Damian Lillard was considered a municipal treasure when he played for the Portland Trail Blazers over his first 11 NBA seasons. A player who stayed in the Pacific Northwest for more than a decade after going to college at Weber State.

The years and years of coming up short wore Lillard down, and things went downhill for the Blazers after they reached the Western Conference finals in 2019 and got swept by the Lakers.

Tonight, he returns to the Rose City as a member of the Milwaukee Bucks in a game that will be televised by ESPN. It will be the first “alumni game” of a career in which Lillard has knocked down 2,517 career 3-pointers while earning the nickname “Dame Dollar” for his propensity for hitting shots in the clutch.

Like Suns-Nets on ABC, this is a showcase game that Disney executives circled on their calendars when making the national broadcast schedule last summer. It is the final game of the night with a 10 p.m. EDT start time, and, yes, we expect Lillard to put on a show.

NBA Player Props Tonight for Wednesday, January 31, 2024

Damian Lillard 35+ points 

Lillard has scored 35 or more only five times this season after doing it 23 times last season for Portland, including a 71-point outburst against Houston and a 60-point night against Utah. That scoring prowess still exists even though the Bucks have not harnessed it because they are not a one-man show the way the Blazers were. We expect the Bucks players to defer to Lillard in his alumni game and allow him to try to put on a show for the same fans he entertained for so many seasons when Portland was his home.

The Pick: Damian Lillard to score 35 or more points (+525)

Cody Martin double-double 

With the Hornets being down so many regulars, they are giving extended minutes to guys who are playing for contracts or extensions,. One of whom is Martin, the fifth-year forward from Nevada who will be playing in just his 16th game of the season. He had 14 points, eight assists and six rebounds last time out against the Knicks in 31 minutes. If he keeps his mistakes down (he had five turnovers vs. New York), coach Steve Clifford will let him play more than usual.

The Pick: Cody Martin to have a double-double (+850)

Donovan Mitchell 12+ assists 

Mitchell has had 12 or more assists twice this month and three times this season. With a second big man to toss lobs to, he is not a bad bet to do it for a second game in a row, especially if the Cavs can get Detroit’s Jalen Duren into foul trouble and then feed Mobley and Jarrett Allen down low. At +1400, this line is too enticing to pass up, even with 10 or more assists listed at +475. If Garland sits, we like this one even better. That call may not be made until shortly before tipoff.

The Pick: Donovan Mitchell to have 12 or more assists (+1400)

Domantas Sabonis 18+ rebounds 

Sabonis is coming off a game in which he grabbed a career-best 26 rebounds against Memphis. He became the only player other than Wilt Chamberlain to have at least 20 points, 25 rebounds, five assists and a shooting percentage of 90 percent or better. He has now grabbed 18 or more rebounds six times, four of them happening this month. Why not another against a reeling Heat team after a nice day at the beach?

The Pick: Domantas Sabonis to grab at least 18 rebounds (+525)

Odds are subject to change*

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