Tuesday NBA Player Prop Picks: 3 Bets from Magic vs. Hawks, Including Wendell Carter Jr. (April 20)

Tuesday NBA Player Prop Picks: 3 Bets from Magic vs. Hawks, Including Wendell Carter Jr. (April 20) article feature image
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Scott Audette/NBAE via Getty Images. Pictured: Orlando Magic standout Wendell Carter Jr.

  • There are only five games on Tuesday's NBA schedule, but that hasn't stopped Brandon Anderson from uncovering three top prop plays.
  • Check out his favorite picks, which all come from the Orlando Magic vs. Atlanta Hawks showdown.

Sometimes when there's a light slate of NBA games, the best play is to focus on one game and tell a story. With the Single Game Parlay option now being offered at books like FanDuel, PointsBet and others, bettors can play multiple bets from the same game and try to tell the narrative, then go for a big hit.

Tuesday's game between the Orlando Magic and Atlanta Hawks might not be particularly exciting for casual viewers, but there's opportunity there for bettors due to numerous player absences.

The Magic are particularly shorthanded. Markelle Fultz and Jonathan Isaac are out for the season, while Terrence Ross, Otto Porter Jr., James Ennis and Michael Carter-Williams are missing as well. Atlanta is also short on the wing.

Those lineup holes create opportunity for the remaining players, so let's grab three overs in this contest. You might think about playing one of those Single Game Parlays as well if you're up for it. This one plays for around +560 odds.

For those who are new to this article, we'll be using the Action Labs Player Prop tool to compare our NBA projections to the props posted at a variety of sportsbooks. Each bet is then graded on a scale from 1-10, with 10 being the best possible grade.

Below, I have laid out three prop bets that I'm playing, the case for each bet and the best books to find odds on those player props.

NBA Player Props & Picks

Wendell Carter Jr. — Over 15.5 Points + Assists (-110)

Magic vs. HawksHawks -12.5
Time | TV7:30 p.m. ET | NBA League Pass
Best BookFanDuel

It looks like Wendell Carter Jr. has finally found himself a nice home. Carter was one the players involved in the blockbuster Nikola Vučević trade, with the Chicago Bulls sending him to Orlando with draft picks and Otto Porter Jr.

Carter found a bigger home and ole almost immediately. He took a couple games to settle in, but ramped up past 20 minutes in his third game and has since ripped off maybe his best 10-game stretch as a professional. During these last 10 games, Carter is at 15.2 points, 9.2 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game, plus a steal and a block per game thrown in for good measure.

He's started all but one of those games, averaging 30.0 MPG during that stretch, and he's gone over 31 minutes in each of the last three so things continue to trend in the right direction. It looks like the Magic might have found their center of the future.

Carter's scoring has been very encouraging lately. He's recorded at least 15 points in seven of these last 10 games, nearly hitting this over on points alone with a newfound scoring efficiency and more touches on a team playing through him more. That also means more passing opportunities for a smart player who's always been a nice interior passer. Carter has had multiple assists in half his Magic games, with three games of four assists already.

We'll bet on things continuing to trend in the right direction, even with a tougher matchup in Clint Capela. Carter's minutes and touches should stay up, so we'll bet him to go over 15.5 points + assists, like he has in seven of the last 10 games. I'll play to -130 odds.

Chuma Okeke — Over 2.5 Assists (-110)

Magic vs. HawksHawks -12.5
Time | TV7:30 p.m. ET | NBA League Pass
Best BookFanDuel

Let's stay with the Magic and take a look at another young player who's been even more impressive.

Chuma Okeke is technically a rookie since he had to sit out all of last season after tearing knee ligaments in his final game at Auburn, which was an upset win over North Carolina that was maybe the finest game of his college career.

Okeke is finally healthy, and he's taking full advantage of this newfound opportunity with the Magic trading away the veterans and going young. Okeke plays with the feel of a savvy veteran. He's a smart team defender and a nice passer, plus his shooting and scoring touch have come along as well.

Okeke has started his last 12 games. He's averaging 12.9 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game during that stretch, already looking like a very useful NBA 3-and-D wing and quietly turning in one of the better rookie performances of the season.

Okeke has recorded multiple assists in all but one Magic start, going over 2.5 in seven of 12 starts and hitting our over 58%. Yet, that promising floor puts us within one of an over and games with four, four, five and seven assists show Okeke's untapped ceiling as a passer. With Porter, Ross and Ennis all missing on the wing, Okeke should get plenty of touches and opportunities.

Trust the rookie, because he's not playing like one, and bet this over to -140. We project him at 3.4 assists.

Bogdan Bogdanovic — Over 7.5 Rebounds + Assists (-123)

Magic vs. HawksHawks -12.5
Time | TV7:30 p.m. ET | NBA League Pass
Best BookFanDuel

Remember, Single Game Parlays can use players on both sides, so let's head over to the Hawks for our final pick.

Remember when Bogdan Bogdanovic was supposed to be headed to the Milwaukee Bucks last fall? We're starting to see why. The Bucks coveted Bogdanovic's shooting and all-around game as a passer, scorer and rebounder, and he's starting to show that in Atlanta now that he's healthy and settled in.

The Magic aren't the only team severely shorthanded along the wing in this one. Atlanta is missing De'Andre Hunter, Cam Reddish, Tony Snell and Danilo Gallinari, and that shortage has pushed Bogdanovic into a massive role over the past few weeks.

During the last 10 games, Bogdanovic is suddenly playing a huge 36.7 minutes per game and his production is way up. He's averaging 22.5 points, 4.7 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game, filling up the box score. During these 10 games, Bogdanovic has had at least three rebounds in every game and at least three assists in all but one.

He's had at least six rebounds plus assists every game, establishing a serious floor for this prop and going over it in seven of the 10, hitting our over 70% of the time.

Bank on big minutes again and trust the production to come with it. Bogdanovic is soaking up this opportunity for playing time while his teammates are missing, and he should keep filling up the box score against these young Magic players. I'll play the over to -145 odds.

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Sean Treppedi
Mar 28, 2024 UTC