Today’s NBA Player Prop Picks: Anunoby Give Raps Offense Added Boost

With three NBA games on the playoff slate tonight, we've got a few juicy player props for your perusal, including OG Anunoby providing an added boost to Toronto's offense as it quests to storm back from a 3-0 deficit against the 76ers.

Andrew Caley - Senior Betting Analyst at Covers.com
Andrew Caley • Senior Betting Analyst
Apr 28, 2022 • 13:11 ET • 4 min read

Three teams face elimination in a trio of Game 6’s in NBA playoff action tonight, which means no shortage of intriguing player prop betting options. 

Can OG Anunoby and the Raptors extend their series against the 76ers one more time? Will the Suns finally find an answer on the glass for Jonas Valanciunas? And has Luka Doncic’s return opened things up for his teammates?

Find out in our NBA player prop picks for Thursday, April 28.

NBA player props for April 28

Picks made on 4/28/2022 at 12:40 p.m. ET.
Click on each pick to jump to the full analysis.

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Today’s best NBA player props

The odds widgets below represent the best odds currently available for each betting market at regulated sportsbooks.

Raptors turn to a real OG

Can the Toronto Raptors continue to be a thorn in the Philadelphia 76ers' side and extend this first round-series once again? The Raps, once down 3-0, will get a chance to send this series to a decisive seventh game tonight in Toronto. But to do that, they’ll need another strong performance from all of their starters, including OG Anunoby. 

Anunoby has shown the Raptors and fans what they’ve been missing for much of the second half of the season. He’s a versatile scorer and a terrific defender. And he has taken on more responsibility when it comes to scoring with Scottie Barnes hurt in the early part of this series and now with Fred VanVleet missing the back half.

Anunoby has averaged 19.8 points per game this series, shooting 49.3% from the floor. He had 20 or more points in each of the first three games of the series and 11 and 16 in the last two, respectively. The only difference is Anunoby’s threes weren’t dropping in those games, going a combined 3-for-16 (18.8 %) from deep, as opposed to 10 of 21 (47.6 %) in the first three.

I expect OG to fall somewhere in the middle in Game 6, and he has been averaging eight attempts from 3-point range over the last four games. Plus, the Sixers will, of course, be without a decent perimeter defender in Matisse Thybulle. Win or lose, bet on OG to go Over his point total in Game 6.

Pick: OG Anunoby Over 17.5 points (-115)

Valiant Valanciunas

The Phoenix Suns facing the New Orleans Pelicans has quickly become one of the most exciting first-round series of the NBA Playoffs. But now, the Pels are on the brink heading into Game 6. 

If they hope to stave off elimination, they’ll need to continue to dominate the glass as they have done through five games. The Pelicans lead the NBA in rebounding percentage to this point in the playoffs while the Suns rank dead last. A big reason for that has been the play of Jonas Valanciunas.

The Pels center, who averaged 11.4 rebounds per game this season, has been an absolute force on the glass this series by pulling down 15.6 boards per game and he's grabbed at least 13 rebounds in four of the first five games. In the one game Valanciunas didn’t, he grabbed 11.

There is no reason to think that JV slows down tonight. Deandre Ayton is the only real matchup the Suns have for him, and he has looked overmatched in the paint to this point. Confidently take the Over on Valanciunas’ rebounding prop once again.

Pick: Jonas Valanciunas Over 12.5 rebounds (-128)

Gettin' Dinwiddie with it

Luka Doncic has returned to the Dallas Mavericks’ lineup with a vengeance in their series with Utah Jazz, averaging 31.5 points, 11.5 rebounds, and 4.5 assists in his first two games back. But while Doncic has been stuffing the stat sheet since his return, he’ll need the support of his teammates tonight if the Mavs hope to clinch the series in Utah. 

Doncic’s return has kicked shooting guard Spencer Dinwiddie back to his reserve role where he plays around 25 minutes per game. But the presence of Doncic opens things up for Dinwiddie when they’re on the floor together. And in Doncic’s first two games back, Dinwiddie still attempted five threes in each of those games.

Dinwiddie has also been comfortable with his bench role since getting traded to the Mavericks. He is shooting 40.3% when coming off the bench with the Mavs this season. 

Tonight, he faces a Jazz team that was once known for its stout defense but now looks like a bit of a mess. Currently, Utah ranks 13th in defensive rating among the 16 playoff teams and is allowing the most 3-point attempts per game at 41.6 while ranking 11th in opponent 3-point shooting percentage.

Look for Dinwiddie to make the most of his opportunities and hit a couple of shots from deep, which we are getting at nice plus money.

Pick: Spencer Dinwiddie Over 1.5 made threes (+120)

NBA parlay

Did you know that if you played today’s NBA props as a parlay, you could win $63.26 on a $10 bet?

Use our NBA parlay calculator to create your own parlays and see their potential payouts.

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Senior Betting Analyst

When his dreams of becoming the next Steve Nash died, all Andrew “Taco” Caley wanted to do was write about sports, something he’s been doing at Covers for more than a decade. A Journalism School grad from Holland College in Charlottetown, PEI, Andrew previously worked at The Chronicle Herald and Star Metro, but knew in his heart that his future lay in sports. He began at Covers as a news editor and has now done everything under the sun when it comes to content. His work has been seen on TSN, Sportsnet, VSiN, and CBS.

These days Andrew’s betting expertise is focused on his favorite teams – the Toronto Blue Jays and Toronto Raptors. He’s also an avid college football fan and bettor. He can’t be friends with you if you don’t appreciate a Service Academy Under. You can also call him Covers’ Sixth Man, as he regularly steps up to guest host Before You Bet and our MLB and NCAAF release shows.

The sportsbook where he does the bulk of his betting is bet365 thanks to its numerous prop betting options and competitive odds. His best advice? Find the balance between the numbers and what you see on the playing field. Then find the best price using multiple books. And don’t ask him where the nickname Taco comes from. It’s not an interesting story. Seriously.

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