There are just way too many 26.5 point margins on Derrick Rose at DraftKings right now.
He logged 44 minutes yesterday, playing through the entire second half, and I honestly think his job will be much easier today since he won't have to fight his way back from a 19-point deficit.
It feels like Luis Scola hit the over in almost every single game this season, with just one exception.
19, 18, 4 (due to foul trouble), 21.
I caught him playing against the Orlando Magic, and he’s such a savvy player in the post. He really knows how to work those post-up moves; I mean, he put up 16 points in just one half during that matchup.
The only thing is, I personally can't stand playing against guys who can't create their own shot. They rely entirely on getting assists from others—kind of like how Dwight Howard will easily drop 15 in a half and then suddenly stop seeing the ball at all. Damn you, Jameer Nelson.
The Atlanta Hawks are putting up a solid defensive front, though they really gave the Miami Heat a run for their money yesterday with that zone defense. It seems like the Heat just can't seem to find an answer for it.
DeMarcus Cousins just isn't that good of a player, period. Setting aside the fact that he’s a center shooting only 32% from deep—which is a massive liability for any team's chemistry—there have been way too many reports labeling him as a bad teammate and a total bully. On top of all that, he recently requested a trade. At the end of the day, Greivis Vasquez is clearly their best player anyway.
Chicago is going to be without Hamilton and their backup PG, CJ Watson.
In the meantime, Brewer is stepping up for Hamilton and looks like he'll hold his own, though I'm honestly not sure what the rotation looks like for Watson's spot. Having John Lucas III playing that third guard role doesn't feel like the smartest move given he's only about 5'11"🤷.
There's a chance Rosa sees an uptick in minutes, especially since I noticed the odds for him in a matchup against Kobe are sitting at 2.20.🤷
I'm in complete agreement, especially regarding the point about how much traveling Monterey had to endure. That kind of constant cross-country movement just isn't something NBA players are ever truly accustomed to.
I honestly have no clue how the over on Orlando played out; they were absolutely tearing it up with 70 points right at the start of the fourth quarter 😬
James Taylor3 said:I honestly doubt if Pargo is even going to listen. In my view, he’ll likely just hand off the assignment to Taj Allen, who would be a far more effective option for shutting him down. 🤷 I haven't verified the specifics—this is just my gut feeling—but it's a possibility.
And besides, who is supposed to defend Hamilton? 😬
Pargo stands at about 6'2", while Hamilton is 6'7". It is a total mismatch.
Or will little Pargo be tasked with guarding Deng (6'9")?
I don't think I can stomach that kind of height disadvantage. 🤷
Where on earth is 22.5 coming from? A lottery drawing? After he finally started playing aggressively like he did last season, only to be benched today by the Memphis Grizzlies backup PG Memphis Grizzlies?🙂
I took him in his matchup against Blake Griffin, strictly because I’m expecting a subpar performance from Griffin while Derrick Rose lands somewhere in the 20-25 point range.
Betting slip 1:
Pau Gasol under (Andrew Bynum is back, and since the Denver Nuggets have such solid interior protection, the rumors that they might try to trade Pau Gasol for Kevin Love could actually impact things) Kevin Love in his matchup against Dirk Nowitzki at 2.20 (Love is averaging 26 points this season while Nowitzki is at 22, yet the odds suggest the exact opposite)🙂 Orlando Magic over 99.5 (I'm crossing my fingers that the Orlando Magic three-point shooters are feeling it tonight; they should be, considering the Toronto Raptors are one of the worst teams when it comes to defensive perimeter rotation) Memphis Grizzlies +7.5 (I expect a tight game tonight. The Chicago Bulls never really hit their stride right after returning from a road trip, whereas the Memphis Grizzlies are a more than solid squad that could easily give the Chicago Bulls a hard time) Odds of 13.92 Betting slip 2:
LeBron James in his matchup against Kobe Bryant (I'm hoping LeBron keeps up this pace of 30+ points per game, while Bryant should land under 23.) Portland Trail Blazers +3.5 (Portland is currently one of the best teams in the West alongside OKC; they're on a five-game winning streak and have won 7 of their last 8 against the LA Clippers. Chauncey Billups' status with the Clippers is questionable) Derrick Rose in his matchup against Blake Griffin (Just a feeling here—I wanted to play Rose over and Griffin under, and they just happen to be facing off. Hoping for another great performance from Derrick) Luol Deng over 17.5 (Deng has been excellent in recent games, averaging 25.5 against the Memphis Grizzlies)
So, I see there’s an option featuring LeBron James paired with Kobe Bryant at 1.60.
My only real concern here is whether the Charlotte Hornets might fall apart, potentially causing LeBron James to jump ship to the bench sooner rather than later.
The Denver Nuggets are a solid squad; their teamwork is impressive, and they really hold their own at home.
I’d personally bet on Kobe Bryant going under. Once Andrew Bynum comes back into the rotation, there won't be any need to fight so hard for every single rebound.
Right now, I’m leaning heavily toward Luol Deng over 17.5. He’s found his rhythm lately, and since he's seeing about 40 minutes of action per game, you at least have plenty of time to get frustrated if it doesn't pan out 😬.
Luol Deng was also instrumental in those victories, averaging 25.5 points on 61.3 percent shooting. He enters this contest scoring 18.5 points per game, just off his career best-average of 18.8 from 2006-07.