Bryan Power Sports NBA Picks

10* San Francisco (4:35 ET): This series opener sets up well for the Giants. It’s their home opener. They also had Thursday (yesterday) off while the Rockies were busy entertaining the D’backs. While Colorado won yday’s game rather easily (7-3), it’s still a disadvantage when the other team is coming off an off-day. This will mark the Rockies’ 1st game outside of Coors Field this season and it’s certainly reasonable to expect their offensive production to dip dramatically, as it typically does every other season on the road. 

The Giants have started 3-3. They just took two of three from the heavily hyped Padres in San Diego. They did so despite never scoring more than three runs in any of the three games. That speaks to the pitching. I had them in Monday’s series opener. Note that SF has not allowed more than four runs in a game since Opening Day, a game which they blew a 6-1 lead and lost in extra innings. Take away the one disastrous six-run inning they allowed in that game and the Giants have allowed just 16 runs the rest of the year.

Johnny Cueto will start Friday’s game. Cueto went 5 ⅔ innings his first time out and allowed only three runs in a 6-3 win. He is 9-4 with a 3.18 ERA in 18 career starts vs. the Rockies. As per usual, Colorado’s offensive production dropped by a full run per game when on the road last season. They are just 42-69 away from Coors Field the L2 seasons. I don’t like starter Gomber either; he had seven walks in his first outing and gave up three runs in three innings. 10* San Francisco

analysis soon

10* Over T’wolves/Celtics (7:35 ET): Boston has gone Under in each of its last seven games. However, a matchup with the team with the worst record in the NBA should result in them putting up a big number Friday. I believe it’s critical to note who the Celtics have faced recently. Their last game was against the Knicks, who have the league’s top scoring defense. Before that, it was the Sixers, who are #2 in defensive efficiency. So it’s not a surprise those games were low-scoring. This will be a much different story. 

Minnesota is off a 141-137 loss to Indiana, which is the exact opposite of “low-scoring.” It was not an overtime game either. Making matters more embarrassing for the T’wolves’ defensive effort is the fact the Pacers were short-handed, down FOUR starters including All-Star Domantas Sabonis. The Pacers’ bench scored 69 points in the game. They had 77 overall, a season-high, in the first half and opened up a 22-point lead. Maybe we shouldn’t be surprised seeing as the T’wolves allow the third most points per game in the league? 

The last three Celtics-T’wolves encounters have all gone Over. The most recent was over a year ago and Boston won 127-117. Though their last two games were both low-scoring efforts, the Celtics did score 118 and 116 when they faced Houston and Charlotte the two games prior. I expect them to be in that range, if not higher, tonight. Boston isn’t exactly great defensively either as they allow just over 110 PPG. The Over is 8-3 in Minnesota’s L11 road games. 10* Over T’wolves/Celtics