Following four nonstop days of college basketball, the NBA is set to retake the throne as the primetime viewing option. The NCAA Tournament will hit a pause and eight games of NBA action will step to center stage tonight.
Starting at 7:00 p.m. ET, the Los Angeles Lakers will face the Orlando Magic, the Indiana Pacers will host the Minnesota Timberwolves, and the Toronto Raptors will take on the Washington Wizards. A half-hour later, the Dallas Mavericks will face the Brooklyn Nets with Anthony Davis upgraded to questionable.
Then at 8:00 p.m. ET, the Philadelphia 76ers will take on the New Orleans Pelicans with injuries being the story for each of these franchises this season. An hour later, the Chicago Bulls will face the Denver Nuggets on the second night of a back-to-back for Denver. In the late window, the Boston Celtics will play the Sacramento Kings and the Milwaukee Bucks will face the Phoenix Suns with both matchups 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 action on March 24. You simply choose whether each set statistic will be more or less than the number set. With the stage set, here are my favorite picks across the eight-game slate.
Dorian Finney-Smith Less Than 6.5 Points
The Los Angeles Lakers have battled some injuries in recent weeks but are getting closer to full strength. LeBron James has recovered from his groin issue and Rui Hachimura returned to the floor in the previous game. Dorian Finney-Smith remained in the starting lineup but was held to just two points in 21 minutes of play while shooting 0-for-3 from beyond the three-point arc in their most recent matchup with the Bulls. He has also struggled as a shooter of late, connecting on 33.3% of his perimeter shots in March.
The Lakers will face off with the Orlando Magic tonight who are holding opponents to the fewest points per game and fewest three-point attempts in the NBA. Finney-Smith faced off with this Magic team once already this season and dropped 15 points, but this was when he was still on the Brooklyn Nets. Since being traded to the Lakers, Finney-Smith is averaging 7.1 points and 3.6 rebounds across his 27.8 minutes per game. The 31-year-old has been held to less than 6.5 points in 14 of the 32 games he has played.
Hachimura’s return is especially notable when projecting Finney-Smith’s outlook. Expect Hachimura’s role to begin to grow with Finney-Smith on the opposite end of this projection. The scoring outlook for the 31-year-old is pretty dependent on catch-and-shoot three-point attempts with the ball-dominant nature of Luka Doncic and LeBron James. With Orlando holding the best scoring defense and limiting three-point attempts at the best rate, don’t expect this to be a signature performance for Finney-Smith. Expect Hachimura to begin limiting the opportunity level for Finney-Smith and for him to be held to less than 6.5 points tonight for the 15th time with the Lakers this season.
Kyle Kuzma More Than 6.5 Rebounds
The Milwaukee Bucks are back in action tonight taking on the Phoenix Suns and they continue to linger as a dark horse threat in the Eastern Conference. They made a notable change at the trade deadline, sending away Khris Middleton in a deal that returned Kyle Kuzma. Across his 21 games with the Bucks, Kuzma is averaging 14.0 points, 6.7 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game.
He has struggled shooting the ball and is still fully settling into his role, but there have been some promising flashes from Kuzma. Rebounding the basketball is an area where he should be expected to continue progressing as the season winds down. Kuzma has hauled in as many as 8.5 rebounds per game throughout a season in his career and he has recorded more than 6.5 rebounds in 11 of the 21 games in Milwaukee thus far.
This is a favorable matchup for Kuzma to establish himself as he matches up with the Phoenix Suns who have been starved of interior production all season. They rank 24th in the league in total rebounds and 18th in opponent rebounds allowed. Kuzma faced off with this Suns team twice this season while still on the Wizards and tallied 16 rebounds across these two matchups. With Damian Lillard’s calf injury continuing to sideline him, Kuzma’s importance is clear, so look for his activity to continue being notable as he tallies more than 6.5 rebounds for the 24th time this season.
Justin Edwards More Than 16.5 Points
Everything that could go wrong has gone wrong in Philadelphia this season, leaving the shell of the remaining roster to limp to the finish line. Joel Embiid, Paul George, Eric Gordon and Jared McCain have all been shut down for the season while Tyrese Maxey has not played since March 3. Even still, these opportunities for the younger players looking to cement their NBA outlook are incredibly valuable. One bright spot in this disappointing season has been Justin Edwards. The undrafted free agent saw his contract upgraded from a two-way contract to a standard NBA deal and his confidence has grown on a nearly every-night basis. On the season overall, Edwards has played 37 games averaging 9.7 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.5 assists across his 25.5 minutes per game.
The Kentucky product has been thrust into the starting lineup at a more regular rate and has delivered for the Sixers. He has tallied more than 16.5 points in four straight games and has started the past 10 games for the team. Edwards was regarded as a top prospect when he went to Kentucky and the expectation was he would have a clear path to being one of the top picks in the draft. The Philadelphia native underwhelmed in his lone year in college and surprisingly slipped out of the draft completely. He is showcasing the talent that has always been there and found a setting where he could flourish.
Look for this effort to carry into tonight as the Sixers face the 19-53 Pelicans. New Orleans’ 27th-ranked scoring defense and 29th-ranked opponent field-goal percentage should be in mind and there will be as many shot opportunities for Edwards as he wants to seek out. His confidence continues to grow so look for him to record more than 16.5 points for the fifth straight game tonight against a struggling defense.
Immanuel Quickley Less Than 19.5 Points
The race to the bottom to maximize draft lottery odds has been just as competitive as the playoff races this season. Teams have gone to some pretty extreme lengths to stack the deck in favor of increasing the chances of losing, with the Toronto Raptors leading the charge in this effort. Currently, the Wizards hold the worst record in the NBA while the Raptors hold the seventh-worst record.
Immanuel Quickley’s availability has been a major indicator of the team’s intentions with the healthy 25-year-old guard having missed four of his past eight games due to rest. In addition, there have been several situations in which Toronto has pulled its starters and best players when it has a lead or is in a close game in the fourth quarter. Quickley has suited up for just 28 total games this season averaging 17.3 points, 5.6 assists and 3.6 rebounds during this time.
Quickley has been held to less than 19.5 points in 15 of the 28 games he has played. It will be fascinating to see what the starting lineups and roster combinations look like for each of these teams but count on Toronto to limit his chances. On top of all these other factors, Marcus Smart has provided a nice spark to this Wizards defense and will likely be the primary matchup for Quickley. The former Defensive Player of the Year still carries himself with pride on the defensive end and expect him to give Quickley some trouble tonight.
Julius Randle More Than 4.5 Assists
The Minnesota Timberwolves have been a surging team in the second half of the season and Julius Randle deserves some credit for helping things click. There were plenty of extreme reactions when the initial trade was agreed upon that sent Karl-Anthony Towns away in a deal that primarily returned Julius Randle. Minnesota has won nine of its last 11 games when Randle has been in the lineup and has also won five consecutive games before he went down with an injury.
Across the 59 games he has played this season, Randle is averaging 18.7 points, 7.0 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game. It should also be noted that Anthony Edwards has been added to the injury report and is listed as questionable with a right thumb laceration. Edwards has missed just three total games this season and Randle’s offensive responsibility would grow in a major way if the star guard cannot play.
Randle has a unique skillset and has shined as a playmaker dating back to his time in college. He has averaged as many as 6.0 assists per game over a season and recorded more than 4.5 assists in 25 games this season. This includes six of his last 10 games. Minnesota will face off with the Indiana Pacers tonight who play at an up-tempo pace that should bring on plenty of offensive opportunities. Randle is settling in with his new team at the right time and has been unselfish with his play. Look for Randle to continue being active as a playmaker and record more than 4.5 assists for the 26th time with the Timberwolves.
Matas Buzelis More Than 17.5 Points, Rebounds & Assists
The Chicago Bulls selected Matas Buzelis with the 11th overall pick in this past year’s draft. It was a bit of a surprise that he slipped that far and Buzelis has largely been underwhelming in his overall season sample size. This has changed as of late with his opportunity expanded.
On the season overall, Buzelis is averaging 7.7 points, 3.1 rebounds and just 0.8 assists per game. He is coming off a career-high 31-point performance the last time he stepped on the floor in 29:51 of game time against the Lakers. Across his past 11 games, Buzelis is averaging 12.8 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game and he has recorded more than 17.5 combined points, rebounds and assists in six of these 11 games.
The Denver Nuggets are expected to continue to be without Nikola Jokic, which changes the outlook for the team pretty notably. Buzelis has been granted more opportunity and freedom on the court and the production has followed. While he is averaging just 17.9 minutes per game on the season, the Chicago native is playing 26.1 minutes per game across his past 23 games played. Expect the Bulls to continue evaluating exactly what they have in Buzelis and for him to record more than 17.5 combined points, rebounds and assists again tonight against the 24th-ranked scoring defense.
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!
