Is Victor Wembanyama Playing Tonight? (Injury Update, Betting Impact for Blazers vs. Spurs)

San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama is off the injury report and expected to play in Game 1 of the first round of the playoffs against the Portland Trail Blazers.

Wembanyama missed time at the end of the regular season with a rib injury, including the Spurs' regular season finale against the Denver Nuggets. The star big man still made the 65-game threshold for end-of-season awards, but there was some concern that this rib issue could bother him into the playoffs.

It appears that Wemby will be a full go on Sunday in Game 1 -- the first NBA Playoff game of his career.

During the regular season, the former No. 1 overall pick averaged 25.0 points., 11.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 3.1 blocks per game while shooting 51.2 percent from the field and 34.9 percent from 3. He did not play against Portland (in three games) during the regular season, so it'll be interesting to see how the Blazers go about defending him on Sunday.

Let's take a look at my favorite prop bet for the Spurs' MVP candidate on April 19.

Best Victor Wembanyama Prop Bet vs. Blazers

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Victor Wembanyama OVER 11.5 Rebounds (-119)

Wembanyama closed out the regular season with 13 or more rebounds in seven of his last eight games, only failing to clear this line in the matchup where he injured his rib.

The MVP candidate averaged 11.5 rebounds per game in the regular season, and I think that number goes up in the playoffs if he plays more minutes. The Spurs played the star center just 29.2 minutes per game in the regular season, but I'd expect that number to rise in the playoffs.

Portland finished the regular season seventh in rebound percentage, but it was outside the top 10 in opponent rebounds per game. That sets up well for Wemby, who averaged 17.4 rebound chances per game in the regular season.

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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