The Atlanta Hawks are flying high, and if they want to continue their improbable run toward the NBA Cup final they are going to need some great individual performances in their semifinal matchup against Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks.
That has me looking at two up-and-coming stars for Atlanta in my Hawks vs. Bucks props. Here are my NBA picks for this NBA Cup semifinal at T-Mobile Arena on Saturday, December 14.
Be sure to also read Douglas Farmer's full Hawks vs. Bucks predictions!
Best Hawks vs Bucks props for tonight
Jalen Johnson Over 9.5 rebounds (-115 at bet365)- Dyson Daniels Over 3.5 assists (+140 at bet365)
Gary Trent Jr. 3+ made threes (+175 at bet365)
Picks made on 12-14
Hawks vs Bucks player props for December 14
Prop bet #1: Jalen Johnson Over 9.5 rebounds
Despite having the likes of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Brook Lopez, and Bobby Portis, the Milwaukee Bucks are not a great rebounding team. In fact, you can’t even classify them as good.
The Bucks enter this matchup ranked 22nd in the NBA in rebounding rate and 23rd in opponent rebounds per game. While the Atlanta Hawks have some room to improve on defense, they are solid on the boards, ranking fifth in rebounding rate.
That has me looking at the rebounding prop for Jalen Johnson. Johnson is one of my favorite players in the NBA at the moment. The 6-foot-9 power forward does it all for the Hawks, averaging 19.8 points, 10.1 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game.
Johnson is one of the big reasons the Hawks are so effective on the boards and has been a monster on the glass all season long. His rebounding prop for this one is sitting at 9.5, and he’s hauled down 10 or more boards in eight of his last 13 games, including grabbing 13 rebounds in the prior meeting with the Bucks.
Give me the Over for Johnson in this matchup.
Prop bet #2: Dyson Daniels Over 3.5 assists
The leap Dyson Daniels is taking for Atlanta has been impressive, and it is one of the reasons it's been able to make this run to Las Vegas.
With Dejounte Murray gone, Daniels has stepped up as a starter, averaging 13.5 points and 5.0 rebounds while leading the league with 3.0 steals per game. Hence the awesome nickname “The Great Barrier Thief.”
Daniels has also improved his playmaking throughout the season. He is averaging 3.3 assists per game this season, which has bumped up to 4.1 over his last seven games.
He's dished out four or more assists four times over that span, including six assists in that Dec. 4 meeting against the Bucks. And you can pass the ball on the Bucks a bit. Milwaukee ranks 10th in the NBA in opponent assists per 100 possessions.
Despite the uptick in assists, Daniels’ assist prop is sitting at 3.5, with the Over sitting at an enticing +140. Give me Daniels to keep dishing the rock to his teams in this NBA In-Season Tournament semifinal.
Prop bet #3: Gary Trent Jr. 3+ made threes
The Hawks are flying coming into this NBA In-Season Tournament semifinal, winning seven of their last eight games overall. But you can make the argument that they’re doing that in spite of their defense.
The Hawks enter this matchup against the Bucks ranked 18th in defensive rating and allowing the third-most points per game. But where they really struggle is on the perimeter.
The Hawks rank dead last in the NBA in both opponent 3-point field goal attempts (41.4 per game) and opponent 3-point shooting percentage (38.2%). That isn’t great against a Milwaukee team with some deadeye shooters.
That includes Gary Trent Jr. The Bucks brought in Trent this offense to be an impact 3-and-D guy off the bench, and that’s exactly what he’s been. He's averaging 9.3 points per game while shooting 40.2% from 3-point range on 5.1 attempts from deep per game.
But he’s taken it to the next level recently. Trent has upped that 3-point shooting percentage to 50.8% on 6.0 attempts over his last 11 games and has drained three or more threes eight times during that period. That includes going 3-9 from three when they last met the Hawks on Dec. 4.
Trent’s 3-pointers made prop is set at 1.5 and obviously very juiced to the Over, but I’ll happily take his alt made threes of 3+ at +175.
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