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 on being as transparent as they come. My NBA record from last season and this season are listed in my bio alongside my MLB record. Without further ado, let’s dive into my favorite plays for Sunday.
Check out our picks for all of tonight’s NBA games!
Joel Embiid (PHI) over 30.5 points (-110)
Line available at FanDuel Sportsbook at time of publishing.
Joel Embiid is looking to lock up the MVP award, and a dominant performance against the best team in the league would help his case. The Philadelphia 76ers have looked unstoppable with the acquisition of James Harden. The 76ers have a 10-3 record, and Embiid is averaging 31.1 points per game in 13 games played with Harden.
The matchup versus the Suns will be a unique one for Embiid. On Thursday, the Suns did not double-team Nikola Jokic, and he scored 28 points on 9 of 10 shooting from the field. Embiid has always played well against former #1 pick Deandre Ayton. In 5 career games against Ayton, Embiid averages 26.6 points and has gone over the 30.5 mark in every game.
The scoring title is as close as it can get between Embiid, LeBron James, and Giannis Antetokounmpo. The difference between the 3 is .3 points. The scoring title may not be necessary to Embiid, but the #1 seed in the Eastern Conference is. With a win versus the Suns, the 76ers can continue to build their lead.
Embiid is over this line in 5 of his last 10 games, with one miss being at 30 points and shooting 8 for 12 from the free-throw line and 27 points in a blowout win versus the Clippers on Friday.
I expect a big-time performance from the MVP front-runner in a game that features 2 of the top teams in the league.
Anthony Edwards (MIN) under 20.5 points (-116)
Line available at FanDuel Sportsbook at time of publishing.
The 2020 #1 pick Anthony Edwards has been a sensational co-star to Karl-Anthony Towns. The Timberwolves are on a 7-3 run in their last 10 games and surging up the standings in the Western Conference.
Much of the Timberwolves’ recent success has come on the defensive end. Since the all-star break, Minnesota holds the 4th-best defensive rating and has allowed the 3rd-fewest points in the NBA. Their opponents tonight, the Boston Celtics, are arguably the best defensive team in the league, and wing defenders Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown should give Edwards trouble on the perimeter.
Edwards’ volume has fallen as of late. He attempts 17.3 field goals per game on the season but is down to 14.5 in his last 10. This may be due to the slow pace the Timberwolves are playing as they lock in defensively.
AntMan has gone under this line in 9 of his 12 games since the all-star break and should continue to struggle in this slow-paced, defensive matchup.
Be sure to check out our full game preview for Minnesota Timberwolves vs Boston Celtics
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