:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/70553846/1368997280.0.jpg)
Saturday’s NBA main slate features six games. The action gets underway at 7:30 p.m. ET and the final game tips off at 9 p.m. ET. Let’s survey the slate and pick the best bets for Saturday night.
Place your NBA bets at DraftKings Sportsbook and bet online by downloading the DraftKings Sportsbook app.
Washington Wizards at Cleveland Cavaliers
Cavaliers -7 (-110)
Cleveland's All-Star festivities may have affected this team. The Cavs stumbled into the break and did not fire out of the gates in their first game. They unexpectedly lost to the Pistons by three at Detroit, but that will happen when a team shoots 67.6% from the free throw line. The Cavs are not a great team from the charity stripe, but if they would have shot their usual 75.3% from the line, then they would have won.
Another adjustment will be the starting point guard for the Cavs. With Darius Garland out, Rajon Rondo started, played 26 minutes and earned a -15 Plus/Minus vs. the Pistons. Brandon Goodwin came off the bench, played 24 minutes, scored 15 points and recorded a +10 Plus/Minus. Goodwin should be starting and playing the majority of the minutes. The Cavs trailed the Pistons by 11 in the fourth quarter until Goodwin entered the game and led a late rally that came up just short. Even if Cavs coach J.B. Bickerstaff wanted to give the vet Rajon Rondo a second chance, he can’t because Rondo is going to miss two weeks with yet another injury. This leaves the Cavs thin at the point, but more Goodwin and less Rondo is a plus.
After the Wizards’ double OT loss on Friday night, this line moved quickly from 6.5 to seven points. Frankly, it’s surprising that the Cavs have not already picked up more steam in the market. Injuries have affected Cleveland’s performance, but they still have a quality lineup. Washington’s lineup has been hit harder by injuries and trades. The Wizards will be without Bradley Beal again on Saturday night. They almost beat the Spurs on Friday behind a 36-point evening by their new leader Kyle Kuzma. The Wizards rank 27th in 3-point shooting, but shot nine-percentage points above their average vs. the Spurs. On the second leg of a back-to-back, the Wizards will surely come back to Earth, and on the road, they will not likely cover.
Memphis Grizzlies at Chicago Bulls
Grizzlies +1.5 (-110)
The Bulls are 24-8 at home and 22-10 ATS. They've won six in a row and have covered in five of those contests. With the Bulls only needing to cover a 1.5-point spread, this seems like another good spot to fire them up. Easier said than done. The Bulls have to cover against the best team against the spread in the NBA. The Grizzlies are 40-21 ATS and 22-9 ATS on the road. Both marks are the best in the league. Further complicating the situation for the Bulls, is their recent win over the Thunder. Chicago failed to cover once during their recent hot streak, and it was against the Thunder — the second-best team against the spread overall (36-20-4) and on the road (21-10). Not to mention, the Bulls recent hot streak has been against weak opponents and the Grizzlies are anything but.
Memphis lost their first game out of the break on the road at Minnesota. This was a game they should have won, but Minnesota is not a team to overlook. They are a playoff team with a solid offense that plays at a breakneck speed. It’s hard to put away the Timberwolves and the Grizzlies have a bad habit of blowing leads. They led by 15 points in the first, but Minnesota came charging back with an offense that was up to the task against one of the best defenses in basketball — a defense that was perhaps sleepwalking out of the break. The Grizzlies have lost two in a row and have not dropped three straight since Christmas. If the Bulls were at full strength, then the Grizzlies would be in trouble. While the Bulls still have plenty of offensive fire power, the Grizzlies have a top-10 defense (108.8 defensive efficiency). Memphis’ problem, into and out of the break, has been their defense (122.8 defensive efficiency). It’s ranks 28th over a small two-game sample, and a peculiar sample at that, with the All-Star timing.
The DraftKings Sportsbook doesn’t trust the Grizzlies, but they have missed on the Grizz all season. It won’t be a surprise to see their solid defense snap back into form, and the Grizz win on the road by double-digits.
Sacramento Kings at Denver Nuggets
Nuggets -8.5 (-110)
Denver has won six of their last seven games and covered in six of the last seven. If they would have beat the Magic by 11 instead of 10, then they would have covered in all seven games. Their last cover and win came against the Kings on Thursday night. The Nuggets won at Sacramento by 18 points.
The addition of Domantas Sabonis has made the Kings’ starting five potent, but it comes at the expense of their second unit. The Kings’ bench is incredibly weak and the Nuggets are a fairly deep team. This disparity makes covering large lines like this realistic.
The Nuggets have been favorites of eight or more points in seven of their last 11 home games. They won all seven and covered in four. They just barely missed vs. the Magic, and a month ago, the Clippers were not getting very much respect, and the market gave them too many points against Denver. The Pistons covered the 12 points, but still lost despite out shooting the Nuggets from the field and on 3-pointers. The Nuggets are not perfect, but they’re a very good team. If they put it to the Kings on the road on Thursday, why won’t they do it to them at home on Saturday night?
Put your knowledge to the test. Sign up for DraftKings and experience the game inside the game.
I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is greenflagradio2) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.
If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (IL/IN/MI/NJ/PA/WV/WY), 1-800-NEXT STEP (AZ), 1-800-522-4700 (CO/NH), 888-789-7777/visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA), 1-877-770-STOP (7867) (LA), 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY), visit OPGR.org (OR), call/text TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN), or 1-888-532-3500 (VA).
21+ (18+ NH/WY). Physically present in AZ/CO/CT/IL/IN/IA/LA/MI/NH/NJ/NY/OR/PA/TN/VA/WV/WY only. Eligibility restrictions apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for full terms and conditions.