Handicapping the NBA: Wednesday Picks

Handicapping the NBA: Wednesday Picks

This article is part of our NBA Picks series.

Alex Barutha

Nikola Jokic over 45.5 Points + Rebounds + Assists (-113) @ TOR -- DraftKings Sportsbook (12:32 PM CT)

Over the past 10 games, Jokic has averaged a combined 49.9 P+R+A, so it's easy to like Wednesday's 45.5 number. He's going up against a Raptors team that starts Pascal Siakam at center, and even Chris Boucher and Aron Baynes essentially pose no threat to Jokic getting his numbers. Even if Toronto makes a real effort to double-team Jokic every time down the court, he's obviously a good enough passer to get 10-15 assists.

Joe Bartel

Jaylen Brown over 22.5 points (-134) @ MIL -- DraftKings Sportsbook (12:06 PM CT)

For starters, the Bucks allow the third-most points to opposing shooting guards. Brown also went off for 33 points over this same opponent in the Christmas Day win all the way back at the beginning of the season. But even though the data supports the over, I think I'm interested in this bet for narrative reasons. The reeling Celtics need this game far more than the Bucks do, and if Jayson Tatum is still impacted by the illness that kept him out last time, Brown will have to have even more of an impact than normal. These are always famous last words, but anytime a player attempts as many shots as his over (over the last five games, Brown is averaging 23.0 attempts per game), it's generally a good bet. 

Nick Whalen

Fred VanVleet OVER 29.5 Points + Rebounds + Assists (-113) vs. DEN -- DraftKings Sportsbook (2:29 PM CT)

Considering VanVleet has gone over this figure in six of his last eight games, the 29.5 number in and of itself is appealing. I don't know if the Raptors will trade Kyle Lowry before tomorrow's deadline, but if a deal materializes, there's a decent chance he could be held out of this game for precautionary reasons. In that case, VanVleet would take on an even larger role against a Nuggets defense that's been average, at best, and allows a ton of three-pointers (41.6% of total field goal attempts).

Jeff Edgerton

Nikola Jokic over 10.5 rebounds (-128) @ TOR -- FanDuel Sportsbook (2:35 PM CT)

He's gotten 11 rebounds on the back end of his past two back-to-backs, so that's an encouraging metric for this bet. He's yet to meet the Raptors, but they have plenty of struggles of their own, and he has a good shot at eclipsing this number.

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ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Joe Bartel
Joe Bartel is RotoWire's Operations Specialist and football contributor among many other things. When not at the office, he's probably playing a variety of Gen 4 console games or rooting on his beloved Green Bay Packers.
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.
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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