Xam’s Daily Gems:
Spurs Money Line -152
The Spurs have certainly not been very good this year, but the Pistons have been the single worst team in the league. The Pistons got that historic losing streak off their backs, but they’ve gone right back to losing since they beat the Raptors. The Spurs have lost 5 in a row, but 4 of those losses were by single digits against quality teams. They’re also well rested coming into this game, as they’ve only played once since January 4th. Victor Wembanyama has lived up to the hype. He is in the running for Rookie of The Year and is well deserving of the recognition. Devin Vassell and Tre Jones are also capable scorers who have played well at times. The Pistons are on the 2nd night of a back-to-back and are dealing with significant injuries. Arguably their two best players, Cade Cunningham and Isaiah Stewart, are out. This will be there 3rd game in 4 nights and 4th game since January 5th. The Spurs are the more rested team, have the better roster, and the better coach. It may be ugly, but they should get it done tonight.
Timberwolves/Celtics Over 224 Points -110
The Celtics are one of the best offensive teams in the league. Led by Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, they’ve been an offensive juggernaut. Even without Kristaps Porzingis, they still have plenty of firepower. They’re averaging 121 points for the season and about 123 points at home. Guys like Derrick White, Jrue Holiday, and even Payton Pritchard are capable of stepping up and putting up points for Boston. The concern here would be Minnesota, who only give up on average about 107 points per game. However, they have yet to face an opponent like this in their own building. This kind of game will stress them defensively. They’ll need guys like Anthony Edwards, Rudy Gobert, and Karl-Anthony Towns to step up in order to have a shot in this game. Boston has been perfect at home this year, at 17-0. If Minnesota wants to win this game, and they’re certainly capable of it, they’ll need to be on their game shooting wise.
Jayson Tatum Over 39.5 Points + Rebounds + Assists -111
Tatum has been on fire lately. He’s averaging just 30 points, over 8 rebounds and just under 6 rebounds in his last 10 games. He’s scored 30 or more points in 4 of his last 5 games and has 9 or more rebounds in each of his last 3 games. With Kristaps Porzingis out, expect Tatum to take on more of a load tonight. This is a game that can certainly feature a lot of scoring, which would open up more opportunities for Tatum to impact the game. He’s also been very efficient from beyond the arc. In his last 10 games, he’s hitting 44% of his 3 point shots. If he keeps thgat efficiency going tonight, he will be able to score in bunches.
Stephen Curry Over 38.5 Points + Rebounds + Assists -111
Steph is coming off perhaps the worst game of his career in his last game. He went 2-14 from the floor, finished with 9 points, and didn’t hit a single 3 pointer. He should be absolutely locked in tonight. That game should be simply thrown out the window as an outlier. He should be well rested coming into this game, as the Warriors have only played one game since January 5th. This is also a game that has a very high projected point total, so Curry should have plenty of chances to impact the game. The last time he faced the Pelicans, all he did was drop a staggering 42 points. Overall, he’s been more confident at home this year. He’s averaging over 3 points more per game a rebound more per game at home than on the road.
Klay Thompson Over 24.5 Points + Rebounds + Assists -111
By any measure, Klay Thompson has had a down season. His point totals and shooting efficiency, both field goal % and 3P% are both down compared to his career averages. However, he may be finally starting to turn a corner. He’s scored at least 15 points in each of his last 4 games and has 24 or more points in 2 of those games. His hot streaks may be fewer and farther in between than when he was younger, but he knows what it takes to play in this league and how to score. He will also benefit from what should be a fast paced game with a lot of scoring. Expect him to keep his recent hot streak going, in a game the Warriors need to win. The Warriors have a lot of work to do to get back into the playoff race, and Thompson is going to be a big piece of that.