RADIO
Welcome to our Sleeper NBA DFS prop picks for Wednesday, April 24. Hopefully, you’re ready for two-game slates because playoff season is nothing but small slates and even smaller rotations.
New Orleans held their own in Game 1 versus Oklahoma City but shot terribly. Brandon Ingram had an abysmal outing, and Trey Murphy III finished as the Pelicans leading scorer. The Thunder’s lack of experience was bound to show up at some point during the post-season, but almost conceding Game 1 as the 1-seed is concerning. The Pelicans were one possession away from stealing a road win, and the fate of this series could easily be swayed by C.J. McCollum or Brandon Ingram shooting, even somewhat efficiently.
The Heat and Celtics series is an entirely different story. The Heat may win Game 3 or 4, but Boston is in the driver’s seat after a high-quality, team-oriented, 20-point Game 1 win. There was nothing Miami could do to slow down Boston and what they tried set them back even further. Assuming the Celtics let Miami keep shooting their way out of this series, Boston’s three-man bench rotation should have upside tonight.
Sleeper offers some of the best and easiest-to-win NBA DFS games in the industry. Sleeper DFS works just like regular player prop betting -- there are no large-field tournaments in which to get lost. You're not playing against other people; you're just playing against the projections. Here are some of our favorite NBA prop picks for Wednesday's 2-game slate.
Announcement: We have two awesome new Props Optimizers for the NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, and NCAA! The PrizePicks Optimizer and Prop Bets Optimizer are both available in our new Props Premium Package, which includes exclusive access to RotoBaller's VIP Discord chat rooms for props and betting.
NBA DFS Props - Over/Under Picks for Wednesday, April 24
Sam Hauser OVER 6.5 Points + Assists
Boston is only playing three guys off their bench and it’s three players that have been productive all season. Sam Hauser is one of the Celtics' primary wing-shooters and has one responsibility, to shoot and make threes. Once he steps on the court, all offense quietly revolves around the spacing Hauser offers, and you can be sure the ball will find its way into his waiting hands across multiple possessions. He shot 4-6 from behind the arc in Game 1, and the efficiency is relative to the space Miami gave him.
With so many other options to deal with, the Heat understands they have to let someone shoot. Unfortunately for them, letting someone like Hauser get too many shots up can be detrimental. Especially seeing how he was tied for most made threes on the team despite taking fewer attempts. Just for transparency and because it’s somewhat comical, the following four players are the reserve bench options for Miami. Haywood Highsmith, Kevin Love, Delon Wright, and Duncan Robinson. Tonight, the Celtic with the most upside will be the one that lines up against any one of these four.
Cason Wallace OVER 4.5 Points
The Pelicans' defense has more bark than bite, but that’s only because Herbert Jones can only guard one person at a time. Jones is a black hole defensively and hard to bet against. Still, players like Cason Wallace and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander have the ability to make Jones’ skills and expertise on the defensive end irrelevant. Wallace is the larger risk here since he’s a reserve option, but he’s been consistent all year, and there’s a reason why he will continue to get the most minutes off the bench. Wallace has the willingness to shoot and the playmaking skills to keep a bad shooting night from hurting the team.
His line is fairly low, given that he will take shots when he steps on the court, but we do have to be aware of his lack of selfishness. If the offense is rolling and Wallace just needs to fill the role as a pass-first guard, he will do that. Just like he will defend at a very high level and harass any opposing guard that lines up across from him. When the Thunder decide to give their bench more minutes, it’s usually Wallace as the main recipient, and chances are Oklahoma City needs his scoring to beat the Pelicans.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander OVER 28.5 Points
Similarly, the Thunder don’t stand a chance if Shai Gilgeous-Alexander isn’t running the show. His offense warrants double-teams, early switches, and even earlier help calls, only to be proven worthless by his signature mid-range and post moves. This has been an MVP-caliber season for Gilgeous-Alexander, and teams can’t do much to stop him or really slow him down. 28 points on 24 shots isn’t exactly an efficient Game 1, but doing that without hitting a three and your teammates not doing much to help tells an even bigger story.
Even if the Pelicans adjusted their defense to lock down Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams was able to pick up some slack near the end of the game. Oklahoma City’s offense is not the same totem pole it was earlier in the season, and Williams's emergence has created a two-headed monster within. Chet Holmgren, playing well, adds another head, but it all starts with Gilgeous-Alexander. He creates the foundation other Thunder players can build off of, and he does it through scoring.
Be sure to also check out our brand new PrizePicks Optimizer tool and the free PrizePicks DFS Props Tool to see more recommended picks.
Play the NBA DFS Picks Now on Sleeper
Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App
Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy basketball mobile app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, lineup notifications & DFS articles. All free!
