The NBA playoffs are right around the corner, and most teams are still looking to lock up their playoff spots. Only six teams, four from the East and two from the West, have already punched their tickets. Those hunting out tonight’s best NBA player prop picks, especially for Cavaliers-Hawks and Pelicans-Warriors, should tail the predictions below. DraftKings has left too much value on the Dejounte Murray and C.J. McCollum player prop markets, respectively. Check out OddsShopper’s tools for other sharp plays, including our Parlay Builder!
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Best Cavaliers-Hawks NBA Player Prop Tonight | Dejounte Murray
Dejounte Murray O/U 4.5 Rebounds
The Atlanta Hawks are in a bit of a bind. At 37-38, they find themselves three games behind the Brooklyn Nets and Miami Heat for the last guaranteed playoff spot. They also find themselves four games above the Washington Wizards for the final play-in spot. But the Hawks, ninth-ranked Toronto Raptors and 10th-ranked Chicago Bulls are just a game apart in the race for the eighth seed, the winner of which will get two shots at a playoff berth.
With such a close race on their hands, every game is a must-win matchup. That should force head coach Quin Snyder to leave his starters in for plenty of extra minutes. Although the Hawks have a tough matchup against the slow-paced and efficient Cleveland Cavaliers tonight, Murray has averaged 7.3 rebounds per game against them. In two matchups against the Cavaliers with the Hawks, Murray recorded four and nine rebounds, with the better performance coming in Atlanta. He has gone over this number in eight of his last 10 games against the Cavaliers.
The Cavaliers have a few injuries that could help this number close at a worse price. Starting wing Isaac Okoro is questionable. So is center Jarrett Allen. Allen leads the starters in rebound rate (17.8%), and the team gets 3.8% fewer rebounds with him off the floor. Unlike the Hawks, the Cavaliers have locked up a playoff spot. They trail the third-ranked Philadelphia 76ers by only 1.5 games but lead the fifth-ranked New York Knicks by five. With four layup wins down the stretch for Cleveland, Allen could end up resting tonight.
Best Cavaliers-Hawks Player Prop: Dejounte Murray Over 4.5 Rebounds (-105 for 1 Unit) at DraftKings
Best Pelicans-Warriors NBA Player Prop Tonight | C.J. McCollum
C.J. McCollum O/U 5.5 Assists
The New Orleans Pelicans just got a much-needed blowout win over the Portland Trail Blazers last night. At 38-37, they now rank eighth in the Western Conference, just a half-game behind the seventh-ranked Golden State Warriors. Both teams have every incentive to win, as neither has more than a two-game lead over the eleventh-ranked Dallas Mavericks. However, an increasingly desperate Warriors team stands to benefit C.J. McCollum.
McCollum usually does better in the assist column when playing without rest, and it helps that the Pelicans only needed him for 25 minutes last night. He is averaging 6.5 assists per game when playing on the wrong end of a back-to-back, up from his season average of 5.9. Meanwhile, the Warriors rank an aggressive fifth in pace since the All-Star Break and are allowing the second-most assists per game to point guards over the last 15 games (10.4). They jump to first over the last seven (11.8).
The books can easily overlook McCollum tonight. His first four games against the Warriors with the Pelicans haven’t gone exceptionally well in the assist column, as he recorded totals of five, two, and five in those games. However, Stephen Curry sat out each of those contests. With Curry back, the Warriors playing quickly and both teams in need of wins, let’s play McCollum to beat this number tonight at DraftKings Sportsbook. Readers yet to register there can score $200 in bonus bets after placing a $5 wager!
Best Pelicans-Warriors Player Prop: C.J. McCollum Over 5.5 Assists (-115 for 1 Unit) at DraftKings
