The home stretch of the NBA season is upon us with 12 teams already locked into their postseason fate. The Cleveland Cavaliers and Oklahoma City Thunder have each secured the top seed in their respective conferences while the Celtics are locked into the second seed in the East. The Knicks and Pacers have each clinched a spot in the playoffs while the Bulls are locked into the play-in tournament for the third straight season. Looking lower in the standings, the Nets, 76ers, Wizards, Jazz, and Pelicans have each been eliminated from the playoffs and play-in tournament. Roughly seven games are remaining on each team’s schedule to round out the rest of the standings.
Nine games will be taking place tonight to continue deciding the final standings. Starting at 7:00 p.m. ET, the Knicks will play the Cavaliers, the Kings will face the Wizards, and the Hornets will square off with the Pacers. A half-hour later, the Boston Celtics will host the Miami Heat.
At 8:00 p.m. ET, the Houston Rockets will take on the Utah Jazz. A half-hour following this, the Atlanta Hawks will play the Dallas Mavericks. Games will continue to tip-off each half hour with the Spurs playing the Nuggets and the Pistons taking on the Thunder before the final matchup at 10:00 p.m. ET between the Clippers and Pelicans.
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 April 2nd. You simply choose whether each set statistic will be more or less than the set number. With the stage set, here are my favorite picks across the nine-game slate.
Tyrese Haliburton More Than 27.5 Points & Assists
It was a tough start to the season for Tyrese Haliburton, but the Pacers star has returned to his All-Star form in the second half of the year. Since the All-Star break, he has averaged 21.3 points and 11.3 assists per game after being limited to 17.8 points and 8.5 assists per game in the first half of the season. Haliburton has recorded more than 27.5 points and assists in six of his last seven games entering tonight’s matchup.
Looking at the opponent, the Pacers will play the Charlotte Hornets today who hold the third-worst record in the NBA at 19-56. They grade better defensively than you would expect, but the outlook has shifted with LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller shut down for the season and Miles Bridges questionable tonight. Haliburton is at the epicenter of everything the Pacers do offensively and will look to maintain his high level of play tonight.
The star guard has also played better at home this season where tonight’s matchup will take place. Haliburton has averaged 20.1 points and 10.0 assists at home this season compared to 17.3 points and 8.5 assists on the road. Look for Haliburton to maintain his stretch of strong play and lead the offensive charge against the Hornets tonight. The Pacers have played much better basketball down the stretch of the season and will be looking to carry this into the playoffs. Count on Haliburton to continue to be at the heart of this by recording more than 27.5 combined points and assists for the 37th time this season and the seventh time in the past eight games.
Jordan Poole Than 16.5 Points
The Washington Wizards continue their countdown to the NBA Draft lottery with seven games left on their schedule. Entering with the second-worst record in the league, they will play the Sacramento Kings tonight who currently hold a 1.5-game lead over the Phoenix Suns for the 10th seed and final play-in tournament slot in the Western Conference. It has been a concerning stretch for the Kings, but their goals are still in front of them for the season. When evaluating where these struggles have occurred it is impossible not to look toward the defensive side of the ball.
On the season overall, Sacramento ranks 21st in opponents points allowed, 22nd in opponents field goal percentage, and dead last in opponents’ three-point percentage. Over their past 15 games, they have gone 4-11 and ranked 27th in opponents’ field goal percentage and dead last in opponents’ efficiency from beyond the three-point arc. Domatas Sabonis has battled some injury issues during this stretch, but he leaves plenty to be desired on the defensive side of the ball even under the best of circumstances.
While the outlook for the season is bleak for the Wizards, the youthful roster has not fully thrown in the towel and continues to compete. Jordan Poole has been a part of this effort and continues to play with incredibly high confidence while shooting the ball at solid efficiency. Poole is averaging 20.5 points per game on the season and recorded more than 16.5 points in 43 of the 65 games he has played. This includes six of his past seven games. Expect him to continue letting it fly early and often with Sacramento’s defensive shortcomings in mind and for Poole to tally more than 16.5 points again tonight.
Domantas Sabonis More Than 33.5 Points & Rebounds
On the other side of this matchup sits Domantas Sabonis. The three-time All-Star makes up for his defensive shortcomings with all that he brings on the offensive side of the floor and also is leading the league in rebounding for the third consecutive season. Washington has had their struggles on the interior this season and this is a favorable matchup for Sabonis to assert himself.
On the season he is averaging 19.0 points and a league-leading 14.0 rebounds per game. He has tallied more than 33.5 combined points and rebounds in 32 of the 63 games he has played this season. It took some time to get back to form after missing some time due to injury but he is averaging 20.3 points and 16.0 rebounds per game over his previous three games.
Washington has been vulnerable on the defensive end ranking dead last in opponents’ points per game and opponents’ rebounds per game. They also give up 26.2 points per game to opposing centers, which is the worst rate in the NBA, and rank 29th in rebounds allowed to opposing centers. Sabonis has recorded more than 33.5 combined points and rebounds in four of the six matchups against the Wizards since joining the Kings including a 29-point and 18-rebound performance earlier this year. Sacramento must feel the pressure of their outlook in the standing and bring the required effort level on an every night basis. Look for Sabonis to set the tone for this Kings team and record more than 33.5 combined points and rebounds in this favorable matchup tonight.
Jalen Green More Than 23.5 Points
Jalen Green has become one of the more polarizing players in the NBA. Regardless of what your feelings are, it cannot be ignored that he is averaging 21.5 points per game on the team that currently holds a two-game lead for the second seed in the competitive Western Conference. Green has been especially hot as a shooter of late, averaging 24.3 points across his last 11 outings and recording more than 23.5 points in eight of these games. Houston will now prepare to face off with Utah Jazz tonight who have officially lost 60 games for the first time in franchise history.
Green is coming off a tough nine-point performance against the Lakers on Monday and this is a great bounceback opportunity for him. Utah ranks 29th in the league in opponents’ points allowed, 26th in opponents’ field goal percentage, and allows the most three-point attempts of any team in the league. Green finished with 21 and 25 points in the two matchups against the Jazz this year and also scored 30+ twice against them last year.
Houston will need to tally a few more wins to cement their spot in the standings in the surging Western Conference. Look for them to take advantage of the favorable matchup tonight and for Green to lead the charge in this effort. Count on the star guard to record more than 23.5 points for the 34th time this season and the ninth time in his past 12 games against an inferior opponent.
Devin Vassell Less Than 2.5 Made Three-Pointers
The San Antonio Spurs looked to be taking that next step into contention but had their season outlook derailed following season-ending injuries to both Victor Wembanyama and De’Aaron Fox. This has left the rest of the roster to tread water for the remainder of the season with the organization hopeful to get some draft lottery luck and add another significant piece. While there are plenty of bright spots to bring up on this Spurs roster, it has been a bit of a disappointing year for Devin Vassell.
The fifth-year forward has regressed slightly this season from both a statistical and efficiency standpoint. On the season overall, Vassell is averaging 16.3 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game. He is shooting 36.4% from beyond the three-point arc on 6.6 perimeter shots per game. While this is still a respectable percentage, it is below the 36.8% he has shot in his career and the 37.8% rate he has shot from the perimeter the past two seasons. Vassell has been held to less than 2.5 made three-pointers in 32 of the 60 games he has played this season.
San Antonio will face off with the Denver Nuggets tonight on the back of a heartbreaking loss last night. This will be the third time Vassell has faced the Nuggets this season with him shooting 1-for-6 and 1-for-4 from beyond the three-point arc in the first two matchups. Expect a spirited effort from the Nuggets as they attempt to avenge last night’s loss which outshined Nikola Jokic’s 61-point triple-double. Vassell has been held to less than 2.5 made three-pointers in back-to-back games entering tonight and count on this continuing in the matchup with Denver.
Tobias Harris Less Than 15.5 Points
The Detroit Pistons have flipped the switch into win-now mode with Tobias Harris earning some credit for this effort. The 32-year-old re-joined the organization for the second time is his career and has been effective. On the season he is averaging 13.8 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 2.2 assists in 32.1 minutes of action. Even with his success, Harris has been held to less than 15.5 points in 40 of the 69 games he has played.
Cade Cunningham is listed as doubtful for tonight’s game with a calf injury and he has remained sidelined for each of the past four games. Harris also missed two of these matchups and was limited to 14 and 15 points in the two games he did play. On the season overall, Harris is averaging just 12.5 points per game across the six games he has played without Cunningham.
On top of this, the Pistons are set to play the Oklahoma City Thunder tonight. The Western Conference leaders have held opponents to the second-fewest points per game this season as well as the worst field goal and three-point percentage this year. Harris was limited to 11 points in the previous matchup against the Thunder and will see increased defensive attention without Cunningham in this game. Harris still deserves plenty of credit for having a successful year, but take advantage of his numbers being increased without Cunningham and expect him to record less than 15.5 points for the 41st time this season against the Western Conference favorites.
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!
