NBA Player Props & Picks
James Harden, Over 3.5 Turnovers (+108)
Spread | 76ers -2.5 |
Time | TV | 12 p.m. ET | ABC |
Best Line | Caesars |
They say Christmas is all about giving and James Harden has been in the giving mood all month.
Since he returned to the Sixers’ lineup in early December, he's been dishing like crazy, averaging 12.0 assists over the past eight games. He's also giving the ball away a ton, too. Harden is averaging 4.8 assists over that same span, the most in the NBA, and has only gone under this number once in those eight games. It's awesome when he gets 21 dimes like he did on Friday, but it's clear that passing will come with some turnovers on the side.
On Christmas Day, he'll likely be guarded on most of his possessions by Knicks 3-and-D wing Quentin Grimes, who does a great job of creating ball pressure at the point of attack. If Harden tries to put Grimes in the pick-and-roll, the Knicks guard also gets over screens well and can force Harden into bad passes.
Overall, Harden has turned the ball over 38 times since he returned and 26 of those have been steals, so I'll also be looking at the Steals + Blocks line for Grimes (Over 1.5, +108). Since being inserted into the Knicks' starting lineup, Grimes has notched at least two stocks in seven of his 16 games.
Regardless, I expect Harden will be in a giving mood, and the Knicks should benefit.