Germantas Kneita
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The NBA is starting to heat up as teams are starting to place their chips and outlining their goals for the rest of the season. That is especially true with the trade deadline tomorrow. The Cleveland Cavaliers are one of the teams to have made a move early, bringing in Caris LeVert to improve their chances of winning this season. With the guard looking to make his debut tonight, their showdown with the San Antonio Spurs looks like the most interesting of tonight’s games.
You can find our full game previews for every matchup here. Now, let’s check out my favorite player props for the nights games.
Jakob Poeltl over 9.5 rebounds (+108)
Jakob Poeltl will be up against one of the biggest frontlines he will have to face this season. While Lauri Markkanen is out for the Cavaliers, he will still be up against Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley. Allen in particular has been dominant rebounding the ball while offering little in terms of floor spacing. That will leave Poeltl to wrestle with him in the paint, battling for rebounds. The last time these sides met in the middle of January Poeltl was able to take advantage of this, recording 12 rebounds. He saw a bump in his playing time in that game, recording 33 minutes compared to his season average of 28.8. Look for the same to be the case tonight for the center. With the player spending most of that time in and around the paint, 10 rebounds should not be an issue for a player his size.
Be sure to check out our full game preview for San Antonio Spurs vs Cleveland Cavaliers.
Mason Plumlee over 3.5 assists (+145)
Over the last 10 games Mason Plumlee has been passing the ball well, averaging 3.5 assists per game during that stretch. In fact, over the last 7 games he has been able to record 4 or more assists on 5 occasions. He should have the chance to keep that going tonight against a Bulls team that is allowing the 28th most assists over their last 10 outings. With Nikola Vucevic lining up opposite him, Plumlee’s presence will be required to try and neutralize the Bulls center. The last time the sides met Vucevic had 30 points and 14 rebounds in the Hornets center’s absence. So Plumlee will have a large role to play here. The Bulls do not have the greatest perimeter defenders and should be susceptible to wings cutting to the paint. Vucevic is not a strong help defender so the Hornets should have success attacking the paint. I expect Plumlee to facilitate some of these opportunities.
Be sure to check out our full game preview for Chicago Bulls vs Charlotte Hornets.
Gary Trent Jr. over 3.5 made threes (+108)
The Toronto Raptors have been on fire lately and Gary Trent Jr. is a major part of that. The guard has been lights out from beyond the arc. He has knocked down 4 or more shots from beyond the arc in 7 of his last 9 games. He will have a favorable matchup tonight against the Oklahoma City Thunder. They currently rank 28th in opponent 3-point attempts per game and 26th in opponent 3-points makes. Over the last 10 games the Raptors are shooting the best percentage in the league from beyond the arc, ranking 3rd in makes. Considering the Thunder are vulnerable in this area, I expect them to keep attacking from deep, with Trent Jr. being a major part of that. He is shooting above 40% from deep this season and could be in line for 10 or more attempts. He has done that in 6 of his last 9 games so look for something similar tonight.
Be sure to check out our full game preview for Toronto Raptors vs Oklahoma City Thunder.
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