Nine games of NBA action will kick off the first Friday of the New Year.
The NBA season has hit its full stride with the seedings beginning to become clear and trade rumors heating up. Jimmy Butler poured gasoline on this fire last night by making his desire to be traded from the Miami Heat clear and there is sure to be some fallout from this. Even still, the NBA season waits for no one and the play on the floor will continue.
The Detroit Pistons and Charlotte Hornets will kick off the night as the lone game at 7:00 p.m. ET. More notably, the Boston Celtics will be on the second night of a back-to-back and are facing off with the Houston Rockets while the New York Knicks take on the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 8:00 p.m. ET window. In addition, the Cleveland Cavaliers are set to face the Dallas Mavericks, the Sacramento Kings will host the Memphis Grizzlies, and the Denver Nuggets are playing the San Antonio Spurs. The final matchup of the night will be between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Atlanta Hawks and is on the second night of a back-to-back for the Lakers with Anthony Davis having missed last night.
While there will be more eventful days of NBA basketball moving forward, there are still several options for what to watch and even more opportunities to get involved in the action. One of the more unique features on DraftKings this year is Pick6 Fantasy Basketball!
This article will look at my top Pick6 plays for January 3rd. We simply choose whether a player will record more or less of the set statistic. Here are my six favorite plays for Friday night’s action.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander More Than 30.5 Points
The Oklahoma City Thunder are clicking on all cylinders and look like every bit of the championship contenders they desire to be. They enter this matchup on a 13-game winning streak but will have a difficult test against the New York Knicks. The Knicks also are shaping into the team they desire to be after making the huge trade for Karl-Anthony Towns shortly before the season.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is at the heart of the production for Oklahoma City and has rightly played himself into the MVP favorite. The 26-year-old is averaging 31.2 points, 6.1 assists, and 5.5 rebounds per game. He also is getting the job done on the defensive side of the ball adding 2.0 steals and 1.1 blocks per game.
Gilgeous-Alexander has recorded more than 30.5 points in eight of the last 11 games. This is a notable uptick as he has only reached this number in 16 of the 33 games on the season. The Knicks are a tough, scrappy team but SGA will continue calling the offensive shots for the Thunder and tends to be at his best when the lights are the brightest. Expect him to be in attack mode tonight and record more than 30.5 points for the ninth time in 12 games as he does everything possible to extend the winning streak to 14 games and tie the franchise record.
Austin Reaves More Than 7.5 Assists
The Los Angeles Lakers made a notable shake-up by trading D’Angelo Russell to the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton. This has created more on-ball opportunities in the Lakers offense which Austin Reaves is the primary beneficiary of.
On the season overall, Reaves is averaging a career-high 18.2 points and 5.9 assists. However, he has recorded 10+ assists in four consecutive games and has averaged 11.8 assists per game across this period. Reaves made a statement on Christmas Day with a triple-double and has followed this up with three consecutive strong performances with double-digit assists.
The Lakers will face the Atlanta Hawks tonight who rank 27th in the NBA in assists allowed by giving up 28.6 per game. While the Hawks are moving in the right direction defensively, Atlanta can still become disconnected on this side of the floor and Reaves will hold the primary responsibility for making this happen. Gabe Vincent missed the past two games and appears unlikely to return tonight. Expect Reaves to continue taking on the responsibility as the primary playmaker in the Lakers’ offense and record more than 7.5 assists for the fifth consecutive game.
Alperen Sengun Less Than 37.5 Points, Rebounds, & Assists
The Houston Rockets have a log jam of young talent and are still sorting through who the true foundational pieces of the franchise are. Alperen Sengun is at the heart of this conversation. The Turkish big man was rewarded with a notable contract extension before the start of this season. So far this year Sengun is averaging 19.1 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game across his 31.5 minutes per game.
The Houston Rockets will host the Boston Celtics tonight which is a difficult matchup for the Rockets as a team and for Sengun specifically. Boston ranks fourth in the league in scoring and attempts an NBA-best 50.6 three-point attempts. The Celtics are at their best when spacing the floor and playing five-out basketball. While Sengun is a talented basketball player, he is most comfortable as a post-oriented player and struggles when forced to guard in space. Expect the Celtics to continue attacking from the perimeter and for the Rockets to be forced to adjust to this.
Taking out the matchup, Sengun has been held to less than 37.5 combined points, rebounds, and assists in 19 of the 33 games this year. This includes four of the past six games. Expect Boston to space the floor and for minutes to be more limited than Sengun is accustomed to. With a difficult matchup, expect Sengun to be held to less than 37.5 combined points, rebounds, and assists tonight.
Donovan Mitchell More Than 3.5 Made Three-Pointers
The Cleveland Cavaliers continue to keep their foot on the gas and still hold the best record in the NBA. Donovan Mitchell has been at the heart of this and, like the rest of the team, has not seen the level of national credit that he deserves. Through the opening 32 games he has played, Mitchell is averaging 23.7 points, 4.6 assists, and 4.6 rebounds. Mitchell is shooting a career-best 41.5% from beyond the three-point arc this season while launching 9.4 long-range shots per game.
The Cavaliers will take on the Dallas Mavericks tonight who will continue to attempt to survive without Luka Doncic. So far this year the Mavericks rank fourth in opponents’ three-point attempts but 11th in opponents’ three-point percentage.
Mitchell has been especially strong from beyond the arc of late. He enters this game having made more than 3.5 three-pointers in five consecutive games. He also has reached this number in 19 of the 32 games on the season. Cleveland is a deep team but still goes as Mitchell takes them. Look for him to be in attack mode tonight and connect on 4+ three-pointers for the sixth consecutive game.
Jakob Poeltl Less Than 21.5 Points & Rebounds
The Toronto Raptors will host the Orlando Magic tonight and inching back to full strength as a team. Immanuel Quickley returned from a 22-game absence on Wednesday and added 21 points and 15 assists. R.J. Barrett has been downgraded to doubtful after missing the previous two games with an illness and his status will be one to monitor.
While the Raptors are still early in their rebuild, Jakob Poeltl has been a significant point of optimism. The veteran big man is averaging a career-high 15.0 points and 10.9 rebounds across his 31.9 minutes per game. However, his level of opportunity has been scaled back in recent games. Poeltl played just 21:45 of game action against the Bulls four games ago and he has played under 30 minutes in four of the past five games. Across the opening 25 games he played, Poeltl only played less than 30 minutes six times.
Even if his level of opportunity returns to normal, this is a difficult matchup for Poeltl. The Orlando Magic allow the second-fewest points per game and lead the NBA in opponents’ rebounds per game this season. In December, they held opponents to just 38 rebounds per game which was the best in the league by a notable margin. For reference, their league-leading opponents’ rebounds per game sits at 40.5 on the season. Poeltl has been held to less than 21.5 combined points and rebounds in six consecutive games leading into this matchup. With a tough opponent and his level of opportunity shrinking, count on Poeltl recording less than 21.5 points and rebounds again tonight.
Alex Sarr More Than 12.5 Points
There has not been much buzz surrounding Alex Sarr after he was selected with the second overall pick in this year’s NBA Draft, but it is time for it to start. Sarr is putting things together in recent games with his offensive abilities taking a notable leap. On the season overall, Sarr is averaging 11.6 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 2.2 assists across his 27.2 minutes per game.
Sarr saw his scoring average grow to 13.8 points per game in the month of December. He has scored double-digit points in ten consecutive games and also made multiple three-pointers in seven of his last eight games. He has a great chance to build off this as the Wizards prepare to face off with the Pelicans tonight. New Orleans enters with a 5-29 record, ranking 28th in scoring, 25th in rebounds, 25th in opponents points per game, and 27th in opponents rebounds per game. Neither of these teams will find themselves in the playoff mix and this should lead to some sloppy basketball which plays to Sarr’s strengths.
Expect the Wizards to look to get out in transition with Sarr having a pathway to easy baskets. The Frenchman is an excellent weapon in transition and things are clicking for him in recent games. Sarr has recorded more than 12.5 points in five of the past eight games and ten times overall this year. Count on the rookie to build off his recent success and record 13+ points tonight.
What is DraftKings Pick6?
Pick6 is a peer-to-peer fantasy variant where you build a lineup (your “Pick Set”) of at least two players and select whether you believe each will outperform their listed stat projection. Enter your Pick Set in Pick6 contests to compete against other users. Get enough picks correct and win a share of cash prizes.
How to Play DraftKings Pick6
Create a Pick Set
Create a Pick Set by choosing 2+ players from the same sport and Pick Group (a set of picks available from a group of set competitions). For each player, simply select if you think they’ll have more or less than their listed stat projection. In each Pick Set, you cannot pick the same player twice and you must select players from at least two different teams.
Enter an Amount
Once you finalize your Pick Set, choose your entry fee amount. Your entries will be automatically distributed into available contests, subject to your confirmation.
Sweat Your Picks
When the games go live, use the My Picks tab to follow your picks in real time to track how your players are performing against their projections and how they stack up against other users.
Compete for Prizes
Make enough correct picks and win a share of the contests’ guaranteed prizes. Any prizes won will be credited to your DraftKings account after contests are finalized.
Play at DraftKings Pick6 or by downloading the DraftKings Pick6 app on Apple or Google!
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is seanbarnard) 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.
Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.Must be at least 18 years or older. Higher age limits may apply in some states. Eligibility restrictions apply. Valid only in states where DraftKings Pick6 operates. Void where prohibited. For entertainment purposes only. Winning a contest on DraftKings depends on knowledge and exercise of skill. See terms at pick6.draftkings.com.
