Is Cooper Flagg Playing Tonight? (Injury Update, Betting Impact for Hornets vs. Mavs)

Dallas Mavericks star Cooper Flagg missed Wednesday night's loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves due to left ankle injury management.

Dallas has yet to release an injury report for Thursday's game against the Charlotte Hornets (the second night of a back-to-back), but it's possible Flagg will be able to return in this game, as it doesn't appear that he's dealing with a new injury.

Flagg was listed as doubtful for Sunday's game against Milwaukee (before it was postponed) and he was questionable for Wednesday's game before getting downgraded to out. So, it seems like the injury isn't anything serious, and Dallas may just be trying to limit the workload of the No. 1 overall pick in his first NBA season.

Dallas is a 4.5-point home underdog on Thursday, which could be a sign that some key rotation players won't be in the lineup for the Mavericks. Dallas is already without Anthony Davis (hand), Kyrie Irving (knee) and Dereck Lively II (foot) as it hovers around the play-in tournament conversation in the Western Conference.

If Flagg plays on Thursday, he'd set up a matchup with his former college teammate -- Kon Knueppel -- who is his biggest competition for the NBA's Rookie o the Year award this season.

Flagg enters this matchup averaging 18.8 points, 6.4 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game while shooting 47.3 percent from the field and 28.0 percent from beyond the arc. While the 3-point shot hasn't been there, Flagg has still been an impactful player on both ends of the floor for Dallas.

This story will be updated with Flagg's status once Dallas releases an injury report, but from a betting perspective, how should we target the rookie in this matchup?

Here's a look at my favorite prop for Flagg on Thursday night.

Best Cooper Flagg Prop Bet vs. Hornets

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Cooper Flagg OVER 18.5 Points (-125)

Dallas may be short-handed on the second night of a back-to-back after veterans like P.J. Washington, Daniel Gafford, Naji Marshall and Caleb Martin all played on Wednesday. There's a chance all of those guys still suit up, but I think Flagg has a chance to lead this offense regardless on Thursday.

Charlotte has been playing well as of late, ranking first in the NBA in net rating over its last 10 games, but it is just 19th in defensive rating overall this season.

Flagg, who is averaging nearly 19 points per game, may be worth a look as a scorer, as he's taking 15.1 shots per game this month and has four 20-point games during that stretch. Overall, Flagg has 19 or more points in 20 of his 43 appearances.

With Davis out, the Mavericks are relying on Flagg to be the 1A in the offense more often than not, and that usage should be enough for him to be right around his season average on Thursday.

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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