Keagan Smith details his best NBA player prop bets on DraftKings Sportsbook for Saturday’s game between the Portland Trail Blazers and Charlotte Hornets.
The Charlotte Hornets have been one of the NBA’s elite teams over the last two months, tying for the best NETRTG in the league since January 1. As they continue the climb to .500 with two wins to go until reaching that mark, they now host a short-staffed Portland Trail Blazers unit operating without its two leading scorers.
On DraftKings Sportsbook, Charlotte is an 8.5-point favorite at home with -340 odds to win on the Moneyline. The game total is set at 229.5 combined points.
Here are the top Trail Blazers vs. Hornets prop bets on DraftKings Sportsbook for this matchup.
Best Trail Blazers vs. Hornets player prop bets
Kon Knueppel 20+ points (-128)
When the Hornets selected Kon Knueppel out of Duke with the fourth pick in this past NBA Draft, could they have possibly known what they’d get? The rookie’s expectations felt somewhat low in terms of whether he could become a breakout star quickly in the pro game, but he needed very little time to adjust upon arrival in the league. Now, his 19.4 PPG are the second-most of any player on Charlotte’s roster and he’s hitting three-pointers at a 44.2% clip on high volume of 8.0 3PA/GM. Moreso, he just broke the rookie three-point record a couple of games ago and still has a whole month-and-a-half left in the season. Knueppel isn’t just a sniper, however. He’s also an efficient finisher from two, connecting at a 56.1% mark from inside the arc. The kid is a stud.
As a massive part of the Hornets’ surge to 18-9 since January 1 with the league’s best NETRTG over that span, Knueppel is likely to play a key role heading into today as well. This matchup against the Trail Blazers means he gets to take on a poor defense allowing 118.2 PPG (24th) with a DEFRTG that ranks 20th. Beyond that, Portland sits eighth in pace and 22nd in opponent eFG%. In a positive environment for scoring, Knueppel should continue his recent hot streak. This month, he’s averaging 22.7 PPG while shooting a stunning 51.4% from the field and 50.0% from three across 10 games. After recording 20+ points in seven of those last 10 appearances, he should hit the mark again today.
Jerami Grant 20+ points (-126)
Honestly, we can just call this a 20+ points parlay if we’re combining this pair of picks (with a best bet for the game in the related article linked above, if you’re looking for additional value). The Trail Blazers probably won’t have either of their leading scorers with Deni Avdija doubtful and Shaedon Sharpe out, leaving a combined 45.8 PPG and 33.7 FGA up for grabs. Jerami Grant has already played well this season with 18.8 PPG in a mixture of a starting and bench role, but he’s been in the first five in every game this month so far. In Feburary, he averages 19.1 PPG with a 48.6% FG% and 42.9% 3P%, garnering a usage rate of 22.3%. That’s already an encouraging sign for 20+ points.
The reasoning goes deeper than that, though. Across 11 games without Avdija this season, Grant posts 20.1 PPG. That slight uptick is more encouraging for this prop, as is the fact that he’s scored 27, 21, and 23 points across his last three contests as well. He had a similar stretch before the All-Star break with 29 points and a pair of 23-point outings across a three-game period, bringing him to 20+ points in six of his last 10 contests. The Hornets aren’t the easiest matchup on defense, but someone has to score the ball. Portland should lean on Grant’s veteran presence on Saturday.