RADIO
There are nine games in the NBA tonight which means lots of opportunities to play props and win with Monkey Knife Fight.
There are some premium matchups, too. The Indiana Pacers are in Toronto to face the Raptors. The Utah Jazz are at home against the Denver Nuggets and the last game of the day has the Miami Heat visiting the Los Angeles Clippers. The games don’t need to be competitive in order to find value but competitive games are undeniably compelling.
At the other end of the spectrum, the Minnesota Timberwolves are at home against the Atlanta Hawks, two of the worst teams in the league, and yet their big scorers are interesting options too.
Here are some angles to consider when making Wednesday’s basketball prop picks on Monkey Knife Fight.
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STAR SHOOTOUT - EARLY GAMES
MORE OR LESS
Karl-Anthony Towns LESS THAN 30.5 POINTS – This is a big number to cover, yet KAT has done so in four of the past 10 games and is facing an Atlanta Hawks team that is allowing 118.3 points per game, the second-highest average in the league. Since Towns is averaging 25.9 points per home game it’s asking a lot for him to score another five based on Atlanta’s shoddy defensive play.
Trae Young LESS THAN 30.5 POINTS – Young is a gunner who has scored at least 31 points in eight of the past 15 games and gets the benefit of facing a Timberwolves team that is allowing 115.3 points per game, the fourth-highest rate in the league. He’s averaging 27.6 points per game on the road so 31 is still a lot.
Devin Booker MORE THAN 29.5 POINTS – A tremendous scorer, Booker has put up at least 30 points in 10 of his past 12 road contests, on the way to averaging 29.0 points per game on the road. The Pistons are near league average defensively but Booker’s recent scoring run makes him a reasonable pick for 30-plus tonight.
Pascal Siakam LESS THAN 21.5 POINTS – Averaging 23.6 points per game at home, the star Raptors forward has a tough matchup against the Indiana Pacers, a team allowing 106.8 points per game, the sixth-lowest average in the league. In a dozen games since returning from injury, Siakam is averaging 20.5 points per game, scoring at least 21 in five of those 12 games.
RAPID FIRE
Domantas Sabonis +2.5 rebounds vs. Andre Drummond – The number is close, as Drummond’s home average (14.9 rpg) is a little better than Sabonis’ road number (12.6 rpg) but it tilts in Sabonis’ direction a bit because he goes against a Raptors team that is below average on the boards while Drummond faces a Suns squad that is better-than-average in terms of rebounds allowed.
Ricky Rubio -0.5 assists vs. Spencer Dinwiddie – As much as Dinwiddie takes a bigger role on the Nets offense in the absence of Kyrie Irving, he’s averaging 6.4 assists per game at home, compared to 8.0 assists per game on the road for Rubio. For recent comparison, Dinwiddie has only surpassed eight assists once in the past nine games.
STAR SHOOTOUT - LATE GAMES
MORE OR LESS
Kawhi Leonard LESS THAN 27.5 POINTS – Leonard had scored at least 28 points in nine straight games before he was held to 22 in his last game. He’s averaging 26.1 points per game at home and facing a Miami Heat team that is above average defensively, so maybe 28 won’t come so easily.
Kristaps Porzingis MORE THAN 23.5 POINTS – With Luka Doncic out of the Mavericks lineup, that means more looks for Porzingis, who has scored 35 and 38 points in his past two games.
Jimmy Butler LESS THAN 21.5 POINTS – Butler is averaging 21.4 points per game on the road and the Clippers are a solid defensive team, especially if they turn Kawhi loose on Butler. In his past dozen games, he’s averaging 21.6 points per game, recording at least 22 points five times.
RAPID FIRE
Rudy Gobert -2.5 rebounds vs. Jonas Valanciunas – The Grizzlies are heating up and Valanciunas is averaging 9.9 rebounds per game on the road but that doesn’t touch Gobert, who is grabbing 14.4 rebounds per game at home. That difference is too much to ignore here.
Duncan Robinson -0.5 three-pointers vs. Paul George – Robinson, the Heat forward, is a consistent three-point threat – he has made at least three triples in 11 straight games. George isn’t as consistent and is just coming back into the lineup, making five three-pointers, total, in three games since getting back into the Clippers’ rotation. Take the guy who is making threes every game like its his job, because it is.
