This article is part of our NBA Picks series.
Nick Whalen
Devin Booker OVER 44.5 Points + Rebounds + Assists (-113) -- DraftKings (1:29 PM CT)
It's not fair to expect another 40-point triple-double from Booker, but with Chris Paul sidelined he should again operate as the Suns' primary scorer and playmaker. Before Paul arrived in Phoenix, Booker was a 6-plus-assists-per-game player in each of the last two seasons, so this isn't a role with which he's unfamiliar. Chances are, his points, rebounds and assists totals all drop relative to Game 1, but going for something like 33 points, eight assists and seven rebounds seems like a very realistic outcome for a player who will likely see 40-plus minutes again.
Terance Mann OVER 1.5 made three-pointers (-106) -- DraftKings
Overall, I'm expecting the Clippers to regress from beyond the arc after draining 20 threes in Game 1. Mann was responsible for three of those, but he only took four shots in his 27 minutes of action -- both much lower totals than most expected after Mann's explosive Game 6 against Utah. That may have been a once-in-a-lifetime performance for the Florida State product, but I expect him to come out more aggressively in what essentially amounts to a must-win game with Chris Paul likely to be back for Game 3.
Devin Booker to have a double-double (+200) -- DraftKings
I'm not in love with this bet, but this is a good price for a player who has double-doubles in four of his last six games. He's rebounded at a much higher rate than normal since the end of the Lakers series, and that's the category that will likely carry this one across the finish line. Two nights ago, Booker proved that he can hand out 10-plus assists with Chris Paul out, but that was just his second double-digit-assists game of the season, so I wouldn't count on a repeat.
Ken Crites
Over on Cameron Payne getting 6.5 assists (+112) -- FanDuel (1:51 PM CT)
The easy explanation is that Payne had nine (9) assists in Game 1 with Chris Paul sidelined. Paul is out again for Game 2. On the season, Payne's Per 36 assist average was 7.2 dimes. Payne will play between 29-34 minutes tonight. With an O/U of 222.5 and the Suns favored by -4.5, the numbers seem to lean towards a nice scoring night for the Suns. Payne should get a few cheap ones off of quick Booker jumpers.
Joe Bartel
Nicolas Batum under 18.5 points+rebounds+assists (-113) -- DraftKings (11:27 AM CT)
I know Batum got 10 rebounds in Game 1, but it just seems unlikely the 6-foot-8 combo forward is going to suddenly leap above his playoff rebounds average (5.8 per game across 13 contests). Maybe he offsets those numbers with a bit better accuracy from deep (1-of-4 after averaging 41 percent throughout the playoffs), but regardless I think we're setting the PRA floor a bit too high given the 32-year-old's obvious limitations.
Jacob Lebowitz
Terance Mann OVER 1.5 Three-pointers made (-106) at PHO -- DraftKings (11:54 AM CT)
With Kawhi Leonard battling a knee injury, Mann has taken over as one of the Clippers' best scorers. In the three games Leonard has missed, Mann's averaging 20.3 points while making 3.7 three-pointers off of 6.0 attempts. This Game 2 is a crucial one for the series and the Clippers will need to keep up offensively if they want to escape Pheonix with a win. Expect the Clippers' offense to lean more heavily on points from Paul George and Mann in what should be another high-scoring game.
