Filip Tomic
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Kyrie Irving returns to the Brooklyn Nets for the 2nd time this season as they hit the road and travel to Oregon to face the Portland Trail Blazers. Tip-off is set for 10pm ET, and I’ve prepared a same-game parlay which Irving is a part of.
Continue reading below to see the parlay, but also make sure to check our predictions on the side and total for the rest of Monday’s 7-game slate.
Let’s get into it!
Kyrie Irving Over 19.5 Points (-120)
Kevin Durant Over 5.5 Assists (+110)
Jusuf Nurkic Over 11.5 Rebounds (-105)
Parlay odds: +649
Kyrie Irving Over 19.5 Points (-120)
With just 1 game under his belt the entire season, Irving should be full of energy in this one. He didn’t show any signs of rust in his return against the Pacers, finishing that game with an easy 22 points while shooting 52.9 percent from the field. He didn’t make a single three-pointer in that game and still managed to put up 22. Against a Portland team that is among the worst in the NBA when it comes to defending the perimeter, I’m confident he can score a couple, so getting to 20 points should be even easier than it was against the Pacers. Portland will once again be without Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum, so it should be a high-tempo affair and Kyrie will once again show us why he is a top 3 talent at the point guard position in this league.
Be sure to check out our Monday NBA mega parlay (+1795 odds!)
Kevin Durant Over 5.5 Assists (+110)
KD is averaging 5.9 assists over his last 7 games, and on the road that number jumps up to 6.3 this season. We all know he can score in his sleep, as in the month of January he is averaging 30 points per game, but what’s even more impressive is the fact that he has gone over 5.5 assists in each of his last 4 games. In his last 8 games against the Blazers, he has gone over 5.5 assists on 5 occasions. Having Irving back on the floor makes his life a lot easier on offense, and I expect him to defer a little bit to Irving and try to get him going in only his 2nd game back.
Jusuf Nurkic Over 11.5 Rebounds (-105)
Nurkic has been a rebounding machine so far in 2022 for the Blazers as he has gone over 11.5 assist in all 4 games played. Last night against the Kings he had 16 of them even though the two teams combined for just 191 points. Playing a high tempo Brooklyn Nets team should result in a lot more possessions and naturally more rebounding opportunities. His matchups down low will be Nic Claxton and LaMarcus Aldridge, and Nurkic weighs 45 lbs more than one and almost 80 lbs more than the other. As a team, the Nets rank in the bottom 10 when it comes to opponent rebounds per game. They allow opponents to grab 54.1 boards a night, so I think Nurkic will have no issues getting at least 12 in this one. There’s also a good chance Larry Nance Jr. doesn’t play for the Blazers, which would mean extra minutes and extra responsibilities for Nurkic inside the paint.
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