There’s no shortage of prop betting opportunities with 11 games on Tuesday’s NBA Cup slate.
The pregame narrative: Isaiah Hartenstein has been a wrecking ball for the Oklahoma City Thunder and draws a perfect matchup. I expect him to stuff the stat sheet and am also backing Norman Powell to light up the Portland Trail Blazers.
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Best bet: Hartenstein over 24.5 points/rebounds (-112)
The one risk with this play, in my mind, is blowout potential.
OKC is a 13-point home favourite over the Utah Jazz, meaning Hartenstein could be pulled early if things get out of hand.
But my bold take is this: He could clear this number in the first half.
Hartenstein has averaged 15.2 points and 13.8 rebounds (29.0 P/A) in five games with the Thunder, going over this number in every contest.
He’s only playing 30 minutes a night anyway and is easily the team’s top rebounding threat with Chet Holmgren sidelined.
The Jazz are a decent rebounding team, allowing a middle-of-the-pack 15.1 rebounds per game to opposing centres, per Fantasy Pros.
Hartenstein should be active on the glass and I expect him to feast in the short midrange and the paint. Check out how Utah ranks defending those areas of the court, according to Cleaning the Glass:
- 71.4 opposing FG% at the rim (30th in NBA)
- 44.8 opposing FG% in the short midrange (26th in NBA)
This looks like a smash play even in a contest with reduced minutes potential.
Key stat: Hartenstein takes 93% of his shots at the rim and in the short midrange (four to 14 feet from the basket).
Quick picks
Powell over 20.5 points (-120): Powell has really stepped up for the Los Angeles Clippers with Kawhi Leonard sidelined.
He’s averaging 23.6 points a night, shooting a clinical 49.2% from the field and 49.6% from deep.
The guard has gone over this mark in 11 of 16 games, including a 30-point performance against tonight’s opponent, the Portland Trail Blazers, in October.
Powell just dropped 28 and 23 points against the Denver Nuggets and Golden State Warriors in his last two games.
He shouldn’t have an issue clearing this mark against a Portland squad sitting 21st in defensive rating.
Picks made at 10:19 a.m. ET on 12/03/2024.
Avery joined NorthStar Gaming as an intern in 2022 before stepping into a full-time role soon after. He loves betting on and analyzing golf — mainly because it’s easier than actually playing — but is a fan of all sports, from the NFL to the UFC.