BetterBets🏀📊

📊 Why I Like Zion Williamson OVER 20.5 POINTS Zion Williamson just scored 25 points against Denver on 10-for-14 shooting, while the rest of New Orleans’ starters combined for only 30. I actually find that pretty encouraging. Even when his teammates were struggling to generate offense, Zion was still getting to his spots and finishing efficiently. Now he faces a Sacramento team that’s allowed at least 121 points in EVERY game this season and ranks 29th in defensive rating. That’s a pretty interesting matchup for someone who makes his living attacking the basket. And Zion has a history of giving Sacramento problems. He’s averaged 24.7 points across 13 career meetings with the Kings, including 25.4 over his last five. Two of those performances were particularly impressive: 40 points on 21 shots and 33 on 18. Those were against earlier Sacramento teams, but I especially like tonight’s circumstances. The Kings are missing Keegan Murray, Maxime Raynaud, and Dylan Cardwell, leaving them with fewer frontcourt options against one of the most physically difficult players in basketball to defend around the rim. What I also like is how consistent Zion’s playing time has been. He’s played at least 32 minutes in all four games this season, scoring 22, 23, 17, and 25 points. He’s averaging 21.8 while getting to the free-throw line more than six times per game. New Orleans is playing on consecutive nights, so his workload matters, but he’s already demonstrated that 21 points is a perfectly normal scoring night for him. And against a Sacramento defense that’s been giving up this much offense, I particularly like his opportunities around the basket.