Thursday NBA Betting Guide: 3 Player Props and Predictions for April 3

The season is winding down, which means some young up-and-comers will get the ball in their hands more than usual for non-playoff teams. In Washington, AJ Johnson has shown flashes of stardom.

Look for him to tear through Orlando tonight. Elsewhere, Bam Adebayo should make another huge impact as a playmaker for the red-hot Miami team, while Deni Avdija is a budding superstar in Portland.

G AJ Johnson (WAS) OVER 12.5 Points

The unknown piece in the Kyle Kuzma trade has started to come alive later in his rookie season. AJ Johnson is a bucket-getter, putting up production with his 30 minutes per game over the last month.

Last night in a home win against Sacramento, he was able to drop 19 points on 14 shots. While the Wiz want to see some more consistency out of their newly acquired rookie, I think he’ll play around 35 minutes per game for the rest of the season as they ultimately want to see what kind of player they acquired.

Word around the league is that this kid can play and that his athleticism could make him an intriguing 6th man or even starter for Washington down the road. Ride the AJ Johnson train in April.

F Bam Adebayo (MIA) OVER 4.5 Assists

Bam Adebayo and the Heat are starting to find their rhythm later in the year. How about six wins in a row for the younger and sexier Heat squad? They have beaten Golden State, Atlanta, and Boston in three of those games while winning each by 10 or more points.

Bam Adebayo has been a key contributor as a playmaker, dropping 4/5/5/6 dimes in each of their last four outings. Tonight, they face a Memphis team that has been derailed defensively since the new year, allowing a staggering 121 PPG since the All-Star break on over 28 APG.

Adebayo is a premier passer out of the post position, and with Miami able to knock down some 3s and play against the Grizzlies’ high pace, I got Bam over 5 dimes tonight.  

F Deni Avdija (POR) OVER 22.5 Points

The MIP candidate is a really good basketball player. The 24-year-old Israeli forward Deni Avdija is starting to cement his place as more than just a good basketball player; rather, a potential All-Star with his post-All-Star break production.

22.3 PPG, 9.3 RPG, and 5.1 APG over his last 18 outings have caught the eye of everyone around the league, as this Portland team is just one or two non-wing pieces away from having something special. Deni has gone for 23 points or more in each of his last three games.