The NBA play-in event continues Wednesday night time with a pair of elimination video games between the Nos. 9 and 10 seeds of every convention. The Chicago Bulls and Oklahoma City Thunder have probabilities to turn out to be the league’s first No. 10 seeds to advance within the format’s brief historical past. Both groups can even must do it by cracking robust defensive opponents in Toronto and New Orleans. This is the time of yr when teaching involves the forefront, and matchups turn out to be simply as essential as opponents.
I’ll have my picks posted for every of Wednesday night time’s video games in a separate video, however one other method we will exploit these matchups is thru the participant prop market. Here are my favourite props for every recreation:
DeMar DeRozan below 27.5 factors and assists
There is not any denying that this recreation is private for DeRozen, who spent 9 years in Toronto earlier than being traded and watching his former group win the NBA title in 2019. Now with the Bulls, DeRozen would like to precise revenge. However, feelings don’t money bets, and that has me lining as much as fade the previous Raptor. Toronto coach Nick Nurse has been very profitable in limiting DeRozan within the three conferences between the 2 groups this season. The Raptors’ protection has stifled DeRozan, notably within the final two conferences, holding him to 13 and 9 factors. Nurse doesn’t simply restrict his scoring, he takes him out of the offense fully and forces Chicago to look elsewhere. DeRozen’s common of 5.2 dimes per recreation drops to three.3 in opposition to Toronto. Rather than simply focusing on his scoring, there may be extra worth in rolling in his assists as effectively. DeRozan fell effectively wanting this prop in all three conferences, combining for 22, 16, and 15 whole factors and assists in opposition to Toronto.
C.J. McCollum ought to shine in a giant recreation Wednesday night time. (Photo by Loren Elliott/Getty Images)
C.J. McCollum over 22.5 factors
While everybody’s eyes are on Brandon Ingram and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, my cash is on C.J. McCollum enjoying a pivotal function for the Pelicans. In a recreation the place I anticipate a whole lot of runs and lead adjustments for each groups, McCollum has the potential to shift momentum with clutch photographs. I anticipate him to take issues into his personal fingers early, very similar to he set the tone in final yr’s 9 vs. 10 recreation for New Orleans. McCollum scored 27 first-half factors in a 113-103 win over the Spurs on this very same spot. He ought to be capable to get loads of open appears to be like in opposition to the Thunder’s perimeter protection with Ingram drawing nearly all of the eye. Don’t let the way in which he completed the common season discourage you from backing the Pels guard. Even in a poor taking pictures night time, CJ nonetheless managed to attain 23 factors regardless of going 0-of-5 from past the arc. I’m betting we see some optimistic taking pictures regression on his dwelling flooring, so I’m pleased to again the regular veteran to ship within the largest recreation of the yr.
