Germantas Kneita
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After a week that has been disturbed by the NBA Cup, things are returning to their more regular scheduling, with the NBA bringing us a 12-game slate on this Saturday. There will be fascinating matchups on hand, such as the east topping Cleveland Cavaliers taking on a Philadelphia 76ers team that is looking to force their way back into the playoff picture. As always, you can find our NBA picks here, but for now take a look at my favorite player props below.
Zach LaVine (CHI) over 20.5 points (-120)
Zach LaVine has been cooking the Boston Celtics so for this season. He followed up his 29-point performance in their first encounter by dropping 36-points against them a couple of nights ago. It was his 3rd game with 30 or more points in his last 4 outings. The Celtics and the Bulls are 1st and 2nd respectively in 3-point attempts per game this season and LaVine seems more than willing to get involved in a shootout from deep. He is averaging 11 attempts from beyond the arc per game against them, up from his season average of 7.7 per game. Considering he is a 43.5% shooter from out there, those extra attempts should help him up his scoring numbers once more. Considering he is averaging 22.3 points per game on the season, it puts him in a great position to hit the over on this line.
Lauri Markkanen (UTA) over 20.5 points (-110)
Lauri Markkanen is coming into this contest after a strong 27-point performance against the Detroit Pistons. He will have another chance to build on that tonight as he takes on the Brooklyn Nets. Over the last 10 games the Nets have ranked just 25th in defensive rating. Over the last 4 games power forwards have thrived against them too, with Giannis Antetokounmpo, Santi Aldama, Evan Mobley and Jaren Jackson Jr. all managing to score at least 20 points against them. With Keyote George listed as questionable for the Jazz, Markkanen could see his usage spike here too. The Nets are also 26th in opponent 3-point percentage this season. The Finnish forward attempts 6.8 shots from beyond the arc per game this season and should be well positioned to take advantage. Back him to surpass the 20-point mark as a result.
Jusuf Nurkic (PHX) over 1.5 assists (+155)
Jusuf Nurkic has been able to record 2 or more assists in 4 of his last 6 games. It should not be beyond him to keep that streak going. While he is averaging just 1.3 assists, it was only last season with the Phoenix Suns that he was able to average 4 per game. His recent passing stretch could be an indication that he is returning to his passing ways here. His recent passing performances have correlated with double-digit rebounding nights. As a result, the Detroit Pistons could be the perfect opponent for him here. They are 22nd in opponent rebounds and 27th in opponent fast break points per game over the last 5 contests. It should give Nurkic the chance to pull down boards and launch fast break opportunities for the Suns. Outside of Jalen Duren, they could have issues dealing with his size too. If they end up sending help his way in the post, he is more than capable of finding an open teammate. He averaged 7 assists per game against the Pistons last season. He will have a great chance of hitting this here.
