Germantas Kneita
The NBA brings us 9 games on Saturday that will be see a clash between two of the biggest media markets. The Los Angeles Lakers will be taking a trip east to take on the New York Knicks. Both teams have been great this season and find themselves in playoff position. And with LeBron James under the bright lights of Maddison Square Garden, we can expect fireworks tonight.
You can find ourgame previews here for Saturdays NBA action. But for now take a look at my player prop selections below.
Deandre Ayton (POR) over 15.5 points (+100)
Deandre Ayton has been in great form for the Portland Trail Blazers. He has managed to surpass the 20-point mark in each of his last 3 games, hitting the over on this line. He will be going up against his former team in the Phoenix Suns and should be motivated to keep his run going here. The Suns have been giving up second chance points lately, ranking 24th in opponent scoring in that category during the last 10 games. With Ayton being in the top 20 among players in offensive rebounds per game this season, he should be benefiting from these opportunities here. While he did struggle for efficiency the last time he faced off against the Suns, his current form suggests that’s unlikely to repeat itself. If he ends up taking at least 13 shots, I will feel confident about him hitting this. I’m expecting his team mates to feed him the ball tonight.
Nick Smith Jr. (CHA) under 10.5 points (-113)
The Charlotte Hornets are in a rough spot of form, especially with LaMelo Ball being out. The struggles of Nick Smith Jr. are not helping matters. The guard has failed to hit double-digit points in 5 of his last 6 games, shooting the ball horrendously in the process. He has knocked down just 4 of his last 34 3-point attempts during that time. It has meant that he managed to shoot 40% from the field just once over that stretch, coming in under that mark in all the other contests. He will also be matched up against Russell Westbrook, who is not going to give him an easy night considering the pressure he tends to put on the ball. Off the ball, the Hornets lack players who can force the Nuggets defense to collapse, so do not expect Smith Jr. to have time to dwell on the ball. When a player has been this cold, the under looks like a great pick.
