It’s Taco Tuesday on PrizePicks, and we have four NBA games highlighted by the return of Ja Morant. Morant has served his 25-game suspension and will try to lead the 7-point underdog Grizzlies to victory over the Pelicans in New Orleans. The Bucks are 16-point favorites against the Spurs in the highest game total of the day, at 249. We’ll close out the night in San Francisco as the Warriors look to win their third straight game without Draymond Green against the first-place Celtics. Let’s start our PrizePicks card tonight with a Ja Morant taco!
Selecting the right projections may be challenging, but with the assistance of OddsShopper’s NBA PrizePicks Optimizer and thorough research, we’ve got you covered. Let’s dive into the best PrizePicks NBA picks for Monday!
NBA Player Predictions | Dec. 19
Ja Morant M/L 20.5 Points
The return of Ja Morant is hopefully as good as the Return of the Jedi because, at this point, he’s their only hope. Losers of six straight, the 6-19 Grizzlies stand at 13th in the West and need help desperately. Even with studs like Jaren Jackson Jr. and Desmond Bane, the Grizzlies rank 30th in offensive rating, a far cry from finishing 11th in that category last season. Morant should help, as his 115.3 offensive rating would boost a team with no one above 109.
We’ve got word from coach Taylor Jenkins that Morant is in good shape and should be “a full go” (no minutes restrictions), according to AP. Tonight’s matchup isn’t great, as the Pelicans allow the fewest points and assists to guards on the season, but it is a pace-up spot for Memphis. New Orleans ranks 11th in pace and fifth over their last five games. Morant averaged 26.2 points in the 61 games he played last season. There is sure to be some rust for Ja, but taking the discount is the right play. If you happen to miss this taco – I like the going lower on his 7.5 assists projection.
Best PrizePicks NBA Player Prediction: Ja Morant More Than 20.5 Points
Giannis Antetokounmpo M/L 16.5 1H Points
The Bucks are 16-point home favorites against the 4-21 Spurs, who will be playing without their rookie stud, Victor Wembanyama. The Spurs rank 24th in defensive rating, while both teams are top five in pace. This is a smash spot for Giannis, who’s averaging 34.0 points per game over his last 10 and is third in scoring on the season.
Giannis is averaging 37.1 minutes per game, and with a high probability this turns into a blowout, he might sit out the fourth quarter and play somewhere between 25-30 minutes. So I’m looking at first-half points. He’s averaging 14.4 first-half points on the season, but I think he gets a few extra in a pace-up spot against a downright awful team.
Best PrizePicks NBA Player Prediction: Giannis Antetokounmpo More Than 16.5 1H Points
Stephen Curry M/L 19.5 FG Attempted
Stephen Curry will try to lead the Warriors to their third straight win without Draymond Green. It’s a tough matchup against a Celtics team that ranks second in defensive rating and 23rd in pace. However, Steph thrives at home behind the Bay Area crowd, averaging 30.4 points per game on 41.7 percent shooting from three-point range. The Celtics are playing on the first leg of a back-to-back with Kristaps Porzingis or Al Horford likely resting tonight. They are already without backup center Luke Kornet, so the paint could be a bit more open tonight, creating more space for Steph to be Steph.
Curry is averaging 19.4 FG attempts at home this season and has attempted 21 or more shots in nine of his last 10 games against Boston. He’s averaging a team-high 34.5 minutes over the last five games and will surely be up for this game against the favorites to win the NBA title. Boston is favored by six points while this game has a 233 total.
Best PrizePicks NBA Player Prediction: Stephen Curry More Than 19.5 FG Attempted
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