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May 1st NBA Props – Best Player Prop Bets for Saturday Night Games

Sam Cox

by Sam Cox in NBA Basketball

Updated May 1, 2021 · 7:34 AM PDT

Zion Williamson layup with Dwight Howard contesting
Expect Zion Williamson to feed his teammates early and often Saturday night against the Minnesota Timberwolves. (Photo by Stephen Lew/Icon Sportswire)
  • There are 10 games on the NBA schedule for Saturday
  • Steph Curry, Zion Williamson and Nikola Jokic are just three of the superstars in action
  • Which player prop bets represent the best betting value?

Saturday is a busy day in the NBA with 10 games on the slate.

Looking to improve their play-in positioning, the Golden State Warriors matchup with the Houston Rockets with Steph Curry battling Bradley Beal for the scoring title. Another game with play-in implications in both conferences, Beal’s Wizards face the Dallas Mavericks, who are looking to avoid the lottery of the tournament.

To wrap up the night’s action, there’s a rematch of the bubble’s postseason epic between the Nuggets and Clippers. The Clips could yet move into the top two in the Western Conference, avoiding the risk of a first-round series with the Lakers.

Let’s take a look at the props available, with odds courtesy FanDuel.

NBA Player Props – May 1st

DET vs CHA Points Rebounds Assists Three Pointers Made
Saddiq Bey (DET) 15.5 (O -110 | U -110) 5.5 (O -110 | U -112) OFF 3.5 (O +136 | U -174)
Killian Hayes (DET) 9.5 (O +102 | U -124) 2.5 (O -154 | U +126) 7.5 (O +100 | U -122) OFF
GSW vs HOU Points Rebounds Assists Three Pointers Made
Steph Curry (GSW) 35.5 (O -108 | U -112) 6.5 (O +114 | U -140) 6.5 (O +110 | U -134) 5.5 (O -136 | U +106)
Andrew Wiggins (GSW) 20.5 (O -106 | U -116) 5.5 (O -128 | U +104) 3.5 (O +132 | U -164) 1.5 (O -164 | U +128)
Kevin Porter Jr (HOU) 19.5 (O -102 | U -120) 5.5 (O +120 | U -148) 7.5 (O +110 | U -134) 2.5 (O +102 | U +130)
Christian Wood (HOU) 23.5 (O -104 | U -118) 10.5 (O +116 | U -144) 2.5 (O +116 | U -142) 2.5 (O +114 | U -146)
CHI vs ATL Points Rebounds Assists Three Pointers Made
Nikola Vucevic (CHI) 25.5 (O -104 | U -118) 11.5 (O -114 | U -106) 3.5 (O -162 | U +132) 2.5 (O -120 | U -106)
Coby White (CHI) 17.5 (O +100 | U -122) 3.5 (O -120 | U -102) 5.5 (O +104 | U -128) 2.5 (O -128 | U -166)
OKC vs IND Points Rebounds Assists Three Pointers Made
Darius Bazley (OKC) 18.5 (O -110 | U -110) 8.5 (O -104 | U -118) OFF 1.5 (O -120 | U -106)
Theo Maledon (OKC) 14.5 (O -104 | U -118) 3.5 (O -130 | U +106) 4.5 (O -106 | U -114) 1.5 (O -158 | U +124)
MEM vs ORL Points Rebounds Assists Three Pointers Made
Ja Morant (MEM) 18.5 (O -118 | U -104) 4.5 (O -115 | U -105) 7.5 (O +112 | U -138) 1.5 (O +132 | U -170)
Jonas Valanciunas (MEM) 15.5 (O -124 | U +102) 11.5 (O -132 | U +108) OFF OFF
Cole Anthony (ORL) 15.5 (O -110 | U -110) 4.5 (O -132 | U +108) 4.5 (O -112 | U -108) 1.5 (O +130 | U -166)
Wendell Carter Jr (ORL) 11.5 (O -114 | U -108) 8.5 (O -105 | U -115) OFF OFF
MIA vs CLE Points Rebounds Assists Three Pointers Made
Jimmy Butler (MIA) 21.5 (O -118 | U -104) 6.5 (O -134 | U +110) 6.5 (O +110 | U -134) OFF
Bam Adebayo (MIA) 19.5 (O +100 | U -120) 9.5 (O +108 | U -132) 4.5 (O -148 | U +120) OFF
NOP vs MIN Points Rebounds Assists Three Pointers Made
Zion Williamson (NOP) 28.5 (O -120 | U -102) 7.5 (O -122 | U +100) 3.5 (O -150 | U -122) OFF
Brandon Ingram (NOP) 24.5 (O -106 | U -116) 5.5 (O -110 | U -110) 5.5 (O +128 | U -158) 2.5 (O +142 | U -184)
Karl-Anthony Towns (MIN) 27.5 (O -110 | U -110) 11.5 (O -120 | U -102) 5.5 (O +136 | U -168) 2.5 (O -111 | U -115)
Anthony Edwards (MIN) 22.5 (O -110 | U -110) 5.5 (O +118 | U -144) 3.5 (O +116 | U -142) 2.5 (O -140 | U +110)
WAS vs DAL Points Rebounds Assists Three Pointers Made
Bradley Beal (WAS) 29.5 (O -120 | U -102) 3.5 (O -152 | U +124) 4.5 (O +122 | U -150) 2.5 (O +154 | U -200)
Russell Westbrook (WAS) 21.5 (O -122 | U +110) 12.5 (O -105 | U -115) 11.5 (O +128 | U -104) 0.5 (O -180 | U +140)
DEN vs LAC Points Rebounds Assists Three Pointers Made
Nikola Jokic (DEN) 25.5 (O -116 | U -106) 10.5 (O -122 | U +100) 8.5 (O -132 | U +108) 1.5 (O +120 | U -154)
Michael Porter Jr (DEN) 23.5 (O +100 | U -122) 8.5 (O +106 | U -130) OFF 2.5 (O -184 | U +152)
TOR vs UTA Points Rebounds Assists Three Pointers Made
Pascal Siakam (TOR) 21.5 (O -104 | U -118) 6.5 (O -104 | U -118) 3.5 (O -154 | U +126) 1.5 (O +126 | U -162)
OG Anunoby (TOR) 18.5 (O -106 | U -116) 5.5 (O +108 | U -132) 2.5 (O -120 | U -102) 2.5 (O -115 | U -111)

Odds as of May 1

Playmaking Zion

Zion Williamson averages just 3.9 assists per game since the All-Star break. This is less than Tobias Harris, Coby White and Pascal Siakam. That’s an unspectacular average, but it’s largely down to inconsistency in Williamson’s assist numbers. He is still running a lot of pick-and-roll, as he has for several months now, but his reliance on shot-making from his teammates is obvious.

Williamson is at 7.5 potential assists per game in the second half of the year, and the streakiness of the Pelicans’ shooting means his dimes tend to come in bunches. He recorded five against the Clippers and six against the Thunder, but zero against the Nuggets. This isn’t a result of Williamson’s role changing, but a reflection of his teammates missing shots and the impressive defense of the Nuggets.

There has been defensive improvements from the Timberwolves of late, who face Williamson on Saturday. They are playing their best basketball of the year. Still, though, they are 28th in defensive rating since the All-Star break. Josh Okogie and Jaden McDaniels are good defenders, yet both will struggle with Williamson’s physicality.

Across his last 13 games, the first overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft has registered four or more assists on nine occasions. With the T-Wolves playing better, this game should be close enough for Zion to play big fourth quarter minutes. Hitting this assists over is an easy bet.

Pick: Zion Williamson over 3.5 assists (-150)

No Answer for MPJ

Michael Porter Jr is shooting 46.2% from three since the All-Star break. In Jamal Murray’s absence, Porter has stepped up as the second option on this Nuggets team. He averaged almost 24 points per game in April, more than Damian Lillard, Jimmy Butler and Russell Westbrook.

His usage rate has leapt from 19.4% in the first half to 23.4% since the break. The 8.1 boards per game is one of the best marks among non-centers. If it wasn’t for Julius Randle’s All-NBA caliber season, Porter would be getting some buzz for Most Improved Player. The step forward on defense has earned him minutes, and the shot-making talent has proven legitimate over a larger NBA sample size.

The Clippers’ defense is generally a tough matchup for anyone. That’s not been the case of late, however, with LA sitting 20th in defensive rating over the last five games. Denver was the fifth-best offense in the league in April, and while they miss Murray, Porter has delivered significantly, and begun to develop his two-man game with Nikola Jokic.

Porter has scored 24 or more in four of his last five games, including his 23-point effort against the Raptors a couple of days ago. The 14th overall pick in 2018 is one of the hottest players in the NBA right now – he’s a great bet to hit this points over.

Pick: Michael Porter Jr over 23.5 points (+100)

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