Germantas Kneita
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There are just 4 games on the NBA slate today. However, with the defending champions in action, it is bound to be a good one. The nights action will tip off on NBA TV with the Dallas Mavericks visiting the Brooklyn Nets. With Luka Doncic and Kevin Durant being 2 of the premier offensive talents in the league, it will be interesting to see who comes out on top. This will be followed by the Miami Heats’ trip to take on the Golden State Warriors. With the hosts 4th in the league in points per game, it will be up to Erik Spoelstra to come up with a plan o slow them down.
As always you can find our full NBA coverage here. But now, lets dive into my favorite player props selections for Thursday.
Domantas Sabonis over 10.5 rebounds (-128)
The rebounding numbers of Sacramento Kings center Domantas Sabonis have gone from strength to strength so far this season. After a disappointing opener, he followed it up with 10 boards against the Los Angeles Clippers and 14 in his latest outing against the Golden State Warriors. Considering he averaged 12.3 rebounds per game last season, we should see more similar performances from the Lithuanian as the season goes on. Look for that to start tonight with a favorable matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies.
Memphis is currently 18th in the league in opponent rebounds per game and can be particularly vulnerable to offensive rebounds. The Grizz are currently tied for 25th in the league in opponent offensive rebounds per game. Sabonis averaged over 3 per game in that category last season and should be able to use this to pad his rebounding stats tonight. With most of his minutes likely to come matched up against Steven Adams and Brandon Clarke, there will be little reason for Sabonis to vacate the paint. Neither of the Grizzlies bigs is effective on offense outside of the painted area. As a result, Sabonis should be battling for every rebound available. That gives him a great chance to clear this over.
Check out our full game preview for Memphis Grizzlies vs Sacramento Kings
Stephen Curry over 25.5 points (-113)
Stephen Curry has gotten off to a hot start to the season for the Golden State Warriors. The point guard is currently averaging 33.3 points per game when playing at home and will look to continue that form against the Miami Heat. A part of his success can be attributed to his 3-point shooting, with Curry making 44.4% of his attempts from deep so far. The Heat are a team that can get burned from the outside. So far this year they rank 24th in both opponent 3-pointers made and opponent 3-point percentage. If Curry can knock down multiple attempts tonight, it will set him up nicely to clear this over.
Matchup-wise the Warriors’ superstar is likely to see time against Kyle Lowry. The Heat point guard is getting up there in years now and is not the defensive presence he once was. With him giving up a size advantage to Curry, too, he may struggle to impact his shooting. Lowry is currently averaging 12 points per game this season. It is unlikely he will make his opponent work hard on the defense tonight. As a result, look for Curry to dominate this matchup and go over his quota.
Take a look at our full game preview for Miami Heat vs Golden State Warriors
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