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DeMar DeRozan of the Chicago Bulls heads for the net as Miles McBride of the New York Knicks defends during the second half at Madison Square Garden. We're back DeRozan in our NBA player props & best bets.
DeMar DeRozan of the Chicago Bulls heads for the net as Miles McBride of the New York Knicks defends during the second half at Madison Square Garden. Photo by Elsa/Getty Images via AFP.

The Eastern Conference teams are gearing up to participate in the NBA Play-In Tournament excitement, and we have selected the top NBA player props and best bets for Wednesday according to the most favorable NBA odds available.

The NBA season opener on Wednesday features the Philadelphia 76ers (47-35) and star player Joel Embiid facing off against the Miami Heat (46-36), a team once considered a sure bet to make the NBA Play-In Tournament.

The first game of the evening will begin at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The 76ers are favored by 5 points on the top sports betting sites, with Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey leading the way. We highlighted these players in our preview of the Heat vs. 76ers player props.

After their last game, the Atlanta Hawks (36-46) will travel to Chicago, Illinois to play against the Chicago Bulls (39-43), who are favored by 3 points at home. The game is expected to be challenging, as discussed in our Hawks vs. Bulls player props. The Bulls will aim to defeat the Hawks in the game scheduled for 9:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.

Below are our NBA player props and top bets for Wednesday, with NBA picks determined by odds from our preferred NBA betting sites and confidence levels rated on a scale of 1 to 5 stars.

Wednesday’s NBA best bets

  • Bet on Joel Embiid to grab over 11.5 rebounds at -104 odds on FanDuel, with a three-star rating.
  • Bet365 is offering +100 odds on Jimmy Butler scoring under 23.5 points, with a three-star rating.
  • DeMar DeRozan has an over/under of 29.5 points on DraftKings, with odds of -102. This bet is rated four stars.
  • Bet on Trae Young to have fewer than 37.5 points + rebounds + assists with -115 odds on FanDuel, rated four stars.

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The NBA schedule and odds for Wednesday.

(Odds via Caesars)

  • Miami Heat will be facing off against the Philadelphia 76ers with the 76ers favored by 5 points. The total points expected in the game is set at 208.
  • Bulls are favored by 3 points with a total of 222.5 in the Hawks vs. Bulls game.

Wednesday’s NBA player props

Bet on Joel Embiid to record more than 11.5 rebounds against the Heat, with odds of -104 from FanDuel. This bet is rated 3 stars.

Embiid’s return to the 76ers lineup has been impressive, resembling a fit Charles Barkley with his dominant performance. Prior to his injury, he was considered a favorite for the NBA MVP title. Despite missing 29 games, the seven-time All-Star played in five of the final seven games and excelled in the last three.

Scoring against the Heat may be challenging due to their strong defense, but Embiid has the opportunity to dominate the boards. Miami ranks 26th in rebounds per game (42.3) and gives up the 11th-most defensive rebounds to opponents (33.5) this season, making them vulnerable in that area.

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Embiid has been grabbing an average of 11 rebounds per game this season, and he snagged 12 in each of his last three regular-season games. Despite Bam Adebayo playing center for the Heat, their opponents’ centers are still managing to average 14.21 rebounds per game. This makes the odds from FanDuel very appealing due to the potential value they offer.

This prop has odds of -125 on our other top sports betting apps, indicating a 55.56% chance that Embiid will exceed the total, as calculated by our odds calculator. However, at FanDuel, a $10 wager would result in a $9.62 profit.

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Bet365 is offering odds of +100 for Jimmy Butler to score under 23.5 points against the 76ers. This bet is rated three stars.

Typically, going against Jimmy Butler in the playoffs would result in criticism from basketball experts, but at 34 years old, Butler hasn’t been performing at the same level as in previous seasons.

Despite leading the Heat in points per game this season with 20.8, his 2-point and free-throw attempts decreased as Tyler Herro, Terry Rozier, and Bam Adebayo took on more usage. The six-time All-Star appears to have adopted a new emo persona, delivering several lackluster performances.

Butler ended the season with 15 points or less in his final three games and only surpassed 23.5 points in 18 out of 60 games this season, which is a 30% success rate. These statistics make him an outlier in terms of betting odds at bet365, where his odds to score under are as low as -131 compared to other top sportsbooks.

The odds suggest a 56.71% chance that Butler will score under 24 points against the 76ers, who are ranked ninth in the NBA for points allowed and limit small forwards to an average of 20.5 points per game. Betting $10 on this outcome would result in a $20 payout if Butler scores less than 24 points.

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DeMar DeRozan is projected to score over 29.5 points against the Hawks, with odds of -102 on DraftKings. This is a four-star rated bet.

After Zach LaVine suffered a season-ending injury, the Bulls’ playoff chances seemed to crumble. However, DeMar DeRozan stepped up like Michael Jordan, carrying the team and keeping their postseason hopes alive.

DeRozan, at the age of 34, had an impressive season averaging 24 points per game. He finished the year with an outstanding performance, scoring 30 points in six of his last eight games and averaging 30.2 points per game during that stretch.

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He is expected to keep up his scoring streak against a Hawks defense that appears to be misplaced, often looking like they are playing a different sport. Atlanta gives up the third-highest points per game in the NBA (120.5) and is ranked 27th in defensive rating (119.4).

DeRozan may be considered a power forward in Chicago, but it doesn’t really matter what position he plays because the Hawks give up the eighth-most points per game to power forwards (24.74) and the second-most to small forwards (22.67). The odds for him hitting the Over are -115, suggesting a 53.48% chance of success, but with our odds, the payout would be $19.80.

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Bet on Trae Young to have less than 37.5 points + rebounds + assists against the Bulls at -115 odds on FanDuel. 🌟🌟🌟🌟

The Hawks are the least promising team on paper in the NBA postseason. Watching them play is akin to watching a high-scoring football team with a weak defense – entertaining, but frustrating without any stops on the other end of the court.

The Hawks’ watchability took a hit when Trae Young missed 23 games, and even upon his return for the final three games, he underperformed. The team ended the regular season with six consecutive losses, three of which were with Young on the court, as he averaged just 28 combined points, rebounds, and assists during that stretch.

It is a tall order to anticipate him regaining his peak performance against the Bulls in a crucial game. Chicago has limited opposing point guards to the fourth-lowest points per game (23.01) and fourth-lowest rebounds (5.67) in the NBA this season. The odds are set at -127, suggesting a 55.95% chance that Young will fall below this mark, but FanDuel is offering a payout of $18.70 on this outcome.

Top NBA bets placed on Wednesday at 10:20 a.m. Eastern Time.

These are our top NBA betting sites:

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  • Check out our bet365 review and use the bonus code SBRBONUS.
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  • Check out our FanDuel Review and grab a FanDuel Promo Code
  • Get a DraftKings Promo Code and check out our DraftKings Review

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