2023 NBA Betting: Total Points Scored, Three-Pointers Made and Other Kevin Durant Prop Bets for Suns-Hornets

The wait is finally over.

Superstar forward Kevin Durant will make his Suns debut on Wednesday evening when Phoenix travels to face the Charlotte Hornets.

The oddsmakers have a lot of faith in the Suns, as they are 9.5-point road favorites at BetMGM. Phoenix is the heavy -500 favorite on the moneyline, with Charlotte listed as +375 underdogs. The scoring total is 228.5.

The dawn of a new era.

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Durant will be on a minutes restriction as he returns from a knee injury, and that must be kept in mind as we take a look at some of his prop bets. 

Durant averaged 29.7 points, 6.7 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game in 36 minutes of action with the Nets prior to the trade. It’s unclear how much he will play in this game. Here are three prop bets to consider:

Kevin Durant Over 20.5 Points (-105)

Durant’s scoring total is deflated because of the minutes restriction and because he has to learn his role within the Phoenix offense on the fly.

Even so, the offense seems set up for him to let shots go anytime he is on the court. Devin Booker is the other player who will command plenty of volume, but Chris Paul and Deandre Ayton will be secondary options on offense.

This could come down to Durant’s aggressiveness. I could see him being too passive early on, until the coaching staff encourages him to shoot the ball. Durant is hitting at a sparkling 55.9% clip this season, and if he sinks a couple of three-pointers, it won’t take long for him to threaten this number.

If the Suns win via blowout, Durant’s numbers will likely be deflated, but I think Charlotte will stick close enough for Durant to max out his minutes, which will help him reach 21 or more points in the debut.

Kevin Durant Over 1.5 Three-Pointers Made (+105)

Durant is averaging 1.8 made three-pointers per game this season, which is his lowest in a decade. He is shooting 37.6% from beyond the arc, which is also lower than usual over the past several seasons.

However, I’m more interested in his 3-point numbers when playing alongside elite guards like Booker. Durant has averaged more than two made three-pointers per game at a 40% clip when playing with Kyrie Irving and Steph Curry.

I think Booker will draw defenders when he has the ball, which will give Durant some opportunities to knock down 3s. He is also not as familiar with the offense, which means there could be plenty of times down the court in which the Suns freelance and Durant hangs on the perimeter.

At plus money, I like the odds of him putting up five three-pointers and sinking a pair of them.

Kevin Durant Over 5.5 Rebounds (+100)

Did you really expect me to choose an under among these prop bets? Come on, man. It’s Durant Day!

It’s true that Durant only averaged 6.7 rebounds per contest with the Nets in 36 minutes of action, but look at the Suns’ roster setup. While Ayton will gobble up some boards, Durant will be needed to snatch some as well because the team lacks height.

Additionally, I expect this game to be played at a fast pace, which will give everyone on the court plenty of opportunities for rebounds.

Here is my prediction for Kevin Durant’s final line against the Hornets: 22 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block and 1 steal in 27 minutes of action.