April Fools' Day can often be a bad omen if you're simply looking to find the latest NBA news, but hopefully in the world of player prop picks across the seven-game slate on Tuesday evening, we won't be let down by false hope and numbers.
Here are four expert picks for your consideration, including a scoring prop for Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner (-114) as his team hits the road on the second night of a back to back against the San Antonio Spurs on April 1, 2025.
Franz Wagner OVER 23.5 Points vs. Spurs (-114 at Sportsbook)
Preview: Orlando Magic vs. San Antonio Spurs, 8 p.m. ET
San Antonio enters this matchup with the second-worst overall defensive rating (122.1 points allowed per 100 possessions) since the All-Star break, and that should help Wagner reach an OVER on 23.5 points which he's failed to do in each of his last three games. He came close on Monday in a 96-87 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers, mind you, dropping 21 points but only shooting 8-of-19 from the field and 1-of-7 from 3-point range. If Wagner makes one more triple, then the aforementioned streak is broken.
He's actually finished with at least 20 points in seven-straight outings for the Magic, and did register a double-double of 33 points and 12 rebounds across 38 minutes of action back on Feb. 8 versus San Antonio when the 7-foot-4 Victor Wembanyama was still active.
The Spurs have allowed at least 121 points in four-straight games, and just had the Golden State Warriors put 148 points on their heads this past Sunday. Orlando is only scoring 107.6 points per 100 possessions over its last four tries, so this meeting with San Antonio couldn't come at a better time for both the team in general and for bettors of Wagner's props.
Jakob Poeltl OVER 14.5 Points vs. Bulls (-122 at Sportsbook)
Preview: Toronto Raptors vs. Chicago Bulls, 8 p.m. ET
The Toronto Raptors will be sitting leading scorer RJ Barrett on Tuesday, which is convenient when pinpointing props for Jakob Poeltl as Barrett has been absent the last four times the 7-foot center has competed. Head coach Darko Rajakovic has been giving some of his key starters days off from time to time, and Poeltl has been playing every other game since March 4, so he'll certainly be rested against the unrested Chicago Bulls who got blown out by 28 points against the league-leading Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday.
Poeltl is averaging a near double-double of 20.5 points and 9.8 rebounds in his last four games while converting a ridiculous 79.6 percent (39 of 49) of his shot attempts. He hasn't scored fewer than 18 points during that stretch, and has reached an OVER on 14.5 points in seven of his last eight appearances, as well.
Now he only finished with 10 points during Toronto's 125-115 overtime loss to the Bulls on Feb. 28, but Nikola Vucevic wasn't active for Chicago so it resorted to smaller five-man lineups instead, making someone like Poeltl obsolete. That won't be the case on Tuesday, so the Raptors will need Poeltl's size in the middle to counteract Vucevic's presence down low.
Ryan Dunn OVER 12.5 Points + Rebounds vs. Bucks (-128 at Sportsbook)
Preview: Phoenix Suns vs. Milwaukee Bucks, 7:30 p.m. ET
Injuries are never ideal, obviously, but a recent ankle injury to Kevin Durant which will keep him out for at least a week came at the worst possible time with the Phoenix Suns one game back of the final play-in tournament spot in the Western Conference. They now have to hit the road for three-straight road games against some of the elite teams in the East, starting with Tuesday's matchup against a Milwaukee Bucks squad that's at least vulnerable with four consecutive defeats.
Durant and teammate Devin Booker are the only Suns players averaging double-digit scoring over the team's last six games, so deciphering which player will elevate their numbers to compensate for Durant's absence could be a burden. Rookie Ryan Dunn is probably the safest pick of the crop, even with his numbers dwindling over the last three games. He's only averaging 5.7 points and 3.3 rebounds with three-straight UNDERs on 12.5 combined points and boards.
Dunn did, however, reach an OVER in the six games prior, and should continue to start despite his struggles. It's not the sexiest wager, but Phoenix needs production and this is a great opportunity to get in on the ground floor with the 22-year-old wing.
Jared Butler OVER 1.5 Made 3-Pointers vs. Knicks (+116 at Sportsbook)
Preview: Philadelphia 76ers vs. New York Knicks, 7:30 p.m. ET
Justin Edwards is usually the Philadelphia 76er of choice for these player props, but sometimes you need to veer in a different direction and go with the hotter hand, and that's currently Jared Butler shooting the rock from the perimeter. He's started three of the last four games for the 23-52 Sixers, and has knocked down 14-of-22 from 3-point range at a 63.6-percent clip.
Butler needs only two triples at plus money as Philadelphia competes at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday, and he's finished with at least three in each of those four contests. The New York Knicks rank third in opponent's 3-point makes over their last 10 games at just 12.2, though, but the 76ers are listed by oddsmakers as the biggest betting underdog of the day at 15.5 points and will likely need to get hot from deep just to keep the score close. Butler is their best option in that department for the time being, so projecting only two makes with this type of value isn't much of an ask.
