June 8th Picks

Lock of the Day: Trae Young vs. Philadelphia 76ers- OVER 9.5 Assists (-114)

Reasoning:

In Game 1 76ers coach Doc Rivers tried using three of his top defenders to slow down Trae Young to no avail. In the playoffs so far, Young is averaging 9.8 assists, getting at least 9 in all but one game. Expect the 76ers to focus on stopping Young from scoring, which will likely force him to dish the ball to his teammates, especially in the paint.

Jacob’s Pick: Royce O’Neale vs. Los Angeles Clippers - OVER 1.5 Three-pointers made (+100)

Reasoning:

O’Neale has been brilliant from three-point range in the postseason so far, hitting at least 3 three-pointers in every game except for Game 1 against Memphis. He’s also making an impressive 52 percent from behind the arc. I expect the Clippers defense to focus on shutting down Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert which should benefit O’Neale, as he’ll be forced to put up more shots.

Anthony’s Pick: Paul George vs. Utah Jazz - OVER 7.5 Rebounds (-123)

Reasoning:

While the Clippers were fighting out a tough 7 game series with the Mavericks, George quietly led them in rebounds with 9 per game. The Clippers might make rotational changes to try and counter Rudy Gobert, but if they stay with their small lineup it will bode well for George. He was the team's second leading rebounder during the regular season, only behind center Ivica Zubac. Expect George to continue to take advantage of his team's smaller lineups, and hit his line in Game 1 of the conference semifinals.