PropBetGuy’s Tuesday NBA Player Prop: How To Fade CJ McCollum in Pelicans vs. Suns Game 2

PropBetGuy’s Tuesday NBA Player Prop: How To Fade CJ McCollum in Pelicans vs. Suns Game 2 article feature image
Credit:

Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images. Pictured: CJ McCollum.

PropBetGuy will break down some of his favorite NBA plays of the day, and will track all his bets in The Action Network app.

CJ McCollum Points

PropCJ McCollum under 25.5 points -118
MatchupPelicans vs. Suns
Time10 p.m. ET
Books AvailableFanDuel

While I successfully played Brandon Ingram's PRA under in Game 1, it was under somewhat false pretenses. I had assumed that Defensive Player of the Year Award runner-up Mikal Bridges would be defending him, but Bridges spent most of his floor time defending McCollum (51%) compared to just 15% on Ingram.

McCollum struggled in those minutes, going 0-for-4 when guarded by Bridges, and a whopping 0-for-7 when big man DeAndre Ayton was switched onto him. This is a microcosm of the Suns stout pick and roll defense, in which ball-handlers shot 40.6% (second) and scored 0.85 points per possession (fifth) against them this season.

McCollum struggled in general in Game 1, shooting 9-for-25. While Ingram didn’t fare better (6-for-17), I expect him to take on more of a lead role tonight. The newly acquired Pelicans guard's Game 1 usage of 29% to Ingram’s 22% was not indicative of the nearly even split these two saw this season. In fact, when they shared the floor in the regular season, Ingram’s 29% usage outshone McCollum’s 25%.

Overall, I see CJ dialing back the volume in a tougher individual matchup, and letting Ingram go to work. I have the veteran guard projected around 22 points.

Pick: CJ McCollum Under 25.5 points (play to 24.5)

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