Nets vs. Suns prediction: NBA player props, picks, odds

Cam Thomas will miss at least three weeks with a hamstring strain, and someone is going to fill the gaping scoring void in the Nets’ rotation. Before the injury on Monday, Thomas averaged 24.7 points on 46.1 percent shooting overall and 38.9 percent from three on a whopping 17.5 shots per game.Where are those shots going to go? Look no further than Thomas’ backcourt mate, Dennis Schroder. Schroder has started alongside Thomas at the guard spot all season, although the latter hogged most of the ball-handling and shot-creation duties. The bulk of that now shifts to Schroder, who was a revelation for Brooklyn even before Thomas went down.Schroder has played big minutes for the Nets, averaging 34.2 minutes and 18 points a game. Oddsmakers still expect him to have roughly the same scoring production he had with Thomas in the lineup, pegging his points over/under for Wednesday’s matchup against the Suns at 18.5 (-115, FanDuel Sportsbook). I’m expecting better of Schroder.Take Monday’s contest against the Warriors for example. After Thomas left the game with 6:43 to go in the third quarter, Schroder exploded, scoring 20 of his season-high 31 points from late in the third through the end of the game. In the fourth quarter alone, Schroder had seven of the Nets’ 21 total shot attempts. Now, Schroder isn’t going to score like he did late in Monday’s game for an entire contest. But he should have no problem scoring well above his season average. Bet on a big night for Schroder in Phoenix on Wednesday. The play: Dennis Schroder to score 25 or more points (+270, FanDuel)...