Historic scoring outbursts shaped an incredible Monday night in the Association. It'll be hard to live up to some of those individual performances with only five games Tuesday.
Regardless, let's get to our best bets.
Knicks @ Nets (+4.5, O/U 223)
Although the Knicks are competing for a top playoff seed and the Nets are closer to blowing their roster up than competing for anything, this cross-town rivalry is usually compelling.
However, New York basketball fans shouldn't expect the offensive fireworks in Brooklyn that we've seen across the NBA the last few nights.
The Knicks have been a defensive nightmare for opposing offenses since they traded for OG Anunoby. New York has the NBA's second-best defensive rating in January. That's led to some low-scoring games.
Since the turn of the new year - which coincided with Anunoby's arrival - Knicks games have gone under the total in 10 of their 11 contests.
The Nets' offense has also been wobbling recently as they decide on who to trade and who to keep before the deadline. Before its most recent win against the Lakers, Brooklyn had lost four straight, averaging 106 points in those games. The Knicks' short ride to a different borough won't feel like an away game as they'll limit the Nets' offense.
Pick: Knicks -4 and Under 223
Deandre Ayton: Over 8.5 rebounds
Deandre Ayton's inconsistent effort has hurt his rebounding numbers. Some nights Ayton grabs 15-plus boards, while others he fails to secure five. However, he's averaging 10.4 rebounds on the season.
The Blazers are slowly ramping up Ayton's workload after he returned last week from a month-long injury absence. He only played 22 minutes last game, so he should stay on the floor for longer against the Thunder on Tuesday night.
For how impressive the Thunder have been, they have one glaring weakness: rebounding. They have the league's second-worst rebounding percentage, which Ayton should exploit on his way to a double-digit rebounding outing.
Odds: -125 (playable to -140)
Mason Plumlee: Over 7.5 rebounds
Mason Plumlee has played key minutes on one of the West's best teams since being inserted into the starting lineup due to Ivica Zubac's absence. He isn't the offensive weapon Zubac is, but he's a strong rebounder and rim-runner.
Plumlee grabbed eight rebounds in 15 minutes in the Clippers' last game against the Nets. The Lakers frequently implore big lineups - even without LeBron James, who's out with an injury - which will require Plumlee to play more minutes than usual.
Despite their size, the Lakers are a below-average rebounding team. They allow opposing centers to grab the fifth-most rebounds per game. Plumlee should have a huge night on the glass.
Odds: +100
Sam Oshtry is a sports betting writer at theScore. You can follow him on X @soshtry for more betting coverage.
