NBA Picks

I’ll trade this scoring line up to 30.5.

With so many of Oklahoma City’s key offensive weapons sidelined, SGA will be leaned on even more heavily for his scoring prowess. The absences of Holmgren, Williams, Caruso and Wallace leave 41.3 ppg up for grabs.

The reigning MVP has found success against Cleveland, scoring 30 or more in five straight matchups with the Cavaliers, including two straight on the road.

Daniels will have a bigger hand in running the offense, with up to 14 assists sitting out this game for the Hawks. His minutes, assists and assists per 48 are all up over recent games. 

Michael Porter Jr. was one of the few bright spots for the Nets last year, as he averaged 24.2 ppg to set a new career high for the former Denver Nugget. Porter is scoring 21.2 ppg to start the season, and has gotten to the 20+ mark four times already. With the New York Knicks playing some fairly mediocre defense, I see Porter as a good bet to hit 20+ points at up to 55%.

Play up to 55%. Young is averaging 20.7 PPG and has cleared 19.5 points in all but one appearance this season. Orlando ranks 25th in defensive rating and allows 21.5 PPG to opposing point guards. With the Magic struggling to defend the perimeter, I expect Young to deliver another 20-point performance.

Play up to 65%. Robinson is averaging 3.7 made threes on 8.8 attempts per game, clearing this line in four of six outings. Charlotte is allowing opponents to shoot 37.1% from deep, and Detroit's excellent ball movement should give Robinson plenty of opportunities to knock down 3+ triples.

While the 76ers have been in plenty of close games to date, they've also had to grind out victories against the likes of the Knicks (twice), Cavs and an improved Hornets squad. Meanwhile, Philly notched an 11-point win over the lowly Bucks, while the Bulls check in with an Eastern Conference-worst -21.3-point average scoring margin on the road. 

Playable up to 4.5. White has dished 4+ dimes in five of his six outings this season while averaging 5.2 APG. Houston's army of long-armed defenders will limit paths to the rim, but that suits White's drive-and-kick game.

Play up to 48%. Peterson has cleared 14.5 points in consecutive games, scoring 16 and 18, respectively. The rookie is averaging 13.3 PPG with a 21.7% usage rate, and San Antonio is allowing 20.4 PPG to opposing shooting guards. I like Peterson's chances of reaching 15 points again.

Give me the Nuggets at 61%, as I price them closer to 67% against Portland. The key is pulling Donovan Clingan away from the paint, and Denver has the perfect two-man game to exploit that. Jamal Murray's shooting and Jokic's pick-and-pop ability will force Clingan to defend on the perimeter, opening driving lanes for Denver to attack the rim.

Playable up to 60%.

When Miami had a goose egg in the win column through four games, all Adebayo was contributing to the cause was a measly 11.8 points on 40% shooting and 16.7% from distance.

It's no coincidence that the Heat getting their groove back has coincided with the three-time All-Star playing some of his best basketball. Adebayo has averaged 25.5 points over his last two appearances, shooting 63.3% from the field while bringing down nine rebounds per contest. 

It's reassuring to see that the 29-year-old big man is still capable of monster numbers, even with the Greek Freak filling up the stat sheet in his own right.

Play up to 55%.

Toronto is incredibly weak as a unit shooting the rock from behind the arc, ranking 25th in makes (11.7) and 24th in efficiency (32%). That makes Ja'Kobe Walter's contributions in that department all the more valuable.

The 22-year-old sniper is 26th amongst players in both triples per game (2.8) and total threes (17), all the while converting a career-high 41.5%. 

He's gone four games in a row with at least three 3-pointers, as well, making him the perfect threat to abuse a Clippers defense that's proven incapable of slowing down hot shooting.