Tonight, there are three Game 2s on the docket, and two of them could be severely impacted by injuries.
Ja Morant left Game 1 of the Lakers-Grizzlies series with a hand injury, while Giannis Antetokounmpo left Game 1 of the Heat-Bucks series with a back injury.
As a result, the Lakers and Heat were able to steal their respective Game 1s on the road despite being seventh and eighth seeds, respectively.
Whether Morant and Antetokounmpo play or not, the Lakers and Heat will be looking to grab a stranglehold of their series'.
Anthony Davis could be the difference for the Lakers tonight.
Meanwhile in Denver, you might have thought the Timberwolves were missing one of their stars after being blown out in Game 1. The Timberwolves will look to even up the series before heading back to Minnesota. However, Nikola Jokic may have other ideas.
NBA Player Props & Picks
Anthony Davis Over 24.5 Points (-105)
| Spread | Lakers -1 |
| Time | TV | 7:30 p.m. ET | TNT |
| Best Line | DraftKings |
Betting on an over for Anthony Davis is always nerve-wracking. Every time he gets knocked down, it looks like he is done for the game and your bet is a loss.
In Game 1, Davis did leave the game in the first half after he couldn't feel his shoulder. He returned and finished with 22 points, going just under this line.
However, this is a line I have to take.
Davis averaged 25.8 points per game in the regular season and 29 in two meetings against the Grizzlies. Memphis is now light on the interior without Steven Adams and Brandon Clarke for the rest of the season.
Davis' main resistance will come from Jaren Jackson Jr., the newly-minted Defensive Player of the Year. However, Jackson can be prone to fouls, and had five fouls in all three regular season matchups.
Jackson had just three fouls in Game 1, but I expect Davis to get him in foul trouble at some point during this series — and that could possibly happen tonight.
Additionally, the Lakers received 52 combined points from Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura in Game 1, so they did not need to rely on Davis and LeBron James. Davis and James only scored 43 of the Lakers' 128 points in Game 1.
Assuming Reaves and Hachimura only contribute 25-30 points tonight, the Lakers will need more from their starters to pull out the road win.
I expect Davis to contribute 25 points or more tonight.
Nikola Jokic To Record Triple-Double (+185)
| Spread | Nuggets -8.5 |
| Time | TV | 10 p.m. ET | TNT |
| Best Line | FanDuel |
In the regular season, Nikola Jokic recorded 29 triple-doubles. He nearly averaged a triple-double for the season, putting up 24.5 points, 11.5 rebounds and 9.8 assists a night.
In Game 1 of this series vs. the Wolves, Jokic did not record a triple-double, finishing with 13 points, 14 rebounds and six assists in 28 minutes before fouling out.
Jokic had so many triple-doubles during the regular season that his odds dropped to -110 at one point. At nearly +200, this price is much more favorable.
When looking at a Jokic triple-double, I start with his assists — because points and rebounds are the more likely legs for him. Jokic had 58 double-doubles in the regular season, and the majority of them were with points and rebounds.
Tonight, his assist line is at 8.5 for the over/under. He had nine assists in all three regular season games he played against Minnesota. In two of them, he finished with 13 or more and had a triple-double in both games.
I expect a better effort from Minnesota tonight, as it does not want to go down 0-2 in this series. If Game 2 is closer, Jokic is more likely to play his usual 35 minutes instead of the 28 he played in Game 1.
That will give him more time and ample opportunity to get a triple-double.
