We have a packed 10 game slate tonight in the NBA as we approach all-star weekend, coming up this week. Let’s dive into a couple matchups and highlight some player props with value. Good luck with your selections and enjoy the Monday card.
76ers vs. Cavaliers
The Cavaliers are the NBA’s hottest team, riding a 9-game win streak and winning 17 of their last 18 games. They host the 76ers on Monday night, who will continue to be without Joel Embiid. We’ll look to highlight Max Strus in this matchup, a key part of the Cavaliers rotation.
Strus has been a great addition for the Cavaliers, despite not having his best season shooting the ball. He’s a part of all the Cavaliers top rated lineups and rates as a plus on both offense and defense, despite not being known as a good defender.
Strus is a willing passer, both in a pick and roll set as a secondary ball handler, as well as searching for open shooters against a late rotating defense. The Cavaliers offense has been clicking extremely well, allowing Strus to find his way into multiple assists per game although he wouldn’t be considered a facilitator. Being on the floor for a team that has the league’s second-best defense rating has also allowed him more rebounding opportunities.
Best Prop: Max Strus Over 6.5 Rebounds + Assists (-145)
In tonight’s matchup, Strus finds his rebound line at 3.5 (-145 to the over) and his assist line at 2.5 (-160 to the over). I’ll be targeting his combined rebounds and assists figure, currently at Over 6.5 (-145) at Bet365, to save a little bit on the juice.
This is a line that Strus has cleared in four straight games and five of the last six. Although they are missing Joel Embiid the 76ers will likely be more competitive than the Cavaliers last three games (Toronto, Brooklyn, Washington) so if anything, we could see a slight uptick in Strus’ minutes. This line is too low at 6.5.
Spurs vs. Raptors
Victor Wembanyama and company head north to Toronto to take on the Raptors. They’ve struggled significantly on the road with a 5-22 record. We’re taking a look at Jakob Poeltl in this one, at a line that seems to be way off market.
After Jakob Poeltl returned from his January ankle injury, he walked into a brand-new Raptors squad, as the team traded Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby. As a result, Poeltl saw his minutes jump, as well as his per game stats, naturally.
Best Prop: Jakob Poeltl Double-Double (+170)
I’m surprised to see the line for Poeltl to record a double-double at +170 at BetRivers. As long as Poeltl is getting his full complement of minutes, this is a line he crosses easily. This should be a fairly competitive game and Poeltl should be out there down the stretch, trying to contend with the length of Wembanyama.
The Spurs are not known for their rebounding, as they rank in the bottom ten in the league in rebound rate. The Spurs also play at a quicker pace, (top five in the league), which should allow for more rebounding opportunities for Poeltl. Other books have this line at either +140 or +120, so I like the value over in the market that BetRivers is offering at +170.
