Deandre Ayton is overthrowing the points line like a boss, and his recent surge is a green light for the over 14.5 play.

When you're talking hoops and hitting the over, you gotta spotlight players who are heating up like a summer day in Phoenix—enter Deandre Ayton, the Trail Blazers' center who's been tearing up the hardwood and making the over on a 14.5 points line look like child's play.

The big man's been all about that bucket life, especially in his last string of games. Ayton's been putting up numbers that have fantasy owners and bettors alike dancing with joy. Crunching the numbers, Ayton's averaging a solid 14.17 points this season, but that's just the tip of the backboard. At home, he's bumping that up to 14.71 points, and with Portland set to host Minnesota, that's a stat you can’t just scroll past.

Now, let's talk trends because if you're not paying attention to the trends, you're just shooting in the dark. In the past 20 games, Ayton's been upping the ante, scoring an average of 14.85 points. But hold up, it gets even spicier—over the last 10 games, this dude's been averaging 17.8 points. Yeah, you read that right. And in his most recent five-game stretch? An even more impressive 19.0 points per game. That's not just heating up; that's en fuego, my friends.

If you're one to bet conservatively, Ayton's recent performances are like a green light at a deserted intersection. In 17 out of 36 games, he's gone over that 14.5 mark, and if we're talking recent form, he's done it in 8 of the last 10. That's 80% for the math wizards out there. And against Minnesota? The man dropped a cool 22 points in their last meetup. If that doesn't scream "over", I don't know what does.

Peep this: Ayton's been dominating the paint like he's got cheat codes. With a shooting average of 73% within five feet of the hoop and 64% between 15 and 19 feet during his last 10 games, he's basically a walking highlight reel. Whether it's early in the shot clock or crunch time, Ayton's been reliable, and that's exactly what you want when you're looking at an over/under.

Let's not sleep on the chemistry he's building with the Blazers' guards. When you have playmakers like Anfernee Simons and Scoot Henderson dishing out dimes, Ayton's bound to keep racking up points. The young core is meshing like a well-oiled machine, and Ayton's the powerhouse in the middle, ready to capitalize on every pick-and-roll and lob pass coming his way.

I get it, there's no such thing as a "safe bet" in the game of sports betting—that's a cardinal rule. But if you're looking for a player who's trending up, who's become the focal point of an offense, and who's got the stats and recent performances to back up a wager, then Ayton's your guy.

Here's the bottom line: Deandre Ayton is on a tear, and the Trail Blazers are only too happy to feed the beast. With the over/under sitting pretty at 14.5 points, the smart money's on Ayton to keep his scoring streak alive. So, if you're looking to make a play that's backed by cold, hard numbers, and you're all about that betting life, laying down the chips on Ayton hitting the over is a move that's got the stats squad nodding in approval.