June 1st Picks

Lock of the Day: Austin Rivers vs. Portland Trail Blazers - OVER 1.5 Three-pointers made (-130)

Reasoning:

Rivers was a late-season addition to the Nuggets and has immediately helped fill the space left by Jamal Murray’s ACL tear. Rivers has been an efficient three-point shooter in the playoffs, shooting 56.3% from range in the last 3 games. If the game is more competitive expect Rivers to be more involved, which should guarantee he hits his line.

Jacob’s Pick: Marcus Smart vs. Brooklyn Nets - OVER 15.5 Points (-130)

Reasoning:

Smart has been efficient against the Nets all year, scoring at least 16 points in five of the six matchups. A majority of Smart’s points come from behind the three-point arc and even in an inefficient 2-of-9 performance from deep in Game 4, Smart was still able to score 16. With Kemba Walker doubtful for Game 5, expect Smart to step up and take on a larger role offensively for the Celtics.

Anthony’s Pick: Jusuf Nurkic vs. Denver Nuggets - OVER 14.5 Points (+100)

Reasoning:

With the exception of Game 2, Nurkic has quietly been a consistent scorer against Nikola Jokic in this series. He scored 16 in Game 1, and 13 in Game 3. The oft-injured center has his best game yet in Game 4 scoring 17 points in Game 4 and being the primary defender responsible for Jokic having an off night. Expect Nurkic to continue to grow in confidence offensively, and to hit over his points line which is great value based on his recent play.