Handicapping the NBA: Wednesday Picks

Handicapping the NBA: Wednesday Picks

This article is part of our NBA Picks series.

The Odds

The Picks

Nick Whalen: Trail Blazers-Kings OVER 237.5 total points (Bet MGM)

Sacramento is the worst defense in the league and Portland is in the bottom-10, so the table is set for a high-scoring game. The number is huge -- more than 10 points higher than the next-highest total on Wednesday's slate -- but both teams play quickly, take care of the ball, and get to the free throw line. Portland potentially being without Jusuf Nurkic is a concern, but the backcourt alone is more than capable of carrying the scoring load. When these two teams faced off over the weekend, the total was just 224 points, but Sacramento's 99 points look like an anomaly. Over the last five Kings games, the totals have been 243, 252, 267, 224 and 249 points.

Alex Barutha: RJ Barrett over 2.5 assists (-165) vs. Nets -- Bet MGM

This is such a low number that I don't mind the -165 juice. Barrett is averaging 3.5 assists in 37.8 minutes per game this season, and he's gone below 3 dimes just three times in 11 games. The Nets are on the second night of a back-to-back and could be slow-footed defensively, which could help the Knicks exceed the 106 points they're expected to score here, and that would likely lead to more assists for Barrett.

Ken Crites: I like MIN (-2.5) at home versus MEM. 

The Grizzlies are coming in with a two game winning streak, via hot shooting from Dillon Brooks and their bench, plus their usual strong defense.  I don't see them sustaining the low overall scores against a Timberwolves team that finally has Karl-Anthony Towns back. Are the Timberwolves a powerhouse?  Of course not. But with KAT, they are better than their 3-7 record.

Jeff Edgerton: Austin Rivers - OVER 3.5 REBOUNDS  (BetMGM, 3:43 PM)

We don't know if Rivers will start but over the past two games, he's averaging 35 minutes and has nine rebounds to his credit.  His lifetime average hovers just blow three boards per game but his enhanced role with the Knicks should help him beat this number, especially against a Brooklyn defense that's especially generous in giving up boards after an errant shot.

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ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Alex Barutha
Alex is RotoWire's Chief NBA Editor. He writes articles about daily fantasy, year-long fantasy and sports betting. You can hear him on the RotoWire NBA Podcast, Sirius XM, VSiN and other platforms. He firmly believes Robert Covington is the most underrated fantasy player of the past decade.
Ken
An early RotoWire contributor from the 90's, K-Train returns with the grace of Gheorghe Muresan and the wisdom of Joe Gibbs. Ken is a two-time FSWA award winner and a co-host on the RW NBA Podcast. Championships incude: 2016 RW Staff NBA Keeper, 2019 RW Staff NFL Ottoneu Keeper, 2022-23 SiriusXM NBA Experts, 2022-23 SiriusXM NBA Kamla Keeper and 2023-24 FSGA NBA Expert Champions. Ken still owns a RotoNews shirt.
Jeff Edgerton
Jeff has provided sports content for numerous sports outlets and has played fantasy sports since scores had to be tabulated via newspaper. He started working with RotoWire in 2017. Originally from South Carolina, he's a lifelong Clemson fan now enjoying the sun in Los Angeles.
Nick Whalen
Now in his 10th year with the company, Nick is RotoWire's Senior Media Analyst, a position he took on after several years as the Head of Basketball Content. A multi-time FSGA and FSWA award winner, Nick co-hosts RotoWire's flagship show on Sirius XM Fantasy alongside Jeff Erickson, as well as The RotoWire NBA Show on Sirius XM NBA with Alex Barutha. He also co-hosts RotoWire's Football and Basketball podcasts. You can catch Nick's NBA and NFL analysis on VSiN and DraftKings, as well as RotoWire's various social and video channels. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram @wha1en.
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