Now that the weekend is here, it’s time to simplify the grind. Instead of splitting sides/totals and player props into separate pieces, my weekend columns will bring everything under one roof — a streamlined look at my favorite bets for the day’s slate. Fewer words, hopefully the same results. Keep reading for my NBA picks and predictions for Sunday, March 22.

RELATED: Check out the Pro Picks page for more selections from our talented VSiN hosts and analysts!

NBA Player Props Today

Oso Ighodaro Over 3.5 Assists (+125) vs. Raptors

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Raptors at Suns – 9:00 pm ET

Over the last 10 games — all played without Mark Williams — Ighodaro is averaging 3.8 assists per game. He’s also averaging 5.1 potential assists per game. Ighodaro is just a very good connective piece for the Suns, so they trust him to make good, quick reads. Well, with that in mind, I do think there’s some value in grabbing Ighodaro to have four assists at +125 odds. Ighodaro has had at least four dimes in six of the last 10 contests, and three of his better passing games came against the Celtics, Timberwolves, and Spurs. Those are elite defenses, suggesting he should be able to put up some decent numbers against the Raptors. Of course, Ighodaro had zero assists in only 24 minutes against this same Raptors team on March 13, but I’m willing to flush that and take another shot on the center.

Carlton “Bub” Carrington Over 10.5 Points (-115 – 1.5 units) & Alt Points 15+ (+240 – 0.5 units) vs. Knicks

Raptors at Suns – 9:00 pm ET

In the last 10 games that Carrington has played without both Trae Young and Kyshawn George, the talented scorer is averaging 12.5 points per game. He has also had at least 19 points in two of the last three, with one being a 30-point performance against the Pistons and another being a 19-point outing against the Thunder. Those are the two best defensive teams in the NBA. That said, I feel confident that Carrington can create offense for himself against anyone, and we actually saw him score 14 points against the Knicks back on February 3. Something else to like about Carrington is that he should play a lot, even if Washington is getting blasted. He played at least 33 minutes in the Wizards’ last three losses by at least 20 points.

Additional Plays (Late Adds, Teasers, Parlays, Futures)

PARLAY: Nuggets ML vs. Trail Blazers & Celtics ML vs. Timberwolves (-172 – 2 units): This is juicy for a play I’m going pretty heavy on, but I really do like both teams to find a way to win. Denver gets Peyton Watson back today, meaning this team will be at full strength for the first time in a long time. There should be a lot of energy inside Ball Arena, and the Nuggets should look a little better defensively now that they’ll be adding another athlete that competes on that end of the floor. Then, in the other game, the Celtics are hosting a Timberwolves team that doesn’t have Anthony Edwards. Minnesota has been feisty without Edwards, but this should be a game in which not having an elite scorer comes back to bite Chris Finch’s group.

Maxime Raynaud Over 16.5 Points (-105) vs. Nets: We were having some issues on the back-end last night, so I wasn’t able to get this pick out. However, I did take Raynaud Over 16.5 points, which is now up to 17.5 at MGM. If you want to take this with me, perhaps you should jump on an alternate of 15+ parlayed with something else you’re confident in — like the Nuggets ML.

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