Fact #1: The Pistons allow 25.9 PPG to the small forward position this season.
Fact #2: Bridges has totaled 12+ points in five of his last six contests.
Second Pick: Zion Williamson O22.5 pts vs CHA (-130)
Fact #1: Zion has outings of 24 and 29 over his past two contests.
Fact #2: The Hornets allow an average of 25 PPG to the power forward position.
Third Pick: Bucks -6 spread vs UTA (-110)
Fact #1: Third game in four nights for Utah and they have looked bad on this road trip.
Fact #2: The Bucks are averaging 127 points per game over their last three, meanwhile the Jazz have only cracked 110 once over their last five contests.
Fourth Pick: Cole Anthony O14.5 pts vs HOU (-110)
Fact #1: Markelle Fultz is out for the season with a torn ACL.
Fact #2: Anthony reportedly won’t play Fultz-like minutes, but he shouldn’t need to do so to hit this number.
Fact #3: The Rockets allow 27.8 PPG to point guards this season.
Recap: The Sixers look great and continue to be a strong 1st quarter spread play. The Bucks scored 125 points and it felt like Giannis scored all of them instead of DiVincenzo. Fox finished 5 points shy of his over and the Kings getting blown out early did us no favors.
First Pick: Kyle Anderson O13.5 pts vs LAK (-118)
Fact #1: Anderson is averaging 18.6 PPG over his last five contests, including 18+ in four of those outings.
Fact #2: In the first game of this series, he totaled 18 on a season-high 19 shots, despite going 1-for-8 from beyond the arc.
Fact #3: The Lakers allow an average of 26 PPG to the small forward position.
Second Pick:Kyrie Irving O27.5 pts vs UTA (-132)
Fact #1: Durant (health and safety protocols) is out tonight, missing his second game of the young season.
Fact #2: There’s an average of 17.5 shots per game up for grabs this evening.
Fact #3: In his first 10 games in BK last season without Durant, Irving averaged 28 PPG and I would expect a similar full-game effort tonight.
That 2nd pick was TLC until I saw he wasn’t starting tonight.
Third Pick: Nikola JokićU24.5pts vs MIN (-120)
Fact #1: Joker is leading the league in assists per game at 12.8, which shows he’s focused more on doing more in the offense than just scoring.
Fact #2: Joker has scored 25+ against the Kings twice this season and is 0-4 at that number against everyone else, including a 19-point triple-double effort in the first game of this 2-game series.
FourthPick: Clippers -2.5 1st quarter spread vs SAS (-118)
Fifth and Sixth Picks: Paul George O3.5 Made 3Pters (-134)and O24.5 points (-110) vs SAS
PG has been ruled out tonight with an ankle injury, so I’m not playing Clippers -3 1dt quarter spread anymore.
With so many tasty matchups on the slate, I felt compelled to sample a lot of the action.
Thursday: 1-2 (-1.17 units)
Season: 5-9 (-4.75 units)
Recap: JaVale McGee was unleashed to the tune of 1-for-9 shooting in the first quarter — that’s all you need to know about how Cavs +2.5 1st quarter went. Darius Garland came through on his point total, while I underestimated how not ready the Thunder are with their current roster.
First Pick: Hawks Team Total O119.5 vs BKN (-117)
Fact #1: The first meeting on Wednesday saw these two teams combine for 286, which went well over the closing O/U of 240.5.
Fact #2: The Hawks have eclipsed 120 points in every game following their season-opening total of 117.
Fact #3: Even with Brooklyn adjustments to the slip screens, the pace of this game should be very Big 12 football-like again.
Second Pick: Kevin Durant O27.5 points vs ATL (-110)
Fact #1: Durant has reached 28+ points three of his four games this season, including 33 against the Hawks on Wednesday.
Third Pick: Celtics -5 1st Half spread vs DET
Fact #1: Boston is 5-0 ATS in the first half this season, while Detroit is 2-2
Fact #2: Although it’s not in-his-prime Blake Griffin, he’s still a solid contributor, but he be out tonight as he continues to go through concussion protocol.
Fourth Pick: Clippers -1.5 1st Half spread vs UTA(-117)
Fact #1: The Clippers are 4-1 ATS in the first half this season compared to the Jazz who are 2-2
Fact #2: The lone loss ATS in the first half was that drubbing at the hands of the Mavs when Kawhi didn’t play
Fact #3: The Jazz played last night — granted at home — while the Clippers were resting in Utah. If PG13 and The Claw are playing, the Clippers should wear them down early.
Fifth Pick: Gordon Hayward O.18.5 points vs MEM (+101)
Fact #1: If you believe in trends like I do, then you’ll appreciate that Hayward’s point totals have been the following through four games: 28 — 12 — 28 — 11… which should the trend continue, indicates a good game on the horizon.
Fact #2: But let’s support that “outlandish claim” with supporting evidence: The Grizzlies are allowing a league-high 32.8 points per contest to the small forward position early on this season, including a 42-point thrashing at the hands Jaylen Brown just the other day.
Sixth and Seventh Picks: Donte DiVincenzo O11.5 points (-110) and O1.5 Made 3Pters (-134) vs CHI
Fact #1: DiVincenzo has hit at least three 3’s in four of five games and the fifth game featured two makes.
Fact #2: He has also scored 13+ points in four of five contests with the outlier game being a 10-point effort in Milwaukee’s uncharacteristic blowout at the hands of the Knicks (same game with only two made 3s.
Fact #3: The Bulls are allowing an average of 26 points per game to the 2-guard position early on this season.
Recap: The Bucks were leading by 5 with 2:20 left in the first and then surrendered an 11-0 run by the Heat to close the quarter. Elsewhere, Durant did everything against the Hawks, except cook three times from behind the arc.
First Pick: Cavs +2 1st Quarter vs IND(-109) – Loser
Fact #1: The Pacers have yet to hold a lead entering the 2nd quarter in this young season and are 0-4 ATS in the 1st quarter thus far
Fact #2: The Cavs are 3-1 ATS in the first quarter thus far
Second Pick: Darius Garland O14.5 pts vs IND(-121) – winner
Fact #1: Garland has posted 15+ points in three of four games this season
Fact #2: The Pacers are allowing an average of 28.5 points to the 2-guard position through 4 games
Third Pick: Pascal Siakam O19.5 pts vs NYK (-110)
Fact #1: I’m not stopping this “Skilled Big Man Point Total Over vs NYK” narrative until it goes ice cold. I played Drummond on my own the other night, but felt shaky about it blog wise and it didn’t hit because he didn’t get the shot attempts. So it’s like it never happened in our world.
Fact #2: Siakim dominated this matchup a season ago, posting point totals of 23 and 31 points, respectively.
Fact #3: Siakim has eclipsed 20+ points in two of three games thus far and the Knicks allow an average of 25.6 points to the PF position.
Fourth Pick:5-Pt Teaser of Thunder +10.5/Suns +9 (+107)
Logic: The Thunder have been playing close games to start, so the points are just for comfort here against a Pelicans team off to a 2-2 start. On the other side, the Suns played the Jazz well in two meetings last season + aside from a thrashing of the Blazers to open the season, teams have kept it close with Utah out the gate
Tuesday Recap: Kawhi needed 26 shots to reach 26 points and we lost by the hook. On the East Coast, the Nets played “too well” and it forced Joe Harris to get rest for most of the second half. Mind you he had 6 points after the first quarter and finished with 10 — a bucket shy of his over.
I just want to preface these picks with a quick mention that I had amazing reasons to play Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s O22.5 points tonight against the Rockets, including an excuse to use a “Hamilton” gif and the Rockets ruined this opportunity.
First Pick: Domantas Sabonis O18.5 Pts (-121) vs NYK
Fact #1: Sabonis faced the Knicks 3x last season totaling 19, 25 and 24 points respectively.
Fact #2: The Knicks’ front court is returning both Julius Randle and Mitchell Robinson, which are matchups that Sabonis took advantage of last season.
Second Pick: Rudy Gobert O13.5 Pts (-117) vs POR
Fact #1: In three meeting last season, Gobert totaled 16, 6 and 16 respectively.
Fact #2: Subtract: Hassan Whiteside (Sac-Town)… Add: Enes Kanter back in Portland and you have a recipe for success
Fact #3: Jusuf Nurkić will reportedly be a minutes restriction (20), which means more Kanter, which means Gobert should get easy looks at the rim.
That was an absolutely devastating loss for Michael Jordan and co. Starting with that ill advised, potential scapegoat making, ridiculous 3 pointer that Marcus Paige hit. MJ went through the roof, legit most emotion I’ve seen from that guy since hitting the game winner in Game 6 over the Jazz. Riding high, 4.7 seconds left, let’s just make a stop and play for OT. Except big boy Kris Jenkins had other ideas and drains a 3 for the buzzer beater game winner. Crying Jordan memes for life. Would love to see the Twitter analytics on how many times that was used last night, which still somehow remains funny to me. And let me tell you, I’ve witnessed my alma mater lose a national championship game in person and that shit is brutal. The devastating loss, trying not to murder anyone wearing the other team’s jersey and then the 8 hour drive home. At that point just drive your car into the river and call it. Thoughts and Prayers for MJ.
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The 300s 