There are five NBA In-Season Tournament games on Tuesday's schedule, and two of the best air back-to-back on TNT. Tuesday's first nationally-televised game is an Eastern Conference battle between the Philadelphia 76ers and Cleveland Cavaliers, followed by Jazz vs. Lakers.
The 76ers and Lakers are the favorites, but their adversaries have played well lately. The Cavaliers have won three straight games.
Meanwhile, the Jazz pushed the Suns to the brink of defeat in consecutive games. Joel Embiid and LeBron James have to play up to par in their respective matchups to avoid an upset.
The first game tips off on TNT at 7:30 p.m. ET, and if you’re looking for wagering action, check out some of the best player props we found on the market for the two primetime games.
Best NBA player prop bets on Tuesday: 76ers vs. Cavaliers, Jazz vs. Lakers on TNT
Our favorite player props of the day are courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook.
- Joel Embiid UNDER 29.5 points
- Max Strus UNDER 14.5 points
- LeBron James OVER 24.5 points
- Jordan Clarkson OVER 22.5 points
Cavaliers vs. 76ers betting odds
Look at the live Cavaliers vs. 76ers betting odds from top US sports betting apps.
Cavaliers vs. 76ers player props: Joel Embiid and Max Strus are best bets
Joel Embiid UNDER points
Embiid has done the bulk of his damage in the paint, and the Cavaliers are seventh-best in the league at points allowed in the paint per game. They only allow 45 points in the paint as a team and are just outside the top 10 in defensive rating.
The Cavs also have two great defensive big men in Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley, who held Nikola Jokić to just 18 points on Sunday. However, the team is susceptible to allowing big games from wing players.
They allowed 43 to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, 28 to De’Aaron Fox, and 30 to Steph Curry. Embiid’s running mate Tyrese Maxey is off to a hot start to the season and will likely have the advantage.
The Cavs and 76ers are both bottom-half teams in offensive pace so far this season, which means this one should be a grind-it-out game in which Maxey gets the better share of the looks. Look for the reigning MVP to come up just south of his listed total against Cleveland.
More: How to bet on the NBA | Best NBA betting sites
Max Strus UNDER points
Max Strus has topped 16 or more points in all but one game. That one under was against a team in the league's top half in defensive three-point percentage. His overs came against Sacramento (25), Detroit (18), and Indiana (26).
The one top-half three-point defensive team he hit the 16-point mark against was on a hot night against the Warriors. He finished that game shooting 6-for-9 from the field and 2-for-3 from deep for 16 points. The Sixers are right on the edge in three-point defense, ranking 15th in the league.
The Sixers have allowed teams good nights from deep lately, but the Cavaliers are without Donovan Mitchell due to a strained hamstring. Without his dribble penetration abilities on the floor, Strus won’t benefit from the generous number of open looks from drive and kick passes Mitchell generates.
Another factor is that Philly recently had Nicolas Batum return to the lineup, and he makes their defense much stronger.
Information: NBA Rookie of the Year odds | NBA MVP odds
Jazz vs. Lakers betting odds
Here are the live Jazz vs. Lakers betting odds from top sports betting sites.
Jazz vs. Lakers player props: LeBron James and Jordan Clarkson are best bets
LeBron James OVER points
James has been red-hot from beyond the arc lately. His lowest shooting percentage from deep has been 40% in his last five games. That night, he was 2-for-5 from deep and scored 37 total points.
Tonight, he’ll face a Jazz defense ranked 20th in three-point defense. The Jazz defense is also 23rd in points in the paint allowed, and the Lakers are seventh in the league in points in the paint scored per game.
Many of those points in the paint come from James, who is still one of the best in hoops at attacking the rim. What also works in James’ favor is that Utah’s struggling paint defense will be without their starting seven-footer Walker Kessler. Kessler is nursing an elbow sprain.
Backup center Kelly Olynyk will likely step into the starting role in his absence. Although he can sometimes fill it up, he doesn’t add much resistance at the rim at this point in his career.
Everything is set up for James to have another big night and capture his third consecutive 30-point outing.
Read: NBA win total odds
Jordan Clarkson OVER points
Another season, another rough start for the Lakers' injury sheet. They are still without defensive specialist Jarred Vanderbilt, and Anthony Davis is listed as day-to-day yet again. Whether Davis plays or not, he isn’t likely to be 100% due to nagging injuries.
Davis' injuries limit the Lakers’ resistance potential at the rim and leave them without a primary defender on the wing to challenge Clarkson all night.
Clarkson has scored at least 22 points in five straight games, including three 30-point or more performances. He has also logged at least 33 minutes a contest in that stretch.
As the Jazz's primary option on their limited roster, he’ll have free reign to keep Utah in the game, and the Lakers aren’t healthy enough to make life challenging for him.
Look for Clarkson to cover his listed total against Los Angeles and make things interesting in their tournament matchup.
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