JutPicks
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Pickswise was nice enough to give me the opportunity to write my plays up for you all. For those of you who don’t know me, they refer to me as JutPicks on Twitter. I post all my plays with brief writeups every day. Now I get to write even more with no character limit!
I pride myself in being as transparent as they come. My NBA record from last season and this season are listed in my bio alongside with my MLB record. Without further ado, let’s dive into my favorite plays for Friday.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder) over 25.5 points (-104)
Line available at Fanduel Sportsbook at time of publishing
We were all over Shai Gilgeous-Alexadner last week against the Spurs but he shot 5/21 on his way to only scoring 13 points. Since then, he has totaled 89 points in 3 games and is shooting 49% from the field. He is shooting well over 20 field goal attempts per game and doing all he can to lead the young Oklahoma City Thunder.
Tonight, the Thunder face off against the depleted Indiana Pacers. They will most likely be without rim protector, Myles Turner, and tenacious defender, Malcolm Brogdon. These two absences are crucial for Alexander because of how many times he drives to the basket. The Pacers are allowing over 119 points per game in their last 5 and hold the 2nd worst defensive efficiency rating during that span.
I expect Alexander to come out firing just like he has in his last 3 and lead the Thunder to victory in a very winnable game.
Check out our full game preview of Thunder vs Pacers
Cole Anthony (Magic) under 17.5 points (-114)
Line available at Fanduel Sportsbook at time of publishing
I have been an advocate of how impressive Cole Anthony has been in his 2nd season. He is averaging 18 points per game and has been one of the few bright spots for the last place Orlando Magic. Top 5 pick, Jalen Suggs, has finally returned from injury and has been playing well. The same can not be said about Cole Anthony. In the last 7 games that he has shared the backcourt with Suggs, Anthony is only averaging 10 points per game. He has seen his shot attempts dwindle from upwards of 15-17 without Suggs, down to 10-12 with him in the lineup.
Tonight, he will face off against the Detroit Pistons who surprisingly defend the point-guard position well. They allow the 11th fewest points to the position and have athletic wing-defenders to matchup up against Anthony.
Anthony did go over this line last time he faced the Pistons but that was without Jalen Suggs. I expect Anthony’s usage to continue to fall with the likes of Suggs, Carter, and the Wagner brothers taking shots away.
Check out our full game preview of Pistons vs Magic
Desmond Bane (Grizzlies) over 17.5 points (-120)
Line available at DraftKings at time of publishing
The 2-year pro out of TCU has been a great co-star to All-Star Starter, Ja Morant. Bane is averaging 17.8 points per game and is a knockdown shooter from deep. His shooting splits of 47/41/89 are among the top of the league.
The Utah defense continues to take a toll without Defensive Player of the Year, Rudy Gobert. In his absence, Devin Booker scored 43 and 33 points, Jordan Poole 20, Cade Cunningham 25, etc.
Bane, along with his backcourt mate Morant, scored 28 and 32 points versus a healthy Jazz team back in November. With Dillon Brooks still sidelined, Bane is looked upon as the 2nd scoring option for Memphis. Without him in the lineup, Bane is over this line in 15/26 games and averaging over 15 field goal attempts.
Bane is also coming off back-to-back 20 points games and I expect him to continue to get the volume needed to hit this number.
Check out our full game preview of Jazz vs Grizzlies
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