Setting The Pick: Welcome To Wiggins Island

Whether you’ve been a hater or a believer, there’s no denying this NBA Finals has been the apex of Andrew Wiggins’ career Q-Rating chart.

I keep coming back to this tweet from Canadian basketball podcast pioneer, J.E. Skeets, and laugh every time.

pic.twitter.com/nH3ho8jsjJ

 Perhaps the most polarizing Canadian NBA player, Wiggins has kept his critics at bay in the most Wiggins of ways.

All the talk isn’t about his scoring. It isn’t about the flashy athleticism.

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 Everyone is talking about his unheralded impact on the defensive end.

There are two sets of stats I’ll highlight below which translate to the optimal ‘Wiggins Island Same Game Parlay’ if you’re all-in on the former No.1 draft pick.  

Suddenly The World’s Top Rebounding Force

At the start of the NBA Finals, FanDuel was offering series futures for top scorer, three-point shooter, rebounder, and passer. 

Wiggins wasn’t a top contender in any of those categories and opened Game 1 at 55:1 to finish the Finals as the leading rebounder (out of both teams).

After averaging 6.0 rebounds over the first three games, his odds lengthened to 60:1.

Present day, that bet is no longer on the board.

In just two games, Wiggins has leapt into a stratosphere of his own clearing the next closest player by nine rebounds. Jayson Tatum, Robert Williams III, and Kevon Looney are in a three-way tie for second at 38 total rebounds.

As a result, oddsmakers are finally responding to his production after minimal variance in his props all playoffs.  

Game

Points

Rebounds

Game 1 Quarters

16.5

5.5

Game 1 Semis

14.5

4.5

Game 1 Conf Finals

15.5

5.5

Game 1 NBA Finals

15.5

6.5

Game 2 NBA Finals

16.5

5.5

Game 3 NBA Finals

15.5

5.5

Game 4 NBA Finals

16.5

5.5

Game 5