It's slim pickings on Tuesday night for NBA action with just four games on the schedule, and with the Association about to hit the pause button for All-Star Weekend, it's even more important to connect on player props this week with limited opportunities to do so.
Here are three expert player props across three of the four games, including a scoring prop for Chicago Bulls rookie Matas Buzelis at plus money (+102) when the Detroit Pistons visit the United Center on February 11.
Matas Buzelis OVER 13.5 Points vs. Pistons (+102)
Preview: Detroit Pistons vs. Chicago Bulls, 8 p.m. ET
The Bulls have finally realized the time is now to strap the rocket to the young Buzelis, who was recently inserted into the starting lineup on Feb. 5 and has seen his minutes jump from 13.8 in January to now 28.8 through four appearances this month. Sending away Zach LaVine for spare parts to fill out the second unit ahead of the trade deadline was long overdue for the franchise, but it was also a sign that there was enough faith in Buzelis to bridge the gap while elevating his own game, and the initial returns have been strong.
The 20-year-old wing is averaging 15 points over his last six appearances while shooting 62.3 percent from the field and 45.8 percent from 3-point range. He's reached an OVER on 13.5 points in each of his last three appearances, as well, which is his best stretch of the campaign.
Detroit allows the sixth-most points to opposing power forwards, where Buzelis has logged 72 percent of his total minutes. While he came off the bench in Chicago's last meeting with the Pistons on Feb. 2 and only finished with 12 points (nearly an OVER), the starting frontcourt of Nikola Vucevic (20 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists) and Ayo Dosunmu (14 points on 6-of-9 shooting) each had strong showings while connecting on an OVER for Tuesday's prop.
Zach Edey To Record A Double-Double vs. Suns (+550)
Preview: Memphis Grizzlies vs. Phoenix Suns, 10 p.m. ET
Zach Edey's double-double streak of three games came to a crashing halt in a 13-point loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Feb. 8, with the Memphis Grizzlies rookie only seeing the floor for 13 minutes while finishing with five points and two rebounds. In those prior aforementioned appearances, though, the 7-foot-4 behemoth was averaging 14.3 points and 13.3 boards while playing just under 23 minutes per contest.
Playing the Phoenix Suns gives Edey a solid chance at his ninth double-double to move past Yves Missi for the lead amongst rookies, as Phoenix ranks 27th in points allowed to opposing centers and 28th in rebounds. The 7-foot-3 Bol Bol has seen some extended run off of its bench as of late, and he's really the only viable option to throw at someone of Edey's size, but in the power department, it should be of little trouble for the Canadian to counteract Bol's length.
Having this prop at +550 shows oddsmakers view this as a long shot, but as we've seen time and time again, it doesn't take much for Edey to get his numbers quick and efficiently. The upside is just too strong here in this particular matchup.
Josh Hart UNDER 9.5 Rebounds vs. Pacers (+110)
Preview: New York Knicks vs. Indiana Pacers, 7:30 p.m. ET
This wager falls more in line with recent patterns concerning Josh Hart's rebounding numbers as opposed to believing he simply couldn't grab double-digit boards against the Indiana Pacers. His New York Knicks teammate O.G. Anunoby is also listed as questionable after missing time with a foot injury, and his potential return could also have an impact here.
Hart has failed to secure 10 or more rebounds in four of his last five appearances despite averaging 37.4 minutes of playing time. He's finished with exactly 10 rebounds twice this season versus Indiana which would equate to an OVER on Tuesday, but as we've seen during this stretch, that can't be counted on to occur once more based off of his recent box scores.
