RADIO
With basketball fully underway, the early season trends are starting to have some merit. Some teams have made early adjustments, some haven’t. Some superstars are starting off slow and some rookies are putting up better numbers than ex-MVPs. Regardless of who you are or who you are a fan of, every night has left you with multiple reason to watch. Games are close and blowouts are still interesting despite the score. We have 11-games Friday and all but the Bulls-Spurs are interconference matchups.
Unfortunately, we won’t get to cover but four of those games, but we’ll make it interesting anyway. A few names that need to be mentioned, Paolo Banchero, Donovan Mitchell, Trae Young, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Devin Booker, and Joel Embiid all have prime matchups that should be looked at the same way a hungry wolf would regard a filet.
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CHA @ ORL
Paolo Banchero (ORL) MORE 20.5 Points – Gordon Hayward (CHA) MORE 20.5 Points
As long as Paolo Banchero is playing we take him for over 20-points. There hasn’t been a defense that can stop him yet so it’s better to play the hot hand and wait from him to prove us wrong rather than buy into whatever defense he might be facing. At this point, if he’s going to have a career night against a frontcourt that’s anchored by Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley, it’s going to be hard for other teams to be better equipped. If he continues to stretch the floor his projected point totals are going to skyrocket fast.
Gordon Hayward had a decent game last outing, but it came because of injuries to primary guards. Not that it counts against him, but realistically, as a former All-Star it’s surprising to some that he’s playing third and sometimes fourth fiddle most nights. Right now, Kelly Oubre is at the top of the food chain because of his aggressive nature, but Hayward is going to be the security blanket until Terry Rozier or LaMelo Ball return. Hayward will continue taking the most shots until someone else earns more usage.
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IND @ WAS
Bradley Beal (WAS) MORE 22.5 Points – Tyrese Haliburton (IND) MORE 17.5 Points
Even after getting hurt last game Bradley Beal almost pulled a rabbit out of his hat. It’s one thing if a player goes down with an injury and you have them on your bet slip or DFS lineup, an unfortunate circumstance, but these things happen. However, when that previously-injured player comes back and almost hits his projections, it can be even more frustrating compared to just losing outright. All in all, it’s better Beal is healthy and if he is 100%, playing against the Pacers should be a cake walk.
Tyrese Haliburton can attest to cake walks this season. Locking in massive stat lines for most of his games, Haliburton has his work cut out for him against this Wizards defense. Lacking depth and defense is not a good foundation to build off of, but it provides for some exciting basketball. Since the Wizards are lacking defense and the Pacers are lacking both, it seems like another great night to take the over on Haliburton’s points since we already know he’ll be shooting the most.
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PHI @ TOR
Joel Embiid (PHI) MORE 28.5 Points – Pascal Siakam (TOR) MORE 22.5 Points
The Raptors can’t stop Joel Embiid, but that’s ok since the 76ers can’t stop the Raptors. Embiid might go off for 40-points, but Toronto will still have a lead and gladly concede paint points to Embiid in exchange for winning the game. It’s not guaranteed James Harden will provide big games, so until that becomes more fact than fiction, you have to stick with what has been proven. Embiid gets his touches every possession and when push comes to shove, Embiid is getting the ball late-game. Even if this game isn’t close, Toronto can’t do much to stop Embiid.
It’s hard saying this with how well Pascal Siakam has been playing lately. It hasn’t been pretty, but when Siakam has his offense rolling, he’s a tough individual to stop. He might not have a wide plethora of moves, but what he has works and his size allows him to use his repetitive nature to his advantage. He’s able to make quick adjustments out of spins toward the rim to create for teammates and it’s extremely difficult to defend. Since Siakam posted 20-points and 13-assists when these teams played Wednesday, it’s only fair to assume he’ll continue to produce Friday night.
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HOU @ POR
Anfernee Simons (POR) MORE 23.5 Points – Jalen Green (HOU) MORE 22.5 Points
This isn’t the first time Anfernee Simons is taking the reigns of this offense, but he’ll likely fall in behind Jerami Grant. Simons exploded against the Nuggets in the third quarter Monday night and has somewhat made it known that he is deserving of the shots Lillard won’t be taking for the next couple weeks. Jerami Grant will be the focal point, but he won’t carry the ball up and he also won’t likely initiate the offense, leaving that up for Simons. Expect Simons to play a more passive role and to involve his teammates since Portland is left without its generational talent.
With Kevin Porter Jr. as your backcourt companion, your stat line can vary fairly significantly. Both Porter Jr. and Jalen Green are streaky shooters so it can be tough to feel comfortable taking them for 20-points each night, but they have the trust of their teammates. Jabari Smith has no problem looking for offensive boards and both Green and Porter seem happy to provide them. 23-points is going to be a risky bet, but without Lillard this game might be closer than most might think.
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