RADIO
With six games in action Wednesday night, it's been quite the start to the season. Players are getting used to game speed and the overall product has seemed watered down. Sloppy play has led to wild outcomes, but as the season continues, patterns will form and teams will literally fall into place.
Starting off with Atlanta and Brooklyn, it's the top defense versus a top offense. Not that offense isn't great to watch, but that top defense also has Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant. Rankings mean nothing.
Between Boston and Memphis, there really is nothing to be said. The Grizzlies are currently a Volkswagon with a moped engine right now. When Ja Morant is back, that GTI Golf will be drifting around Beale Street, no problem.
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The Lakers should beat the Spurs even if the Spurs play well. San Antonio just doesn't have the firepower and betting on a team having a bad night when not in a slump seems silly.
Both Charlotte and Dallas are two of the most interesting teams in the league right now. Everyone knows where the production is coming from, but what bench player for each team is going to step up and shift the game in their teams favor. This should be the game to watch unless Charlotte really struggles to consistently shoot.
The Clippers are on the second night of a back-to-back, but Tuesday's win was easily their most team-oriented win of their three victories so far. Not saying they are going to be fatigued, but they will be ready for whatever Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum are throwing at them. Which will be a lot.
Here are some props to consider for December 30th NBA action on Monkey Knife Fight.
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ATLANTA-BROOKLYN
MORE OR LESS
Trae Young MORE THAN 29.5 POINTS
The Nets are more than likely going to win this game, but that won't stop Trae Young from trying to carry this team like he so happily does every night.
Kevin Durant LESS THAN 26.5 POINTS
Spencer Dinwiddie's injury is going to have a more noticeable impact with every game, so look for both Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant to try and stop the early bleeding by continuing their proficient scoring.
MEMPHIS-BOSTON
MORE OR LESS
Jayson Tatum MORE THAN 26.5 POINTS
The smart bet is to bet the over. It's the Grizzlies and everything is favoring Jayson Tatum here. Except for the fact that Boston could beat the brakes off Memphis so badly that Tatum might not even need to score double digits.
Dillon Brooks MORE THAN 19.5 POINTS
The only reason to bet the over here is because Ja Morant is injured and Dillon Brooks is not going to have a shortage of attempts until Morant returns. A +30% Usage Rate is never something to fade.
MILWAUKEE-MIAMI
MORE OR LESS
Giannis Antetokounmpo MORE THAN 30.5 POINTS
After dominating the Jimmy Butler-less Heat Tuesday, a rematch Wednesday favors Giannis Antetokounmpo even if Butler returns. There seems to be too many mouths to feed to expect a 30-point outing, but the Heat have one of the worst defenses through three games and Giannis doesn't rely on his shooting for production.
Jimmy Butler MORE THAN 19.5 POINTS
If Butler does play, Miami is going to try and make up for Tuesday's near 50-point loss by running their offense through Butler and the shooters. Unfortunately with the Heat, their competitiveness starts with Butler, so if he plays, the over feels safe for him and him only.
LOS ANGELES-SAN ANTONIO
MORE OR LESS
Anthony Davis MORE THAN 24.5 POINTS
With the Spurs pace, and history between Anthony Davis and the Spurs defense, 24-points makes perfect sense. He has taken no less than 14 shots in all the game he's played in this season, and that's not decreasing against this defense.
DeMar DeRozan MORE THAN 20.5 POINTS
The Lakers defense was exploited in certain aspects last game and DeMar DeRozan doesn't really need to watch film to know how. He is one of the harder frames to slow down in the NBA and the Lakers lost most of their interior presence.
CHARLOTTE-DALLAS
MORE OR LESS
Luka Doncic MORE THAN 30.5 POINTS
There is no one on Charlotte's defense that is ready to deal with what Luka Doncic dishes out nightly, but even with what some are calling an early season "slump", 30-points is nothing for Luka against ANY defense.
Gordon Hayward MORE THAN 18.5 POINTS
Gordon Hayward has found his stride early this season, and similar to his own team's defense, the Mavericks lack sizable bodies and defensive playmakers to really get in his way.
PORTLAND-LOS ANGELES
MORE OR LESS
Damian Lillard MORE THAN 27.5 POINTS
This will be a high-scoring outing from both teams, and if Gary Trent Jr. can continue to excel, both Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum are going to feed off his energy and keep this game as close as possible.
Paul George MORE THAN 26.5 POINTS
When Paul George should score, he doesn't. Where he shouldn't score, he goes off. This isn't a huge game, but it is the only night game and not terribly important so I'm feeling a safe over while the superstars take over this game.
