Thank you! Your submission has been received!
closeOops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
The NBA has once again blessed us with a massive slate of games, which means there is no shortage of player props to bet on. Shoutout to Jrue Holiday for a sweat-free winner in my season debut article.
There are some genuinely entertaining matchups around the NBA tonight. However, I'm not targeting heated playoff rematches such as Golden State vs Sacramento or Boston vs Miami. Sure, Oklahoma City vs Cleveland or Denver vs Memphis are exciting, but I'm staying away from those as well. It's time to grit your teeth, dig into the weeds, and embrace the epitome of mediocrity that will grace NBA league pass tonight. That's right, I'm setting my sights on Bulls vs Raptors for my second article pick.
Fresh off a nail-biting victory against Minnesota, the Toronto Raptors visit Chicago tonight to take on the Bulls. Opening night in the United Center featured a 20-point throttling of the Bulls, courtesy of the Oklahoma City Thunder. It's only the first night, though; there's no need for a team to overreact to one loss…
Yikes. Okay, enough about the Bulls – let's get into my favorite prop for this matchup.
Toronto signed Dennis Schroder to a 2-year/$26 million dollar contract this offseason to serve as their starting PG following the departure of Fred VanVleet. Many questions regarding this signing were answered this summer when Schroder dominated the headlines at the FIBA World Cup. Schroder led Germany to a gold medal and was named the FIBA World Cup MVP following a masterful 28-point performance in the final game.
Schroder continued his productive play in the Raptors' season opener, tallying 22 points and 7 assists in their win over the Timberwolves. I expect this hot start to continue tonight in Chicago, and I believe his Points+Assists line is too low.
Schroder's big night wasn't a fluke – he played close to 33 minutes and tied Pascal Siakam for the team lead in field goals attempted with 17. On top of that, Schroder put up these numbers in a game that didn't reach 200 total points. While tonight's game isn't expected to be a shootout (O/U is set at 217.5), the Raptors should see more open looks against a Bulls defense that just allowed 124 points to the Thunder.
Aside from scoring, Schroder had plenty of opportunities for assists in game one. A potential assist is defined as "a pass that leads directly to a possession event (shot, foul, turnover)." This is a great way to measure plays set up by a particular player that don't translate to an official assist. Dennis Schroder has the fourth-most potential assists through one game, trailing only Chris Paul, Tyrese Haliburton, and Nikola Jokic. The ball will find itself in Schroder's hands almost every possession, which should lead to plenty more potential assists.
Finally, I expect Coby White to draw the primary assignment guarding Schroder tonight. While he's an exciting offensive player (and one of my favorite collegiate players of all time), White is not known for his defensive prowess. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander just put up 31 and 10 on the Bulls, primarily by getting into the lane and finishing around the basket. Schroder is not nearly on the same level as SGA, but he is exceptionally crafty finishing at the rim, and his ability to penetrate off the dribble often leaves shooters open in the corner for kickouts.
Guaranteed minutes, an abundance of potential assists, and a favorable defensive matchup create the perfect formula for a winning player prop. For my second official play of the season, I'm going with Dennis Schroder Over 18.5 Points+Assists.
