
Alex's Picks (2 Live)
Alex's Past Picks
Franz Wagner has enjoyed a terrific season but much like his team has struggled, Wagner's scoring has dipped in the month of March. Wagner is averaging just 21.8 PPG and has been held under this line in three of his previous four appearances. Minnesota is also very tough on opposing forwards and have been playing great defense recently. The Magic are on the back half of a B2B and on the road where they are double digit underdogs. Lots of ways for Wagner to stay under this line.
Ja Morant has had 28+ points in four consecutive games, however he has faced four of the best possible matchups. Morant doesn't look right to me and his outside shot has not been reliable. He's really struggled from an efficiency standpoint having shot just 50% or better once in his previous twelve appearances. Now he faces a Cleveland that ranks 6th in Defensive Efficiency and have two exceptional rim protectors in Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen. Jaren Jackson could also potentially return to the lineup as well. I expect Ja to continue to struggle from the field.
We're getting a sizable discount on this scoring line for Fred VanVleet who missed around 10 days due to an ankle strain. This will be VanVleet's second game back and he logged 28 minutes in his return. I expect that number to eclipse 30 tonight and there is likely to be some additional shots available as Amen Thompson who is the teams third leading scorer is out.The Mavs meanwhile have surrendered at least 122 points in seven consecutive games and have been getting torched. VanVleet could go over this line in a half if he is aggressive.
Going back to the proverbial well and fading one of my favorite players to pick on Ivica Zubac. To Zubac's credit hes having a tremendous season and he has maintained his production and usage despite appearing like a regression candidate. This is just a big number that I would fade regardless of the opponent, especially with Kawhi Leonard back in then lineup which he is expected to play tonight.
Trey Murphy has had a solid season and is averaging career highs in every statistical category. However I expect him to potentially struggle tonight against Orlando who play at the slowest pace in the league, in addition to ranking third in Defensive Efficiency. Furthermore the Magic defend opposing SGs better than any team in the league and surrender the fewest points to the position per 48 minutes. With over half of Murphys field goal attempts coming from behind the arc and with Orlando allowing the fewest three point field goals per game, it doesn't get much more difficult from a matchup standpoint.
The Bulls will be without both Josh Giddey and Lonzo Ball tonight. Meanwhile the Nets are an above average team defensively and still compete. They also play at the second slowest pace in the league. I dont often play totals but this is a rare one that I do like.
Deni Avdija has been a nice addition to the young Blazers and is coming off a monster performance where he exploded for 36/16/6. As a result, we're looking at an inflated combo line considering Avdija averages 25.3 PRA this season. In addition to this combo line being bloated, I also consider it a difficult matchup against a Knicks team who are very tough on opposing forwards.
This is a big line for Russell Westbrook who averages approximately 23.9 PRA on the season. Westbrook has played good basketball for the Nuggets this season. With that being said, Westbrook's efficiency has been spotty and I would also rate this a difficult matchup as the Timberwolves rank 7th in Total Defense, in addition to playing at the sixth slowest pace.
This is a monster line for Ivica Zubac who averages a combined 31.0 PRA this season. The reason this line is inflated is because Kawhi Leonard is unlikely to suit up for this game as it is the second half of a B2B set for the Clippers. While you'd think that would result in an uptick in usage for Zubac, he averages just 29.3 PRA without Leonard, compared to 34.1 PRA with Leonard in the lineup. This would also qualify as a difficult matchup as the Heat surrender the 5th fewest points to opposing Centers. I'd play this for a full unit at 33.5.
This is a big number for Jaylen Brown who averages 23.3 PPG. It is also a very difficult matchup against an OKC Thunder squad that sports the best defense in the league, in addition to possessing an elite perimeter defense. I'm speculating a bit here that Jayson Tatum who is Questionable will suit up for this game. In the event Tatum is active, we could see this line drop to 22.5. If Tatum ends up inactive, the Thunder are still capable of holding Brown in check. Either way I'm willing to roll the dice.
This is a big number for Trey Murphy who is averaging 21.8 PPG this season, however his scoring is a bit inflated as a result of the Pelicans roster dealing with numerous injuries to key rotational players. The Pelicans are expected to have Zion and CJ McCollum in the lineup which will impact his touches. I also consider this a tough matchup against a Clippers team that plays at the 7th slowest pace, in addition to sporting the 4th best defense.
It's never pleasant fading Steph Curry however this is a big number for the future hall of famer. Curry is averaging 24.5 PPG on the season and that number actually dwindles to 23.2 at home. The Warriors are also 12 point favorites here and I can imagine Steve Kerr will be careful with Currys minutes as they approach the playoffs. Curry is more than capable of blasting over this but will he need to?
This is a big number for Miles Bridges who averages 20.9 PPG. Furthermore Bridges averages only 20.4 PPG when LaMelo Ball is active and in the lineup which he is expected to be tonight. I would also rate this as a difficult matchup against a Miami Heat team that plays at the third slowest pace in the league. This is also the third game in four days for the Hornets and they are nearly double digit underdogs which provides us with some additional blowout odds. Bridges has also played poorly on the road this year where he shoots just 41%.