The NBA season officially began last Tuesday, but this Tuesday, I say it officially kicked off because we received our first blockbuster overnight Woj bomb. The 76ers saga with James Harden concluded early Tuesday morning. Philadelphia agreed to send a package that included Harden and PJ Tucker to the Clippers for veterans Marcus Morris, Nicolas Batum, Robert Covington, and picks. There are three games Tuesday night to select our Underdog, and PrizePicks plays for.
There are a couple of fun matchups, including an Eastern Conference playoff rematch between the New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers. The new-look Clippers could make their debut Tuesday night when they host the Orlando Magic.
Mitchell Robinson 9.5 Rebounds (Higher) – Underdog
The Knicks will be in Cleveland to battle the Cavaliers in a playoff rematch in the first game on TNT Tuesday night. Cleveland remains without Jarrett Allen, so Robinson will easily be the biggest force on the floor. Mitch has hauled in 15 and 13 rebounds over his last two games. The Knicks lead the NBA in rebounding so far this season, and without Allen to protect the paint, the Cavaliers have struggled on the glass, allowing the 9th most rebounds per game.
Donovan Mitchell 3 Turnovers (Higher) – Underdog
The Cavaliers will be short-handed tonight, so Mitchell will see an even bigger spike in his already crazy-high usage. Darius Garland has been ruled out for Tuesday, and in 9 games last season without Garland, Mitchell had at least 4 turnovers 8 times! Mitchell has played without Garland once already this season and had 5 turnovers to go with his usage increase to 36.4%! This is not an indictment of Mitchell’s play but just a spot where he will have the ball in his hands a ton.
Victor Wembanyama 6 Rebounds (More) – PrizePicks
This will be the world’s second look at Wemby on national television when the Spurs battle the Suns on TNT. The phenom has finished with 5, 12, and 5 rebounds in his first three games. In his two finishes with just 5 rebounds, he dealt with foul trouble and then a blowout, which saw him play just 23 and 26 minutes. The Spurs should be in this game, and Jusuf Nurkic and Drew Eubanks are not instilling any fear. Trust Wemby to grab at least 7 boards.
Jusuf Nurkic 13.5 Points (More) - PrizePicks
I’m staying in the desert for my next pick. The Suns center should be able to dominate his matchup against his former teammate, Zach Collins, who isn’t known for his abilities on the defensive end. The Spurs allowed the three Centers they faced to go over this number. Dereck Lively II scored 16 points, Alperen Sengun poured in 25 points, and Ivica Zubac scored 16 points in just 22 minutes.
Franz Wagner 5.0 3’s Attempted (Higher) – Underdog
Wagner is quietly off to a solid start to his 2023 season. He is certainly a player to watch after his strong performance in the World Cup this past summer. With the Clippers lineup possibly a bit unstable tonight following the trade, I’m opting for a Magic player. Wagner has attempted at least 7 three-pointers in all three games so far. He hasn’t been shy about getting his shots up, as he leads all Magic players in three-point attempts so far. The Clippers have allowed the fourth-most threes to opposing small forwards, so this is a good spot for him.