Eight games between 16 teams are set to tip off on Thursday across the NBA. Among the matchups to watch, Memphis and Oklahoma City will meet in a battle between Western Conference contenders. Elsewhere, Anthony Davis and the desperate Mavericks face an elite Magic defense in Orlando. There’s plenty of ways to get in on the action with DraftKings NBA Pick6 fantasy basketball selections before tonight’s contests!
Jarrett Allen more than 10.5 rebounds
The Cavaliers will be without Evan Mobley (rest) on Thursday, leaving a massive void down low. To pick up the slack, expect more production out of Jarrett Allen. It’s been another stellar season for the center, one of the sport’s more underrated two-way players. This season, he’s posted 13.5 points and 10.0 rebounds per game while shooting a league-leading 69.9% from the field.
Cleveland faces a banged-up Spurs team missing Victor Wembanyama (blood clot). Without the seven-footer active, a savvy pro such as Allen should take advantage. Opponents have snagged 53.1 rebounds vs. San Antonio, eighth-most in the NBA. In addition, Allen has produced 11.0 rebounds over eight games played without Mobley this season. The former All-Star is poised for a dominant performance on the glass against a weakened front court.
Anthony Black more than 11.5 points
Injuries and a slowed-down play style have made it tough to find consistent producers on the Magic. Other than stars Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, Orlando’s roster is filled to the brim with quality defenders that offer little else. One player that could see more work going forward is Anthony Black. The second-year pro has played primarily off the bench this season, starting just nine contests. Through 69 appearances, he’s put up 9.3 points, 2.8 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.0 steals per game.
Those numbers, while unimpressive, don’t tell the whole story when it comes to Black. The guard has looked great recently, scoring double-digit points in four of Orlando’s last five games. In that time, he’s averaged 14.8 points per game. Jalen Suggs (knee) is out for the season, opening up plenty of minutes in the back court. Tonight, the Magic will take on a Mavericks squad that has difficulty defending opposing guards. Whether it’s off the bench or as a starter, Black is poised for another stellar outing on Thursday.
Andrew Wiggins more than 20.5 points
It’s been a difficult second half for the Heat, who have nearly dropped out of the Eastern Conference play-in. One bright spot for Miami is the play of Andrew Wiggins, acquired from the Warriors in February’s Jimmy Butler trade. The former All-Star has been a major boon to an otherwise dormant offense, taking on a primary scoring role next to Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro. In 14 games with his new team, Wiggins has averaged 20.2 points.
The two-way wing has been on fire recently, recording at least 22 points in five of his last eight appearances. He’ll have a chance to notch another quality stat line on Thursday against the Hawks. This season, Atlanta has surrendered 118.8 points per game to opponents, fifth-most in the NBA. When these teams met on February 24th, Wiggins put up 23 points. Another high-scoring outing could be in the cards tonight.
Matas Buzelis less than 12.5 points
A much-needed rebuild is underway in Chicago. That means more work for some of the younger players on the roster, including Matas Buzelis. Last summer’s first-round pick didn’t make much of an impact to start the season. However, he’s shown flashes of greatness over the past two months. Since February 1st, the 20-year-old has averaged 12.7 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.7 assists.
As good as Buzelis has been recently, his production can be very erratic. In six of his last eight appearances, the forward has recorded ten points or less. It’s difficult to picture a big outing occurring vs. the Lakers. Since the All-Star break, Los Angeles has the fifth-best defensive rating in basketball (114.8). Chicago’s youngster, despite his massive talent, is a clear fade candidate on Thursday.
LeBron James more than 7.5 assists
It’s been quite the week for LeBron James. However, we’ll keep this analysis related to on-court production rather than beef with a certain sports media personality. After suffering a groin injury earlier this month, the future Hall of Famer returned on Saturday vs. Chicago. Since then, he’s put up 18.0 points, 8.3 rebounds and 6.0 assists over three games. Those numbers, while solid, aren’t at the superhuman level basketball fans are used to seeing.
Los Angeles will face the Bulls once again tonight, this time traveling to the Windy City. A date with a terrible defense makes this a terrific spot for LeBron to break out of his mini-slump. Chicago has allowed the second-most points (121.0) and third-most assists (28.9) per game to opponents this season. The four-time MVP has tallied at least eight assists in over 63% of his outings this season. It’s difficult to imagine one of the NBA’s worst teams will be able to limit The King’s playmaking.
Shaedon Sharpe more than 2.5 three-pointers made
The Trailblazers are a long-shot to reach the Western Conference play-in, let alone the postseason. Still, there’s plenty of reasons for optimism in Portland. A fun, versatile roster has played good basketball recently, winning 17 of its last 30 games. Leading the charge has been Shaedon Sharpe, the team’s second-highest scorer (17.6 PPG). The guard has shot 45.0% from the field this season, but has only hit 30.8% of his three-point attempts.
While Sharpe isn’t the most accurate player in the league, he makes up for it with volume. This season, the 21-year-old has attempted 6.3 shots per game from beyond the arc. That trend should continue on Thursday against a Kings squad that can’t defend the perimeter. Opponents are shooting an NBA-high 38.7% from three-point range vs. Sacramento. When these teams met in February, Sharpe hit three shots from long-distance; expect more of the same tonight.
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Pick6 is a peer-to-peer fantasy variant where you build a lineup (your “Pick Set”) of 2+ players and select whether or not 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 can not pick the same player twice and you must pick 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.
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