3 Sides AND Props in the NBA tonight.

The Washington Wizards and Charlotte Hornets played 4 days ago in Charlotte in a competitive game that was really decided by offensive rebounding. Charlotte had 20 to the Wizards’ 10, and while I still expect Charlotte to have the advantage here with Moussa Diabate, I am not expecting it to be so lopsided against the Wizards, a team with plenty of length who will also have AJ Dybantsa tonight after not having him in the game 4 days ago. I’m looking for Trae Young, who alternates a lot between pass-first and shoot-first, to look to create his own shot tonight against Charlotte’s weak perimeter defenders, and I’m looking for AJ Dybantsa to have an impact in all facets of the game.

The side: Wizards ML
The prop: AJ Dybantsa PRA O21.5

The Houston Rockets, 5 games in, look like the best team in the NBA and shouldn’t be faded right now, but unfortunately, I just have to do it tonight with a young, promising home dog, the Dallas Mavericks. These two teams played on opening night, and Houston outscored Dallas 38-12 in the second quarter, and that pretty much tells the story of the whole night. I am not surprised that a Rockets team with very few changes or roster turnover is having such a successful start to the year, and I’m not surprised the Mavs need some time to iron things out, but I like this team. Cooper Flagg looks like a STAR, averaging 25 PPG and 7 APG on 52% from the field, and Kyrie Irving is who I’m expecting more from than we’ve seen so far, especially against a defender like Fred VanVleet. And while I’m not expecting the Rockets to fall flat on their faces by any means, I do think their shooting is due for regression. Give me the Mavs to keep this one close and maybe even pull off the upset.

The side: Mavs +6.5
The prop: Kyrie O18.5 points

The Denver Nuggets have looked pretty rough to start the year, and while the sample size is tiny, I actually think it’s somewhat accurate. This is one of Denver’s worst rosters, top to bottom, in my opinion, in recent memory. They lack depth, and it’s a huge issue. With the injuries on the wing specifically, I think not only Devin Booker but Jalen Green could be in for big nights. Yes, I am aware Mark Williams is out and Khaman Maluach will probably have to guard Jokic tonight, and that’s not good, but Jokic will get his regardless. If you can limit him as a passer and dominate the fast break, which you should, I see a very clear path for Phoenix to win this game against a Nuggets team that I think, even if they weren’t banged up, isn’t very deep and is looking at one of their worst regular seasons in a while.

The side: Phoenix +4.5
The prop: Devin Booker O23.5 points