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 Friday.
Check out our picks for all of tonight’s NBA games!
Dejounte Murray (SAS) over 24.5 points (-105)
Line available at DraftKings at time of publishing.
Dejounte Murray is finally showing off his scoring ability when the Spurs need it the most. The Spurs are currently in the 10 spot in the Western Conference and hold the tiebreaker against the Lakers. This game against the Trail Blazers is a must-win game for San Antonio, and I expect all-star Murray to be the catalyst of the offense tonight.
These two teams squared off over a week ago, resulting in a blowout win for the Spurs. Murray scored 28 points in only 30 minutes. In his last 2 games, he has completely taken over games with his scoring ability. Murray scored 33 against both the Houston Rockets and Memphis Grizzlies. Usually, Murray is one to fill up the stat sheet, but as of late, he has been a scoring machine.
I like our chances with Murray against one of the worst defensive teams in the league, the Portland Trail Blazers.
Be sure to check out our full game preview for San Antonio Spurs vs Portland Trail Blazers
Patrick Beverley (MIN) under 18.5 points + rebounds + assists (-115)
Line available at FanDuel Sportsbook at time of publishing. Playable for .5 units at 17.5
Patrick Beverly is known to be a menace on the defensive end. He tends to guard the opposing teams’ best perimeter players and create chaos. Earlier in the season he was asked to create and assist for his teammates in the absence of players D’Angelo Russell and Anthony Edwards. Now that the Big 3 of Edwards, Russell, and Towns are fully healthy, Beverley is asked to do a lot less and be primarily a spot-up shooter.
In the three-game skid that he is currently on, he is only averaging 3.3 assist opportunities per game and averaging 6.3 field-goal attempts per game. This is simply not enough volume for Beverly to hit this total unless he shots well from beyond the arc.
In 3 games versus the Denver Nuggets this season, he has stayed under this total in 2 of them. His usage rate has dipped below his season average in the last 4 games, and I do not expect the Timberwolves to be calling his number on the offensive end too much tonight.
Be sure to check out our full game preview for Denver Nuggets vs Minnesota Timberwolves
CJ McCollum (NOP) over 22.5 points (-112)
Line available at FanDuel Sportsbook at time of publishing.
This is the reason the Pelicans traded for McCollum. Tonight is a big-time game against the Lakers to solidify their spot in the Western Conference playoffs. Since joining the Pelicans, McCollum is averaging 26 points per game and 25.3 in 12 games alongside star Brandon Ingram.
The Lakers simply can not defend. They rank in the bottom 5 in almost every major statistical category since the all-star break. LeBron James and Anthony Davis are probable to play tonight, but that should benefit us even more. McCollum should be in line for upwards of 40+ minutes, especially with Ingram coming off an injury.
McCollum is over this line in 7 of his last 10 games, and shooting guards Donovan Mitchell and Jordan Clarkson combined for 48 points last night against the Lakers. Expect McCollum to bring his A-game and show the world why he was worth the Pelicans trading for him.
Be sure to check out our full game preview for Los Angeles Lakers vs New Orleans Pelicans
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