It’s Flex Friday on PrizePicks, and that means we get a protected flex play up to $20. With a risk-free play, I’ll be entering a 6-man flex, going for that 25x big payout. We have a seven-game slate tonight tipping off in Atlanta with Mavericks-Hawks and a 243.5 total. The Suns will visit Indiana and Pascal Siakam, who shined in yesterday’s win over Philadelphia with a triple-double. Lastly, the slate is highlighted by two top-six teams in the West with Thunder-Pelicans in New Orleans. Let’s dive into the best PrizePicks NBA picks and player predictions for Jan. 26, starting with Alperen Sengun. Need more action? Our PrizePicks optimizer has plenty more picks waiting for you to view, and our PrizePicks guide can help you make the sharpest plays possible.
PrizePicks NBA Player Predictions: Alperen Sengun & More
Alperen Sengun M/L 23.5 Points
Alperen Sengun is averaging 22.1 points per game and 25.6 over his last five games. Tonight, he gets a favorable matchup against a Hornets team that allows the most points per game to opposing centers.
Charlotte ranks 22nd in opponent points in the paint, while Sengun ranks fifth in the NBA with 16.2 points in the paint per game. Houston is favored by 5 points, while this game has a 225 total. The Hornets are shorthanded with Gordon Hayward and Mark Williams still out, and Terry Rozier now in Miami. However, Houston is just 3-7 in their last 10 games and ranks just 23rd in defensive rating in that stretch. I think this game goes over the total, and Sengun scores 24+ points.
Best PrizePicks NBA Player Prediction: Alperen Sengun More Than 23.5 Points
Damian Lillard M/L 6.5 Assists
Even though the Bucks sit at 31-13 and second in the East, they are a mess right now. They just fired Adrian Griffin and hired Doc Rivers as their new head coach in a 48-hour span. They rank 20th in defensive rating and are likely to make a move or two to bolster their roster before the trade deadline on February 8th.
Damian Lillard is averaging 6.8 assists on just 10.7 potential assists on the season. Over the last 10 games, he’s averaging just 9.8 potential assists per game. He gets a tough matchup against the Cavaliers, who allow the second fewest assists in the NBA. More specifically, Cleveland allows the fewest assists in the NBA to point guards at just 6.83 per game. Cleveland has the third-best defensive rating and ranks 21st in pace. These teams have already played three times this season, and Lillard has recorded 4, 5, and 4 assists in those games. The under on 6.5 assists is the top-rated play on OddsShopper right now with a 4% EV and true odds of -130.
Best PrizePicks NBA Player Prediction: Damian Lillard Less Than 6.5 Assists
Scottie Barnes M/L 14.5 Rebounds + Assists
Scottie Barnes is averaging 14.1 rebounds + assists on the season and finds himself with an opportunity to dominate both categories tonight. The Raptors are 7-point home underdogs to the visiting Clippers, who will begin a 10-game road trip tonight. This is the first leg of a back-to-back while they will play another game without Ivica Zubac. Meanwhile, the Raptors will play another game without starting center Jakob Poeltl, Pascal Siakam is gone, and Immanuel Quickley will miss tonight’s game as well. This leaves a ton of usage for Barnes to pick up.
In the last four games without Poeltl, Barnes leads the team with 14.5 rebound chances per game and 12.8 potential assists per game. Without Siakam gone and Quickley out, we’ll likely see a usage close to 40% in this game for Barnes. The matchup with the Clippers isn’t great as they rank 26th in pace and have the fourth-best net rating. However, the Clippers are just 9-10 on the road, and with an opportunity increase and 35+ minutes tonight, I’m looking at 15+ rebounds + assists. He’s recorded 15+ rebounds + assists 19 times this season. Here’s to 20!
Best PrizePicks NBA Player Prediction: Scottie Barnes More Than 14.5 Rebounds + Assists
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