Ricky Dimon
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March Madness may be upon us, but don’t forget about the NBA this week. It begins with an eight-game slate on Monday, which is headlined by a double-header on TNT. It begins with this showdown between the Brooklyn Nets and New York Knicks before the Los Angeles Lakers visit the Golden State Warriors. Both contests are getting the same game parlay treatment they deserve. Let’s take a look at the best such option for Knicks-Nets, and be sure to check out our full game preview for picks on the side and total.
Nets -8.5 (-110)
Kyrie Irving to record 6+ assists (-104)
Joe Harris to make 3+ three-pointers (-162)
RJ Barrett to score 20+ points (+140)
Part of the value in same game parlays, of course, is that all of its components can be correlated if you so choose. That is some of the plan here. We feel good about the Nets’ chances of taking care of business and doing so with relative ease. Kyrie Irving dishing out a bunch of assists and Joe Harris dialing long distance a few times would obviously go a long way in that effort. At the same time, however, plays that aren’t correlated drive up the overall payout of the parlay. That’s the case with predicting a big game for RJ Barrett, but even if the former No. 3 overall pick delivers a lot of points Brooklyn should still be able to get the job done.
Nets -8.5 (-110)
Unfortunately, this rivalry game won’t be a true measure of either team. The Knicks are still without Derrick Rose due to Covid-19 health and safety protocols. New York also listed Immanuel Quickley as questionable and Austin Rivers is out. Rose’s absence is especially notable, as he has made a huge difference for this otherwise mediocre offense. In the last nine games that Rose has played, the Knicks are 7-2 overall while averaging 112.8 points per game. However, it is a completely different story without him. They were recently destroyed by both San Antonio and Milwaukee without Rose. Brooklyn is as good as Milwaukee and way better than San Antonio even without Kevin Durant (Blake Griffin is also unlikely to suit up on Monday, but that is of minimal importance). In the last eight games in which both James Harden and Kyrie Irving have been on the floor, the Nets are 8-0 and allowing only 105.5 points per game. They are on a roll and are unlikely to slow down against a depleted New York squad.
Kyrie Irving to record 6+ assists (-104)
The Knicks are generally stellar on defense, but one thing they yield on a relatively consistent basis is assists. They are in the bottom 10 of the NBA in opponents’ assists per field goal made (more than 60 percent). Over the past eight games, Irving is averaging more than 7.0 apg. There is no reason why he can’t get at least that many against New York.
Joe Harris to make 3+ three-pointers (-162)
One of the Knicks’ best defensive attributes is defending the three-point line. In fact, opponents are shooting a league-worst 33.2 percent from the land of plenty. However, teams still fork up three-balls with reckless abandon against New York; thus they make a lot simply because they attempt a lot. Plus, Harris is so good that the Knicks’ lockdown three-point defense probably won’t apply to him. It didn’t in the first head-to-head meeting this season, in which he went 3-for-8 from deep. Harris is shooting an absurd 49.8 percent on threes in 2020-21 and has drained at least three triples in nine of the past 10 contests.
RJ Barrett to score 20+ points (+140)
One thing Brooklyn actually does well on defense is defend the three-point shot, but that isn’t a big part of Barrett’s game. He is more of a slasher who likes to get to the basket, where the Nets’ defense is barely more than optional. The former Duke standout scored 20 points in the previous matchup with Brooklyn and he is coming off a 32-point effort against Oklahoma City this past Saturday. Barrett has reached the 20-point mark in three straight outings.
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