Best PrizePicks NBA Player Picks Today: Value on Duren, Irving, and Holmgren
We could see some moving and shaking with several key players listed as questionable coming into the day, so it could be advantageous to get your PrizePicks squares in early before the news hits.
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NBA PrizePicks Predictions Today
Jalen Duren More Than 14.5 Points + Assists
The Pistons snapped their 28-game losing streak over the weekend, but they’re on the verge of starting a new skid tonight. Detroit got their doors blown off in the last game by Houston, and tonight, they’re 8.5-point road underdogs in Utah. The Jazz aren’t a very good basketball team, but they’re apparently still quite a bit better than the Pistons.
One bright spot for Detroit this year has been the play of second-year big Jalen Duren. The Memphis product is one of just a handful of players in the league averaging a double-double with 12.9 points and 11.8 assists per game. His average of 2.4 assists per game isn’t all that impressive, but it is more than double his average from last year.
Duren is in a favorable spot tonight against a Utah team allowing the 11th-most points in the paint per game on the year. The Pistons won’t look to get Duren too involved offensively, but he gets most of his points via situational dunks and putbacks. We’ve seen Duren routinely playing minutes in the mid-30s in competitive games, so I like him to top 14.5 combined points and assists in this one.
- Play: Duren – More Than 14.5 Points + Assists
Kyrie Irving More Than 21.5 Points
Kyrie Irving missed a few weeks with a heel injury before returning to the Mavs’ lineup in the last game. Luka Doncic rightfully garners most of the attention for this team, but Kyrie was quietly having a nice year of his own before going down. On the season, Irving is contributing 22.5 points per game on efficient shooting both from the floor and from 3-point land.
Kyrie logged 32 minutes in his return the other night, and that was a game the Mavericks lost by 37 points. Tonight, they’re hefty 11.5-point home favorites over a shorthanded version of the Blazers. We’ve got Irving projected for 34 minutes here, but there’s room for upside on that if the game is close.
Portland’s defensive rating isn’t as poor as you might assume, but Dallas still has a gigantic 125-point implied team total in this one. 21.5 points here looks a little low for one of the game’s most talented isolation scorers.
- Play: Irving – More Than 21.5 Points
Chet Holmgren More Than 2.5 Blocks
We’ve got what should be a fascinating race for Rookie of the Year brewing between Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren. Wemby was the predictable favorite coming into the year, but Holmgren has closed the gap ever since. The Thunder have been the NBA’s most impressive young team, while the Spurs…uh…have not.
Holmgren is currently ranked tied for 3rd in the league in blocked shots per game. He’s swatting 2.7 shots a night, which puts him behind only Wembanyama and Brook Lopez at 3.1 apiece. Chet actually improved his shot-blocking output last month, as he averaged a whopping 3.5 rejections per game in December. He’s also blocked at least 2 shots in each of his last four outings.
Tonight, the Thunder will be in Atlanta for what should be a fast-paced game with the Hawks. More possessions mean more shot attempts for both teams and more shot attempts mean more opportunities for Holmgren to bat them away. Chet should have a field day on the shot-blocking front here against the Hawks.
- Play: Holmgren – More Than 2.5 Blocks
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