Friday turned out to be a near-perfect day. The Clippers still managed a 26-19 fourth quarter, after Blake Griffin was ejected, while DeMarcus Cousins dropped 27 points and 11 rebounds, which was good enough for a win and a push on the other two selections. With a big eleven-game schedule ahead, The Big Dog is launching into Saturday with some tasty props to bring home the profit.
Miami Heat @ Indiana Pacers
Miami Heat point guard Goran Dragic has been gradually increasing his scoring contributions with each passing month. So far in December, he has scored an average of 14 points a night, after going for 10.8 in November. Oddly enough, Dragic has averaged more on the season when his team loses (13.0) than when they win (10.2). This suits The Big Dog just fine, with Miami installed as outsiders to win on their trip to Indiana. Although he struggled in the Heat’s last-start 99-81 loss to the Hornets (5 points on 2 of 7 shooting), he had been dialed-in during the previous three, scoring a total of 51 points on 20 of 34 from the field, which included 7 from 11 three-point attempts. With the Pacers focusing on a more up-tempo style of play, Dragic should benefit with more possessions to make the most of his recent shooting touch. William Hill Australia have seen support in this same market for over 13.5 points, so taking overs at 12.5 with Sportsbet is essentially a no-brainer.
Selection
Over 12.5 (Goran Dragic points) @ $1.87 (Sportsbet)
Washington Wizards @ New Orleans Pelicans
Without question, this is The Big Dog’s bet of the day, if not the week. The points line for Pelicans forward Ryan Anderson is set at a respectable 16.5, however the stats would suggest that this is significantly light. Anderson is best known for being one of the NBA’s best “stretch four” big men, having averaged a respectable 37.8% from three, over his seven years in the league. Seeing the Washington Wizards come to town should have him rubbing his hands together with delight. The Wizards are the worst team in the NBA at defending the three-point line, with opponents connecting on an average of ten deep shots a game, at 39.3%. Anderson himself has been in good form lately, averaging 19.8 points over his last ten games and 20.3 for the season, at home. The Big Dog thinks this could be the kind of game where Anderson could challenge his season-high of 30 points, so seeing the line where it is looks every bit like a mistake.
Selection
Over 16.5 (Ryan Anderson points) @ $1.87 (Sportsbet)
Oklahoma City Thunder @ Utah Jazz
Kevin Durant probably wishes he could play the Utah Jazz every week. Fresh off his first triple-double of the season, KD travels to Salt Lake City to face an opponent that has been completely unable to stop him, on the last three occasions. The 2014 MVP has averaged 39 points and hit 43 from 47 free-throws, in that time. In the most recent clash between these two sides, Durant finished with 27 points on 10 of 13 from the field. That was his first game back from a hamstring injury that saw him miss the previous six. As if his form against today’s opponent wasn’t ominous enough, the stats from Durant’s last seven games certainly are. 27.3 points at 56.3% from the field, 46.7% from three-point range and 88.4% from the free-throw line. The Thunder’s best scorer is seeing the basket like the Grand Canyon. To top it all off, Durant is also averaging 31 points this season, on the second leg of a back-to-back set and 38.5 in games played on a Friday night. Overs is definitely the play.
Selection
Over 28.5 (Kevin Durant points) @ $1.87 (Sportsbet)
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