A jam-packed Tuesday night hoops schedule includes a sprinkling of potential playoff previews, with the Boston Celtics and New York Knicks battling at Madison Square Garden and the Los Angeles Lakers and Oklahoma City Thunder meeting for the second time in three days.
Even with some one-sided clashes elsewhere, the NBA player props market is alive and kicking, and I’ve scoured the odds for my three top NBA picks ahead of the April 8 slate.
Best NBA player props today
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OG Anunoby Over 4.5 rebounds (-115 at bet365) -
Desmond Bane Over 2.5 3-pointers (-115 at bet365) -
Stephen Curry Over 25.5 points (-115 at bet365)
NBA player props for April 8
OG Anunoby Over 4.5 rebounds (-115 at bet365)
The Knicks have to be sick of the sight of the Celtics after some heavy losses this year, but tonight’s latest instalment of this rivalry gives New York one more chance to change the narrative before a possible postseason series.
Turning the tables on Boston will require a monster defensive effort, and I’m targeting OG Anunoby as an X-factor for the Knicks here. Anunoby’s No. 1 job will be to slow down the Celtics’ wings, but I see him making his presence felt on the glass too – and a line of 4.5 rebounds seems low.
Anunoby grabbed six rebounds against the Suns on Sunday, and he’s finished with 5+ boards in six of his past eight games. With the Celtics sure to drag Karl-Anthony Towns into the pick and roll time and time again, it’ll be up to Anunoby, Mikal Bridges, and Josh Hart to clean up the back-end of the defensive possessions.
Minutes aren’t likely to be an issue, with Thibs set to give his starters a heavy workload. Anunoby averaged 38.1 MPG in March, and that kind of court time will always keep this Over in play.
Desmond Bane Over 2.5 3-pointers (-115 at bet365)
With Ja Morant sitting out, Desmond Bane seized the chance to be the go-to guy in the Grizzlies’ win vs. the Pistons over the weekend. He went 15-for-23 from the field on the way to 38 points, and I’m picking him to carry on where he left in tonight’s battle with the Hornets.
He’s well placed to cash in tonight against a Hornets team that gave up 131 points against the Chicago Bulls on Sunday, and I like the Over on 2.5 made 3-pointers, despite Bane’s rollercoaster form from beyond the arc lately.
Though he’s posted a steady 39% mark from beyond the arc this season, Bane went 4-for-7 on 3s against Detroit following a 1-for-9 dud from downtown against the Heat on Thursday. He had a 4-for-10 effort against the Warriors two nights earlier.
Bane got plenty of shooting practice on Saturday and the Grizzlies should have no trouble putting up a big total with Charlotte leaning heavily on backups.
Stephen Curry Over 25.5 points (-115 at bet365)
A late-season showdown between the Golden State Warriors and Phoenix Suns probably seemed mouth-watering when the schedule-makers were setting things up, but this Suns team has looked ready for a summer vacation for weeks.
I’m throwing out Stephen Curry’s 1-for-10 clunker against the Rockets on Sunday and picking Golden State’s main man to put on a show tonight in Phoenix.
The recent numbers suggest a 25.5-point total is well within reach for Curry, who poured in 73 points across back-to-back wins against the Los Angeles Lakers and Denver Nuggets last week, on the heels of a 52-point masterpiece in last Tuesday’s victory over the Grizzlies.
The Warriors have pushed their way into the title conversation since trading for Jimmy Butler, and Curry is enjoying a little extra space to operate. He’s splashed 4+ 3-pointers in six of his last nine contests, and this matchup should provide more open looks than usual. After all, there’s not much to like about the Suns’ defensive effort these days.
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NBA odds today
Here are the full NBA odds for all of today’s matchups.
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