Handicapping the NBA: Friday Picks

With Kevin Durant and James Harden out, can Kyrie Irving have a monster game against Portland?
Handicapping the NBA: Friday Picks
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Alex Barutha

Kyrie Irving OVER 36.5 points+assists (-125) vs. POR -- FanDuel (1:15 PM CT)

Irving is coming off a one-game absence due to a groin injury, which is a fair cause for concern. But I still like this prop considering Kevin Durant is sitting out on the second night of a back-to-back, and James Harden is still out. With Durant and Harden off the court, Irving averages 29.3 points and 9.1 assists per 36 minutes. Portland's backcourt duo, while great on offense, doesn't contain opposing guards well.

Ja Morant OVER 28.5 points+assists (-102) vs. ORL -- FanDuel (1:38 PM CT)

Morant has struggled with consistency and is coming off a 10-point, eight-assist performance against the Trail Blazers. But before that, he averaged 29.2 points and 7.6 assists in five prior games. Despite their 19-43 record, the Magic are good at limiting opponent scoring, allowing just 112.6 points per game. Still, I think Morant can torch rookie Cole Anthony as the Grizzlies look to continue securing a playoff spot.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
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.
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