There will be eight games on tonight’s NBA slate with the second half of the season fully underway. Each game is carrying some additional weight for the remainder of the year.
Most notably, the Denver Nuggets and Indiana Pacers will open the night in the 7:00 p.m. ET window with both teams showing signs of improvement of late. The Philadelphia 76ers and Chicago Bulls will also square off in a matchup that has much more significant seeding implications than anyone would have expected at this stage of the year. Both teams have tried to desperately increase their lottery odds and enter on six and seven-game losing streaks into this matchup. In addition, the Brooklyn Nets will play the Washington Wizards, while the Los Angeles Clippers and Detroit Pistons face off also at 7:00 p.m. ET.
Then, at 7:30 p.m. ET, the Atlanta Hawks will take on the Miami Heat. For the second straight night and fourth time this season, the Oklahoma City Thunder and Minnesota Timberwolves will face off. In the later slate, the Utah Jazz will host the Portland Trail Blazers before the Sacramento Kings and Charlotte Hornets play the final game 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 action on February 24th. You simply choose whether each set statistic will be more or less than the number is set. With the stage set, here are my favorite picks across the eight-game slate.
Kevin Huerter More Than 9.5 Points
The Sixers and Bulls enter this matchup riding seven and six-game losing streaks respectively. Despite this, Chicago maintains their 10th spot in the Eastern Conference while the Sixers have dropped to 12th seed. The priorities for both sides have shifted from chasing the play-in opportunity to maximizing their lottery odds. Chicago took strides in this direction by trading away Zach LaVine at the trade deadline with Kevin Huerter being a part of the package returning.
Chicago has been the fourth-highest-scoring offense when playing on the road this season and also ranks 29th in opponents points allowed. Philadelphia ranks 14th in opponents’ points allowed and is 20th in this category since Jan. 10. They also rank 26th in opponents’ three-point percentage with their tendency to overhelp, which often surrenders looks from the perimeter. This is an area where in which Huerter should capitalize.
It has been a bit of a down season for Kevin Huerter thus far. Across the 48 games he has played, the Maryland product is averaging 7.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.8 assists while shooting a career-worst 30.0% from beyond the three-point arc. For reference, Huerter is averaging 11.5 points per game in his career and shooting 37.4% from beyond the three-point arc on 5.6 long-range shots per game. He also has averaged as many as 15.2 points per game and shot over 40.% from the perimeter just two seasons ago. Chicago has provided a great new opportunity for Huerter and he most recently clocked 30:12 of game minutes in the previous matchup, finishing with 14 points. Expect him to benefit from Philadelphia’s struggles on the perimeter and for Huerter to prove his worth to this Bulls team by recording more than 9.5 points tonight.
Pascal Siakam More Than 6.5 Rebounds
Both the Indiana Pacers and Denver Nuggets have turned things around after a bit of an underwhelming start to the year. Indiana is 7-3 in their last 10 games and riding a three-game winning streak while the Nuggets had their nine-game winning streak snapped by the Lakers in their previous game. Pascal Siakam continues to be a huge part of what the Pacers are doing and is averaging 20.5 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game this season.
This will be a difficult matchup on the boards as the Pacers will attempt to match up with Nikola Jokic and the rest of the Denver roster. Jokic is averaging 12.7 rebounds per game, which ranks third in the league. However, the Pacers have played at the third-quickest pace in the league over their last five home games and are sixth in this category on the season overall. Siakam’s ability to get out on the break and play up-tempo will be an advantage and should create some additional rebounding opportunities.
Overall, Siakam has recorded more than 6.5 rebounds in 30 of the 55 games he has played. This includes logging 12 rebounds last night against the Clippers and reaching this total in 17 of his past 28 games. The Cameroon native has pulled in as many as 18 rebounds in a game and it will likely be Myles Turner primarily tasked with putting a body on Jokic. Look for Siakam to benefit from this and be tasked to be the primary rebounder in this game for the Pacers. Look for him to record more than 6.5 rebounds for the 31st time this season and continue playing at a high level for this Pacers team.
LaMelo Ball More Than 25.5 Points
The final matchup of the night will take place between the Charlotte Hornets and Sacramento Kings. Neither of these teams has an overly optimistic outlook for the remainder of the regular season, although the Kings maintain the 10th seed in the Western Conference with their 28-28 record. The Hornets have dropped to 14th in the Eastern Conference, although they possess a caliber of talent that can give opposing teams trouble on any given night. LaMelo Ball is at the epicenter of their offensive production and has a favorable matchup against this Kings defense.
Ball is producing at a career-best rate, averaging 26.7 points, 7.1 assists and 5.1 rebounds. He has recorded more than 25.5 points in 20 of the 35 games he has played this year. The 23-year-old left the previous matchup with the Nets due to an ankle injury but is off the injury report for tonight. He dropped 27 points in the previous game that he was able to start and finish. In addition, he ranks in the 88th percentile for minutes per game and his 22.3 field-goal attempts per game would lead the NBA if he had played the number of games to qualify.
Looking at the matchup, Sacramento ranks 24th in opponent points per game, 18th in opponent field-goal percentage, 22nd in opponent three-point attempts, and 29th in opponent three-point percentage. Ball’s ability to attack from the perimeter will be problematic and the young guard is unafraid from all areas of the floor. Expect him to continue making the most of his offensive freedom and for his three-point range to especially cause issues. Count on him to tally more than 25.5 points against the vulnerable defense for the 21st time this season.
Trae Young Less Than 28.5 Points
The Atlanta Hawks are on a three-game losing streak and will now prepare to face the Miami Heat tonight. These teams sit in eighth and ninth place in the Eastern Conference and will be in the play-in mix. Trae Young continues to be at the heart of everything the Hawks do and is averaging 24.2 points and a league-leading 11.4 assists per game.
Young’s scoring numbers have increased of late with him scoring exactly 38 points in each of the past three games. On the season overall, the four-time All-Star has been held to less than 28.5 points in 34 of the 53 games he has played. This will be the second matchup between these two teams this year with Young being held to just 11 points in the previous matchup against the Heat.
Miami ranks eighth in opponents’ points per game, 10th in opponents’ field goal percentage, and 14th in opponents’ three-point percentage. They are still fully discovering their identity as a team following Jimmy Butler being traded away at the deadline. But there are limited offensive creators on this Hawks roster outside of Young. Expect Miami to prioritize getting the ball out of his hands. The recent scoring outputs have been impressive, but expect him to return to his more standard scoring output today. He is averaging just 24.2 points per game and has been held to less than 28.5 points in 64.1% of the games thus far. Expect a more normal scoring output tonight and for Young to be held to less than 28.5 points against this stingy Miami defense for the second time this season.
Anthony Edwards More Than 3.5 Made Three-Pointers
For the second consecutive night, the Oklahoma City Thunder and Minnesota Timberwolves are set to face off with both sides holding deep playoff aspirations. There was a playoff atmosphere in last night’s game and this will hopefully be rekindled tonight. This will be the fourth and final matchup between these two Western Conference contenders, at least until the postseason begins. Anthony Edwards is at the epicenter of everything the Timberwolves do and their actions proved he is their foundational piece this offseason.
The former No. 1 overall pick is averaging a career-high 27.7 points, 5.9 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game. He has especially taken a stride forward in his three-point abilities this year. Edwards is launching three-pointers at a career-high rate, launching 10.3 perimeter shots per game and connecting at a 40.9% rate. Edwards also has been especially active as a scorer of late. He averaged 30.3 points per game in January and is averaging 34.0 points per game across the opening eight games in February. He is averaging 11.0 three-point attempts per game across these two months.
While Oklahoma City is an excellent defensive team overall, they are still allowing the second-highest three-point rate to opposing shooting guards this season. They also rank 18th in three-point attempts as a team. Edwards finished with 29 points last night despite shooting 8-for-21 from the field and 4-for-13 from beyond the three-point arc. He has connected with more than 3.5 three-pointers in 37 of 56 games this season including as many as 10 made three-pointers in a game individually. Look for him to remain in attack mode and record more than 3.5 made three-pointers for the second straight night against the Thunder.
Naz Reid More Than 2.5 Made Three-Pointers
Another Timberwolves player to take a stride forward this year has been Naz Reid. Following the decision to trade away Karl-Anthony Towns and the recent injuries to Rudy Gobert and Julius Randle, who will both remain out tonight, Reid is averaging 14.7 points, 5.8 rebounds, and is shooting 40.4% from beyond the three-point arc on 5.6 three-point attempts per game. This comes out to an average of 2.2 made three-pointers per game and he has recorded more than 2.5 made three-pointers in 22 of the 57 games he has played. This includes shooting 3-for-9 from beyond the arc in last night’s game.
Across his 10 games as a starter, Reid has seen his averages grow to 20.1 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game. He is attempting 7.9 three-point attempts across these 10 games as a starter. He has connected on more than 2.5 made three-pointers in six of these 10 games a starter. He also has made more than 2.5 three-pointers in two of the three matchups against the Thunder this season.
With little to no depth at the big man spots, expect Reid to continue to see an expanded role within the offense and make the most of his opportunities. Minnesota has shown an increased willingness to run plays to create looks directly for the reigning Sixth Man of the Year and Reid remains one of the better shooters in the league. Look for him to continue commanding a key role in the offense and connect with more than 2.5 made three-pointers for the second consecutive matchup against the Western Conference leaders 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!
