
From: Matt LaMarca via Wednesday NBA Props

The Spurs never intended on making it to this point of the season. They were still resting their best players down the stretch, but the Lakers’ collapse allowed San Antonio to sneak in as the No. 10 seed.

The Spurs have a host of interesting players on their roster, including Vassell. The No. 11 pick from the 2020 NBA Draft has had a solid year, averaging 12.3 points, 4.3 boards, and 1.9 assists per game. Those numbers won’t blow you away, but he has been a bigger part of the game plan as the year progressed. He averaged 30.8 minutes over his final 17 contests and averaged 20.7 points/rebounds/assists over that stretch.

Remember, the Spurs weren’t even necessarily trying to win most of those games. Now that they’ve made it to the play-in tournament, Vassell could see a sizable increase in playing time. That makes the Over on 19.5 PRA an appealing option.

NBA Prop: PG LaMelo Ball (Charlotte Hornets)

The bet: Under 23.5 points (at Atlanta)
The odds: -112
Where to bet: FanDuel Sportsbook
From: BetPrep Prop of the Day via BetPrep.com

The BetPrep Prop of the Day is back with another NBA Prop for Wednesday’s Play-In Games.

The folks at BetPrep will be rooting against Charlotte Hornets PG LaMelo Ball, taking him Under 23.5 points against the Atlanta Hawks.

Here’s the rationale for this BetPrep Best Bet:

• Ball has scored 24-plus points in 3 of his last 10 road games.
• Ball has scored 24-plus points in just 4 of his last 14 games against a team with a winning record.

On top of that, Ball has gone Under 23.5 points in all three games against the Hawks this season.

You can find Ball Under 23.5 points at FanDuel Sportsbook.