Germantas Kneita
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There is a monster NBA slate today with 20 teams in action. Among them are the Orlando Magic and the Los Angeles Lakers, 2 of the 3 remaining winless teams in the league. Both will be hopeful they can change their fortunes tonight. Meanwhile, the Milwaukee Bucks and Portland Trail Blazers will be looking to ensure their unbeaten starts to the season remain in tact after tonight.
You can find all of our NBA picks here, but for now take a look at my favorite player prop selections for this amazing slate.
LeBron James Over 29.5 points (-118)
The Los Angeles Lakers find themselves in a hole to start the season, having dropped their opening 3 games. The longer this team goes without winning, the more noise there will be around them in the media. I expect LeBron James to step up tonight and put an end to that. James has hit the 30-point mark twice this season already. With the importance of tonight’s game, do not expect to see any drop off in his aggressiveness or shot attempts.
His opponent tonight will be a Denver Nuggets squad which has struggled defensively. They currently rank 28th in the league in defensive rating with no team in the league giving up more points per game. They should also struggle to deal with the physicality of James, with only Aaron Gordon having the build to go up against him. Considering that Gordon has the worst defensive rating of any Nuggets starter, James should be able to put the Lakers on his back with a big offensive outburst.
Check out our full game preview for Los Angeles Lakers vs Denver Nuggets
Giannis Antetokounmpo Over 45.5 points + rebounds (-115)
It is hard to look at the Brooklyn Nets roster and pick out someone who would be able to slow down Giannis Antetokounmpo. Nic Claxton will be the starting center for the Nets but he will be will be giving up a significant strength advantage to the Greek superstar. Ben Simmons is also someone who is likely to see time against the former MVP. However, he has struggled staying on the floor this season having fouled out in 2 of the 3 games he has played this year. With the aggressiveness that Antetokounmpo plays with, there would be a real risk of that happening again.
Last season the Bucks’ big man averaged 34 points and 12.3 rebounds in 4 games against the Nets. To make matters worse, the Nets have lost size in their frontcourt during the summer. They also currently rank dead last in the league in defensive rating. Couple that with the fact that Antetokounmpo is coming into this after a 44-point and 12-rebound effort against a similarly undersized Houston Rockets squad, he should have a monster night here.
Take a look at our full game preview for Brooklyn Nets vs Milwaukee Bucks
Nikola Vucevic Over 11.5 rebounds (+100)
The Indiana Pacers were one of the favorite opponents for Nikola Vucevic to rebound against last season. The center averaged 14 boards in 3 contests against them and he could find himself enjoying similar success here. Pacers center Myles Turner is yet to play this season and even if he does make his debut, his minutes are likely to be restricted. Without his ability to space the floor, Vucevic should be confined to in and around the paint on the defensive side of the ball.
Vucevic will likely see the majority of his time against Jalen Smith. On the season, Smith is making just 23.5 percent of his 3-point attempts. Look for Vucevic to encourage him to take those shots. The center from Montenegro will also enjoy a height and weight advantage over his opponent, which should allow him to be effective when it comes to grabbing offensive rebounds. Vucevic is averaging 13 rebounds per game and has already recorded 17 and 23-rebound efforts this season. With a favorable matchup, look for another big performance on Wednesday.
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