The NBA season has passed its halfway point with the standings beginning to settle in and expectations for the remainder of the season being fully set. Trade talks are heating up across the league with the deadline rapidly approaching and De’Aaron Fox seemingly entering the mix as a potential star to be moved.
Regardless, the season will continue to be played out on the floor and there are 11 matchups taking place tonight. Most notably, the Boston Celtics will attempt to bounce back from their loss to the Houston Rockets and take on the Chicago Bulls tonight. In addition, the New York Knicks will take on the Denver Nuggets while the Philadelphia 76ers host the Sacramento Kings. The Miami Heat will continue to navigate Jimmy Butler’s trade situation as they take on the Cleveland Cavaliers tonight.
In the later slate of games, the San Antonio Spurs will host the Los Angeles Clippers and the Minnesota Timberwolves face the Phoenix Suns. The final matchup of the night will be between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Golden State Warriors with this game tipping off at 10:00 p.m. ET.
There are plenty of opportunities to get involved in the action this evening. 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 29. We simply choose whether a player will record more or less of the set statistic. Here are my six favorite plays for Wednesday night’s action.
Tobias Harris More Than 11.5 Points
The Detroit Pistons have begun to shift into win-now mode. They hold a 23-23 record on the season and find themselves in the playoff mix in the Eastern Conference. Detroit added some win-now veterans this offseason to accelerate the timeline to correlate with the leap being taken by Cade Cunningham. Tobias Harris has been a key part of this and is averaging 12.6 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 2.4 assists across his 31.9 minutes per game.
Detroit will face the Indiana Pacers tonight with both teams playing with an up-tempo style of play. Both teams rank in the top eight in pace over the past five games, with the Pacers coming in at sixth from a season-long standpoint. Harris is quietly really effective in transition and this is an area he should be looking to get involved with tonight. Harris was able to showcase this more during his time in Philadelphia, but this is a matchup that plays in his favor.
Harris has tallied as many as 27 points in a game this season and recorded more than 11.5 points in 23 of the 44 games he has played. The 32-year-old is coming off a frustrating two-point performance in a blowout loss to the Cavaliers in which he shot 1-for-9 from the field. Indiana ranks 21st in opponent points per game and 22nd in opponent field-goal percentage. Harris has averaged 16.9 points per game against Pascal Siakam across the 24 matchups in his career. The Pacers have even deeper defensive concerns than Siakam and look for Harris to be in attack mode by recording more than 11.5 points tonight.
Mike Conley More Than 13.5 Points & Assists
The Minnesota Timberwolves and Phoenix Suns are set to face off tonight with neither team holding the outlook they desired on the season. These two teams sit in seventh and eighth place in the Western Conference with still plenty of season remaining. Both are still searching for what exactly their identity is but have the talent to compete.
While his best days are undoubtedly behind him, Mike Conley is still capable of producing at a high level. The 37-year-old is playing a career-low 24.6 minutes per game and averaging 8.0 points and 4.3 assists per game. He has recorded more than 13.5 combined points and assists in 19 games this season and has seen a recent bump in minutes. In Wednesday’s game, Conley logged 31:22 of game time which marked his fifth-highest minutes total on the season.
In addition, the Suns have some legitimate defensive concerns. Over the past five games, Phoenix has allowed a league-worst 29.2 points per game to opposing starting point guards. They also rank 19th in opponents points per game, 17th in opponents assists allowed and 18th in opponent made three-pointers per game. Look for the veteran guard to play a key role in setting the tone for this Timberwolves team and for his ability as a playmaker to be especially important tonight. Count on him to record more than 13.5 combined points and assists for the 20th time this season.
Karl-Anthony Towns More Than 2.5 Made Three-Pointers
The New York Knicks hold a record of 31-16 on the season and will be facing off against the Denver Nuggets tonight. Nikola Jokic continues to operate as one of the premier basketball players in the sport and will be a difficult challenge for Karl-Anthony Towns tonight. While there are plenty of advantages that favor the three-time MVP, Towns’ ability to space the floor will be an issue for Jokic tonight.
On the season, Towns is averaging 24.9 points, 13.8 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game. He is shooting 43.2% from beyond the three-point arc while attempting 4.7 three-point attempts per game. This comes out to an average of 2.0 made three-pointers per game and he has connected on more than 1.5 made three-pointers in 27 of the 42 games he has played this season. This is the second matchup between these two teams with Towns finishing with 30 points, 15 rebounds, and two made three-pointers in the first game.
Denver ranks 12th in opponents’ three-point attempts and 10th in three-point percentage allowed. Towns last played on Monday in which he also connected with two three-pointers as a part of his 21-point and 11-rebound output. Jokic’s biggest weakness is defending on the perimeter and expect Towns’ ability to space the floor to be utilized to capitalize on this. While foul trouble is the biggest concern for him failing to reach this number, expect Towns to be ready to play tonight and knock down at least two shots from beyond the three-point arc.
Moses Moody Less Than 10.5 Points
The Golden State Warriors continue to weigh the best direction of the franchise. They sit in 11th place in the Western Conference with the next era of Warriors talent not looking to be capable of carrying the torch in the way the organization needs them to. Moses Moody is a key part of this discussion. While the Arkansas product has shown some flashes, he has not delivered to the level the organization needs him to and has a difficult matchup tonight against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
On the season overall, Moody is averaging 8.6 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.2 assists in his 17.9 minutes of play. He also is shooting a career-high 40.1% from beyond the three-point arc on 4.2 perimeter shots per game. Even still, Moody has been held to less than 10.5 points in 22 of the 39 games he has played.
Golden State will be facing off with the Oklahoma City Thunder tonight who hold the best record in the NBA and an incredibly impressive defense. They are holding opponents to the fewest points per game, the worst field goal percentage, and the lowest three-point percentage overall. This will be the second matchup between the Warriors and Thunder with Moody being held to just three points in this game. Expect Oklahoma City’s variety of impactful defenders to prove bothersome and for Moody to be held to less than 10.5 points for the 23rd time this season.
Guerschon Yabusele More Than 7.5 Rebounds
The Philadelphia 76ers are on a three-game winning streak and will be playing on the second night of a back-to-back after defeating the Lakers last night. With injuries continuing to ravage the Sixers’ roster, Guerschon Yabusele has consistently produced as a bright spot for this shorthanded team. Joel Embiid and Andre Drummond remain out due to injury which has made Guerschon Yabusele step in as the starting center at a much more regular rate.
On the season overall, Yabusele is averaging 10.4 points and 5.5 rebounds across his 26.1 minutes per game. Yabusele has continually earned more trust from Nick Nurse as the season has progressed and will have his hands full matching up with Domantas Sabonis tonight. While Sabonis’ league-leading 14.6 rebounds per game speak for themselves, Yabusele is more effective against players of his style as opposed to the high-flying athletes that he can sometimes struggle with. Yabusele logged a season-high 13 rebounds against the Cavaliers earlier this week and will be looking to continue to add to this.
As a team, the Sixers rank dead last in total rebounds and 15th in opponents’ rebounds allowed. In contrast, the Kings rank 13th in total rebounds and 12th in opponent rebounds per game. Expect Yabusele to lead the charge for the Sixers from a rebounding perspective and for the Frenchman to record more than 7.5 rebounds tonight.
Ivica Zubac Less Than 12.5 Rebounds
The Los Angeles Clippers have exceeded expectations in a major way this year and Ivica Zubac is a driving reason why. James Harden has helped unlock the big man’s offensive ability with their pick-and-roll and two-man sets being a huge part of the Clippers’ offense. Zubac is averaging a career-high 15.1 points and 12.6 rebounds across his 31.8 minutes per game.
Unfortunately, this will be an extremely difficult matchup for Zubac as he prepares to take on Defensive Player of the Year frontrunner Victor Wembanyama. Still just 21 years old, Wemabanyama is averaging 10.8 rebounds per game in his own right and leading the NBA with 3.9 blocks per game. Expect Wembanyama’s 7-foot-5 frame to be troublesome for Zubac and for his rebounding output to be a bit milder than has become the norm.
Zubac has been held to less than 12.5 rebounds in 25 of the 44 games he has played. This will be the third matchup against the Spurs with his rebounding totals being 13 and seven in these two games. He also has been held to less than 12.5 rebounds in four of the past six games. Expect Wembanyama’s impact to be felt in this game and for Zubac to be unable to assert himself. Count on him being held to less than 12.5 rebounds in this matchup with Wembanyama stealing the spotlight of tonight’s game.
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!
