Mike's Picks (2 Live)
After not playing much for the Knicks, Guerschon Yabusele has logged at least 26 minutes in both games since being traded to the Bulls...
Scottie Barnes has averaged 19.8 points, 8.0 rebounds and 6.6 assists over his last 14 games. This is a great matchup for him to remain productive with the Pacers ranking ninth in pace of play and 20th in defensive rating. In three previous meetings with them this season, Barnes averaged 21.3 points, 9.3 rebounds and 7.7 assists. Immanuel Quickley (ankle) is questionable, so if he sits, Barnes could really go off. Even if Quickley plays, I like this over.
Devin Booker (ankle) and Jalen Green (hamstring) are listed as questionable for this game. Even if they do come back, we know that Grayson Allen (knee) won’t play. Dillon Brooks has scored at least 22 points in six of his last seven games and averages 25.0 points per game at home for the season. I like playing Brooks to go over his points prop at home and this line has been set low enough to make me like it again.
Desmond Bane has scored at least 20 points in six of his last eight games. This is a great matchup against the Jazz, who have the worst defensive rating in the league. Bane is an excellent three-point shooter and the Jazz allow the second-highest three-point shooting percentage in the league. It also helps Bane that this game will be played in Orlando, where he averages 21.2 points. On the road, he averages 17.3 points. Over is the way to go here.
The Clippers shook up their roster Thursday by trading Ivica Zubac to the Pacers. They received another center in Isaiah Jackson in the trade, but he won’t play Friday. Brook Lopez is a shell of his former self and likely can’t log heavy minutes anymore. Yanic Konan Niederhauser logged 25 minutes with Zubac out Wednesday against the Cavaliers and finished with 10 points and eight rebounds. He has played at least 20 minutes in four games this season and he finished with at least 16 combined points and rebounds in each of them. There is the potential for him to play at least 20 minutes Friday, making this over appealing.
After missing six games with an oblique injury, Kevin Porter Jr. played 29 minutes off the bench against the Pelicans on Wednesday. He didn’t skip a beat, finishing with 33 combined points, rebounds and assists. The Bucks decided not to sell at the trade deadline, and they still have a shot at the 10th seed in the Eastern Conference, so don’t expect them to tank. The Pacers have played at the ninth-fastest pace in the league and Porter combined for 35 points, rebounds and assists against them earlier in the season. I expect him to be busy in this rematch.
Cade Cunningham has had a lot of success against the Knicks. When he faced them earlier this season, he had 45 combined points, rebounds and assists despite playing just 29 minutes in a blowout win. In the playoffs last season, he averaged 25.0 points, 8.3 rebounds and 8.7 assists against them. That was after averaging 30.8 points, 5.0 rebounds and 8.3 assists across four regular season meetings. In this battle between two of the top teams in the East, I like Cunningham to hit this over.
Sandro Mamukelashvili has scored at least 13 points in seven of his last 10 games. RJ Barrett (knee) won’t play Thursday, which could open up added minutes and shot attempts for Mamukelashvili. The Bulls have the sixth-worst defensive rating in the league and blew up their roster at the trade deadline, so the Raptors could easily turn this one into a laugher. Mamukelashvili could approach 30 minutes off the bench, which would put him in a great spot to hit this over.
The Bulls traded Nikola Vucevic, Coby White, Ayo Dosunmu and Kevin Huerter as they look to rebuild their roster. Josh Giddey (hamstring) and Tre Jones (hamstring) won’t play against the Raptors, and most of the new players that the Bulls acquired won’t be ready to play yet. After losing each of their last two games by at least 16 points, I think the shorthanded Bulls get blown out again.
The Grizzlies traded Jaren Jackson Jr. to the Jazz on Tuesday. The main haul in the trade was draft picks, so they are going to have a void in the scoring department moving forward. The players they did acquire might not be available yet, which would leave the Grizzlies even more shorthanded. Although Ty Jerome has played limited minutes since returning from injury, he combined for at least 26 points and assists in both games. He could get a few extra minutes against a Kings team that has the third-worst defensive rating in the league, so this over is appealing.
Alperen Sengun has combined for at least 16 rebounds and assists in eight of his last 12 games. With Steven Adams (ankle) out for the season, there should be more rebounds available for Sengun moving forward. This game being played in Houston is noteworthy because he averages 10.4 rebounds and 6.4 assists at home, compared to 8.7 rebounds and 6.3 assists on the road. The last time he played the Celtics, he produced 10 rebounds and nine assists. Newly acquired Nikola Vucevic probably won’t be available for the Celtics on Wednesday, but even if he is, this is still a good spot for Sengun to reach this over.
Cooper Flagg has recorded a double-double in three of his last four games. Going back further, he has hauled in at least seven rebounds in nine of his last 12 games. This game will be played in Dallas, where he averages 6.9 rebounds. The Celtics don’t have a ton of size up front, which should afford Flagg with a lot of opportunities to hit this over.
Onyeka Okongwu (mouth) will miss his third straight game. That means we could see more small lineups for the Hawks. With him out for Saturday’s game against the Pacers, Jalen Johnson recorded 12 rebounds and 10 assists. Over his last six games, Johnson has combined for at least 21 rebounds and assists five times. These are the top two teams in the league in pace of play, which contributed to Johnson recording nine rebounds and 10 assists in their first meeting of the season. This is a big number, but I like his chances of hitting the over in this rematch.
Tre Johnson (ankle) will miss his third straight game for the Wizards. In the last two games without him, Carlton Carrington finished with six assists each. Going back further, Carrington has averaged 5.6 assists over his last 13 games. This game being played in Washington is important because he averages 5.0 assists at home, compared to 4.3 assists on the road. When he faced the Knicks in New York earlier this season, he dished out seven dimes. With a starting job likely in hand, Carrington is in a favorable spot to produce at least five assists again.