Will Jokic be latest big to dominate Wemby, Spurs?
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We've already secured a winning week in the NBA on this forum, but let's build on it with three Friday bets from a six-game slate.
Nikola Jokic: Over 38.5 points and rebounds
Jokic and the Nuggets travel to San Antonio to take on the Spurs on Friday, which means Jokic will play against Victor Wembanyama.
The rookie phenom is a great rim-protector and shot-blocker, but many of those defending opportunities come as the help defender on the weak side.
Opposing bigs consistently dominate Wembanyama in one-on-one matchups. Joel Embiid scored a career-high 70 in a game against Wembanyama. Alperen Sengun poured in a career-high 45 against him. And Jokic scored 39 against San Antonio when they met in November.
Bigs salivate at the opportunity to match up against the unpolished, skinny rookie. The Spurs allow the second-most points and fourth-most rebounds per game to opposing centers.
Jokic, averaging 40 combined points and rebounds in March, should overwhelm the first-year star.
Odds: -110 (playable to -125)
Jalen Duren: Over 25.5 points and rebounds
Duren is one of the few building blocks the Pistons have for the future. He's a commanding presence near the rim and on the glass.
Although his minutes are inconsistent, he's played at least 30 in most games over the last month.
He averages just over 26 combined points and rebounds per game. Duren's been a greater scoring threat over the last week; he's coming off back-to-back 20-plus point performances and one outing with 23 rebounds. Expect Duren's monstrous stats to continue.
Odds: -110 (playable to -120)
Hawks @ Jazz (+3, O/U 223)
The Hawks have the NBA's fourth-worst defense and the Jazz have the second worst. Neither group is offensively proficient, but Atlanta plays with the fourth-fastest pace and Utah is in the top 10, so they each play fast and attempt plenty of shots.
The Jazz have the league's best over rate as 56% of their games go over the total. The Hawks are in the top 10 too.
When these teams met last month, they only combined for 221 points. However, the Jazz contributed 97 points. Assuming Utah's offensive production increases against a porous defense, this should reach the total.
Pick: Over 223 points
Sam Oshtry is a sports betting writer at theScore. You can follow him on X @soshtry for more betting coverage.