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Zach attack will help Bulls, and you too
Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Zach attack will help Bulls, and you too

With the Final Four not until Saturday and just three NHL games on Wednesday, it's a no-brainer to focus on the NBA. But we're going to switch things up and not focus on the teams playing, but rather on the players playing. And best of all, we've got not just one player prop for you, we have two.

We start with Zach LaVine of the Chicago Bulls against the Los Angeles Lakers. If you've been following the Lakers this season you already know it's been a disappointing year. LeBron James and Anthony Davis can't stay healthy, and the defense has been awful. We'll take it a step further: it's been close to nonexistent. 

Los Angeles allows the 10th-most points in the league, and we expect LaVine to feast. The Bulls might have their fair share of offensive problems, but it hasn't affected LaVine at all. LaVine is averaging a team-high 25.1 points per game and dropped 32 against Los Angeles last week.

And with LaVine's set total of 30.5 points + assists on Wednesday, we're all about the over. LaVine's more than capable of scoring 32 again in this one, so you might not even need him to rack up any assists to win this bet. 

However, in case you're a little nervous about his assist numbers, you shouldn't be. LaVine is averaging just over four assists a game. Obviously, we'd like to see that number be a little higher, but four works for us. Best of all, LaVine still has covered this point + assist total in three of his last five games and seven of his last 10. So, the odds are in our favor, which is why you should place this bet. 

Betting: Zach LaVine over 30.5 Points + Assists (-125 via FanDuel)

As for the last of our two player prop bets, we're going to focus on the up-and-coming big man Domantas Sabonis of the Kings. The lefty do-it-all big man is as versatile as any big in the league and we love him to crush the over of 26.5 points + assists (-120) against the slumping Trail Blazers. We're a little concerned Sacramento could put this game away before the fourth quarter begins — resulting in fewer minutes than usual for Sabonis — but considering Portland is still without Damian Lillard, we're going to chance it and hope for a big first half from the All-Star. 

Sabonis has covered this number in three of his last five games and six of his last 10, so it's not like the odds are against us. Sabonis averages 19 points and seven assists a game, but for this bet to hit, we're counting on him to score at least 20. 

We're confident the assists will be there when it's all said and done, but with so many great scorers on the Kings, we're a little worried about Sabonis' points at the end of night. However, Sabonis recorded 18 points and 10 assists last month against Portland, so that's good. 

What's even better is that the Kings lead the NBA in scoring and Portland is in the lower third of the league in points allowed per game. This is definitely the riskier of our two player prop bets, but trust us, this bet is still worth placing. 

Betting: Domantas Sabonis over 26.5 Points + Assists (-120 via DraftKings) 


Outlier Trend of the Day

The Phoenix Suns are 1-4 (20%) against the spread at home off a loss over their last five games.

Minnesota +4.5 (-101 via FanDuel)


In the news ...

Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Finalists announced — The 2023 Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Finalists will officially be announced on Saturday in Houston at the NCAA men's basketball Final Four, however, according to multiple sources on Tuesday, we already know who's getting in. This year's class includes three-time NBA champion Dwyane Wade; five-time NBA champion head coach Gregg Popovich; former league MVP and NBA Finals MVP Dirk Nowitzki; six-time WNBA All-Star and 2022 WNBA champion as head coach of the Las Vegas Aces, Becky Hammon; two-time NBA champion and four-time FIBA Europe Player of Year Pau Gasol; and four-time NBA champion Tony Parker. 

Two groups submit $6 billion bids for CommandersWashington Commanders owner Dan Snyder is open for business, and he doesn't have just one legitimate offer, he has two. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Josh Harris/Mitchell Rales group, which now includes former NBA icon Magic Johnson, and Canadian billionaire Steve Apostolopoulos have both submitted a fully-funded, $6 billion bid to purchase the NFL franchise. If either bid is accepted, it would break the previous record sale for an NFL franchise. 

Durant to return to Suns on SundayKevin Durant was traded from Brooklyn to Phoenix back in February, but due to an ankle sprain suffered during warmups on March 8, the two-time NBA champion and former league MVP has yet to make his home debut for the Suns. But it looks the wait is finally going to be over as ESPN's Brian Windhorst reported on Tuesday that Durant is expected to make his home debut tonight against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Despite currently being the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference, Phoenix is still favored to win the West (+225) and +450 to win the NBA Finals. 


Today's Bark Bets is written by Jared Shlensky

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