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Zion Williamson of the New Orleans Pelicans is defended by Anthony Davis of the Los Angeles Lakers during a game at Smoothie King Center. We're backing Williamson in our NBA player props and best bets for Tuesday.
Zion Williamson of the New Orleans Pelicans is defended by Anthony Davis of the Los Angeles Lakers during a game at Smoothie King Center. Photo by Tyler Kaufman/Getty Images via AFP.

The NBA Play-In Tournament has arrived, and we have our top NBA player props and best bets for Tuesday based on the best NBA odds.

The NBA Play-In Tournament begins Tuesday with the Los Angeles Lakers (47-35) facing the New Orleans Pelicans (49-33) at the Smoothie King Center. The clash marks the beginning of the postseason, and it will be televised on TNT at 7:30 p.m. ET.

The Lakers are a 1-point underdog to the Pelicans across our best sports betting sites. There are several major talents taking the court in the Western Conference's No. 8 vs. No. 7 matchup, with LeBron James leading the way. We highlighted him in our Lakers vs. Pelicans player props and LeBron James NBA player props.

Then in the No. 10 vs. No. 9 game in the West, the Golden State Warriors (46-36) are taking on the Sacramento Kings (46-36) at 10 p.m. ET (TNT) from the Golden 1 Center as a 2-point favorite. We took a deeper look at the matchup in our Warriors vs. Kings player props.

Here are our NBA player props and best bets for Tuesday (NBA picks based on odds via our best NBA betting sites; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale).

Tuesday's NBA best bets

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Tuesday's NBA schedule and odds

(Odds via Caesars)

Tuesday's NBA player props

Zion Williamson Over 24.5 points vs. Lakers (-102 via DraftKings) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Zion Williamson played in 70 games for the first time in his career during 2023-24 after suiting up for just 29 in the previous two seasons combined. With Williamson seemingly healthy, the Pelicans could be a scary matchup for contenders in the West.

But first Zion needs to live up to his "Zanos" nickname against James and the Lakers. He's in a terrific position to do just that against L.A., which is why we love the -102 odds on his points line from DraftKings.

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This same line is as short as -115 at our best sports betting apps, which implies a 53.49% probability he hits the Over, according to our odds calculator.

But at our -102 odds, a $10 bet would payout $19.80 if Zion hits the Over. Against this Lakers defense that's allowing the eighth-most points per game in the NBA (117.4), we're confident he can score at least 25. L.A. is giving up the fifth-most points in the NBA to power forwards this season (24.95) and Williamson closed out the campaign with eight games of 25-plus points over his final 11 outings.

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D'Angelo Russell Over 3.5 made 3-pointers vs. Pelicans (+135 via bet365) ⭐⭐⭐

This is a game between two teams that rank in the top 10 of most 3-pointers allowed to opponents this season. With so many efficient shooters from deep taking the court, it's not easy settling on just one to back. We're taking a bit of a swing here and going with D'Angelo Russell to produce a significant night. These +135 odds from bet365 imply just a 42.55% probability he hits the Over. But if he does, a $10 bet leads to a $13.50 profit.

Against the Pelicans, Russell get a chance to build on the best 3-point shooting season of his career. New Orleans is allowing the seventh-most made threes to opponents in the NBA this season (13.5) and the fifth-most to point guards (3.4). We just saw Russell end the regular season by going 5-for-10 from deep against this Pelicans squad, too. With Russell hitting a career-high 41.5% of his threes, his sharpshooting will be an asset against New Orleans once again.

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Steph Curry Over 5.5 made 3-points vs. Kings (+124 via DraftKings) ⭐⭐⭐

Even at 36 years old, Steph Curry is still the best 3-point shooter in the NBA and he showcased that all season with his league-leading 4.8 made 3-pointers per game.

Now he can use his unlimited range against a Kings team whose perimeter defense has been a question for most of the year. Sacramento is allowing the second-highest 3-point percentage in the NBA to opponents during 2023-24 (38.7%), and Curry is averaging six made 3-pointers per game over his last three outings.

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While six 3-pointers is a big ask, Curry has hit a half-dozen threes in 29 of 74 games during 2023-24 (39.1%). This same prop is as short as +104 at our other best sports betting sites, which implies a 49.02% chance Curry hits the Over. But at +124 from DraftKings, a $10 bet pays out $22.40 if he makes six-plus 3-pointers.

Domantas Sabonis Over 41.5 points + rebounds + assists vs. Warriors (-102 via DraftKings) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Only three NBA players in 2023-24 averaged more than 19 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists, and two of them are the NBA MVP odds favorites (Nikola Jokic and Luka Doncic). The other is Domantas Sabonis. He's probably the most underrated player in the Association this season after being an All-Star snub despite leading the league in rebounds (13.7) and finishing sixth in assists (8.2) while adding 19.4 points.

That versatility to impact the game is why he's one of only 11 players in NBA history with at least 50 career triple-doubles. It's the reason we like the value here on his combined points, rebounds, and assists against the Warriors. The Kings' big man can beat up Golden State's 15th-rated defense and create mismatches with his frame.

At 6-foot-10, he owns a size advantage over Golden State and can exploit a defense that allowed 43.05 combined points, assists, and rebounds per game to centers in 2023-24. The -102 odds via FanDuel imply a 50.5% probability Sabonis hits the Over with a $10 bet bringing in a $9.80 profit.

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NBA best bets made Tuesday at 11:15 a.m. ET.

Here are our best NBA betting sites:

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