Filip Tomic
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A total of 14 teams hit the NBA hardwood this Saturday, starting with the early tipoff between the Denver Nuggets and New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden.
Tipoff is at 7pm ET and we have analyzed the game and come up with our best bets for a same-game parlay. Our parlay is available below, but also check our predictions on the side and total for the rest of Saturday’s 7-game slate.
Let’s get started!
Julius Randle under 1.5 made threes (+102)
Nikola Jokic to score 30+ points (+250)
RJ Barrett under 13.5 points (-118)
Parlay odds: +1194
Julius Randle under 1.5 made threes (+102)
Julius Randle has had a rough patch lately, scoring just 9 and 8 points over 2 of his last 4 games for the Knicks. He did recover with solid performances against the Nets and Bulls, but without scoring from deep in either of those games. His struggles from distance have been well documented. Over his last 6 games he has gone just 2-for-14 and has failed to hit 2 shots from deep in all 6 games. In the game against the Bulls he didn’t even attempt a shot from beyond the arc, which tells me this is now in his head and he could struggle against the Nuggets too. Denver ranks 8th in opponent 3-point percentage this season, so they definitely know how to make life difficult for teams on the perimeter.
Be sure to check out our full game preview for Denver Nuggets vs New York Knicks
Nikola Jokic to score 30+ points (+250)
In his last game against the Knicks Nikola Jokic had 32 points, 12 rebounds and 6 assists on 10-for-16 shooting, including 12-for-15 from the free throw line. Jokic has played two games since returning to the lineup from injury, scoring 24 and 18 against the Heat and Magic. Now it’s time for him to have a breakout performance, prior to his injury he had 2 games in a row of 30 and 35 points. Another factor that could make life easier for him tonight are the injuries to both Knicks centers, Nerlens Noel and Mitchell Robinson. Jokic is more skilled than both of them and if they are not at 100% he could have a monster performance.
RJ Barrett under 13.5 points (-118)
It’s been a struggle for the Knicks’ RJ Barrett lately, he’s coming off a sub-par performance against the Nets in which he scored just 4 points and attempted only 3 shots in 9 minutes of play. He is just recovering from an illness, so that could impact his performance tonight as well. In his last 10 games he has gone under 13.5 points 8 times and he is averaging just 10.2 points over that stretch while shooting 33% from the field and a pedestrian 26% from downtown. The Nuggets have the 4th-best defense in the NBA, allowing just 104.1 points per game, and scoring against them will be difficult. He is clearly struggling and until he recovers fully playing the under is a wise decision.
Don’t forget to read our NBA parlay for Saturday’s 7-game slate
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