After a massive slate of games on Wednesday, we took a step back last night with just two games. Tonight, we are back at it with 11 games on the NBA schedule. There are some large game totals on the slate with multiple games sporting an over/under of around 230 with both the San Antonio Spurs and Indiana Pacers along with the Memphis Grizzlies and Houston Rockets sitting at 232.5. We have a lot of different directions to go in tonight with our picks on Underdog but let us start by attacking the defense of the Charlotte Hornets as well as taking a look at a rookie for the Detroit Pistons in Jaden Ivey who had a strong beginning to his NBA career. 

 

Underdog NBA Top Picks October 21

CJ McCollum, New Orleans Pelicans – Over 24.5 Points & Assists

With the return of Zion Williamson this season, at least for one game, the Pelicans look like a different team than what we saw last season. However, the groundwork for this was laid following the addition of McCollum via a trade with the Portland Trail Blazers. McCollum wasted no time in becoming a critical piece of the Pelicans’ offense, and that continued on opening night against Brooklyn. 

Over his last 30 games, McCollum has eclipsed this mark 22 times for a 73% success rate, and based on the current market, we are also getting a discount of one compared to the mark of 25.5 seen elsewhere. 


In two of McCollum’s misses over that stretch, he finished just shy at 24 and finished with at least 20 on four other occasions with one of the other games being a complete dud. McCollum began the season showing no issues in the chemistry department with Williamson by scoring 21 points to go along with six assists as New Orleans took care of the Nets with ease. 

I also feel comfortable targeting Charlotte from a defensive perspective as the Pelicans have an implied game total of 119. In both of his matchups with the Hornets last year, McCollum blasted past this mark with 33 combined points and assists.

 
Jaden Ivey, Detroit Pistons – Over 13.5 Points

Leading up to the NBA draft there was a lot of buzz about Ivey making his way to New York, but instead, he is doing so as a visitor tonight. Playing for the re-building Pistons, there is plenty of opportunity for Ivey to show what he can do offensively, and at least for one game, he appeared to be up to the task. 

Ivey played 32 minutes in his debut on Wednesday and was an efficient eight of 15 from the field on his way to a 19-point outing. The rookie made two of four shots from downtown, and I would expect a similar role tonight against a Knicks team that is known to struggle defensively against opposing guards and gave up to 115 points to Memphis (in overtime) on Wednesday. 

*Charts found are from Props.cash

 

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