Tonight, we have the last full slate before the All-Star break with 13 games on the docket. In Orlando, two of the top defenses will face off when the Knicks and Magic get together. That could make things difficult for Jalen Brunson.
In the first game of ESPN’s doubleheader, the Cavaliers will host the Bulls. Darius Garland will look to help the Cavaliers start a new winning by facilitating the offense.
Meanwhile in Memphis, it will be a return game for Dillon Brooks. He will look to have another big game against the Grizzlies.
NBA Players Props Today
Following a questionable call to end Monday night's loss to the Rockets, Jalen Brunson may not be in the best of moods. Unfortunately for him, he may be in another frustrating game against the Magic tonight.
Brunson has scored 30 points in six of his last 10 games, but he has not cracked 25 in any of his last three games against the Magic. In that span, he is averaging 22 points per game and scored 20 in his last game against them in December.
Julius Randle did play in that game and the Knicks will not have him tonight. However, Randle also was not on the floor on Monday when he scored 27 points against the Rockets. The Rockets have league's second-best defensive rating at home. Minnesota, who Brunson has averaged 20.5 points against, is first overall in defensive rating while Orlando is fourth. The thing that all three of these teams have in common is a lot of length.
Jalen Suggs will likely be the primary defender on Brunson and he is three inches taller than him. Additionally, Orlando may close the game with Suggs, Franz Wagner, Paolo Banchero, Jonathan Isaac and Wendell Carter Jr., — all of whom are all 6-foot-10 or taller aside from Suggs. When Wagner, Banchero and Isaac share the floor, Orlando's defensive rating is 93.5 and just under 23 points below the league average.
When Orlando switches, Brunson will have to deal with a much taller defender. He shot 4-for-15 from the field in his first game against the Magic. I am expecting him to have another off night against them.
After missing several weeks with a fractured jaw, Darius Garland appears to be back to his usual form. His minutes have increased in each of his last five games and he had 21 points and nine assists against the Sixers on Monday. Tonight, I am focusing on the assists as we are getting a plus matchup at plus odds.
With Monday's game, Garland has recorded seven assists in each of his last three games. He has played 28 minutes in all three games, which is good news for this line. Since the start of last season, Garland is averaging 7.4 assists per game when playing 28 minutes or more. In the process, he has hit this line at 61% clip.
Just one of those games was against the Bulls, but he had seven assists in that matchup. Garland is averaging 7.8 assists in his last eight games against the Bulls, hitting this line in five of them. He was also hooked on six in another. This season, the Bulls are 24th in assists allowed per game.
Donovan Mitchell is in high gear right now and the Cavaliers have their twin towers back with Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen down low. The Bulls are also allowing the most 3s per game this season, which will help Mitchell and other shooters like Max Strus and Sam Merrill. Garland has a lot of weapons at his disposal for assists. With at least 12 potential assists chances tonight, Garland will have an opportunity to covert at least seven of them.
In three games against Memphis, Dillon Brooks is averaging 16.7 points. In the first meeting, the line was 11.5 and he got there with 13 points. However, in his first game back in Memphis, he scored 26 points on 10-for-20 from the field. Tonight's matchup may set up even better for him.
Brooks has scored 20 points in three of his last four games. The Rockets have needed a little more scoring as they have been without Fred VanVleet of late. Tonight, they will also be without forwards Tari Eason and Cam Whitmore. However, they will not get much sympathy from the Grizzlies, who been ravished by injuries more than any team in the league.
As a result, Memphis has won just four of its last 15 games and has a -8.8 net rating. In that span, it is 23rd in 3s allowed per game and 25th in 3-point percentage defense. Brooks made three 3s in the last meeting against Memphis as well as in three of his last four games, including six against the Knicks on Monday.
If that trend continues, Brooks will get over half of this number with just 3s, but he has also taken at least 13 field goal attempts in each of his past four games. With that kind of volume, we are essentially asking for a point per attempt here. If he is efficient again, 20 points will be in his reach as well. You can take 20 points at +230 and 25 at +750 at FanDuel.
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