Tonight will mark the first Friday of the traditional regular-season matchups as the NBA Cup group stage has concluded and the tournament is on pause until Tuesday. There are still seven games of NBA action to tap into and plenty of basketball to break down.
Most notably, the Bucks will face the Celtics for the third time this season, but are playing at a much better level than either of the first two losses. In addition, the Lakers will attempt to bounce back from their 41-point loss to the Heat on Monday and are facing the Hawks tonight.
The opening game will be the second of back-to-back matchups between the Sixers and Magic. The Kings are facing the Spurs and the Pacers will play the Bulls. There are two games in the late-night 10:00 PM EST window taking place between the Trail Blazers and Jazz as well as the Warriors and Timberwolves.
While there will be more notable days of NBA basketball moving forward, there are still several options for what to watch and even more opportunities to get involved in the action. One of the more unique features on DraftKings this year is Pick6 Fantasy Basketball!
This article will look at my top Pick6 plays for December 6th. 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.
Giannis Antetokounmpo More Than 30.5 Points
After a slow start to the season, the Milwaukee Bucks have turned things around. They most recently suffered a loss to the Hawks on Wednesday, which snapped a seven-game winning streak, but they are back above .500 on the season. As is typically the case for Milwaukee, Giannis Antetokounmpo is at the heart of the production.
The former MVP is leading the NBA in scoring at 32.6 points per game while also adding 11.6 rebounds and 6.6 assists. He has been especially strong of late and has recorded more than 30.5 points in five of his past six games including eclipsing 40 points in two of these.
This will be the third matchup of the season between the Bucks and Celtics. Antetokounmpo has produced scoring outputs of 30 and 43 points in the two matchups thus far. While the Celtics are a strong defensive team, the combination of size, strength, and motor make Antetokounmpo a matchup disadvantage. The Bucks are at their best when he is leading the offensive attack and expect this to be the case tonight against the defending champions. Antetokounmpo has recorded more than 30.5 points in 11 of the 19 games he has played already the season. Expect him to be in attack mode again tonight and record more than 30.5 points.
Guerschon Yabusele More Than 15.5 Points & Rebounds
The Philadelphia 76ers have gotten off to a disastrous start to the season but Guerschon Yabusele has been a significant bright spot. The Olympic standout was handed a minimum contract by the Sixers following his impressive play for France and has walked into a much larger role than expected. Overall, he is averaging 9.9 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 2.0 assists while shooting 40.7 percent on three-pointers.
Yabusele has seen his role grow in recent games with this further being amplified by injuries. Joel Embiid remains out as he battles his knee issues while Adem Bona will miss this game after logging 14 minutes in Wednesday’s matchup with the Magic. Andre Drummond has been upgraded to questionable, but missed the past two games and was initially expected to miss this game as well. His status will be one to monitor leading up until tip-off, but at the minimum, Yabusele will serve as the sole big man for a significant portion of this matchup for the Sixers.
During Wednesday’s game against the Magic, Yabusele finished with 15 points and seven rebounds. He also tallied seven points and 12 rebounds the night before against the Hornets and has recorded more than 15.5 combined points and rebounds in five of the past seven games. Injuries have provided a pathway for expanded minutes and Yabusele is playing high-level basketball. Expect him to see significant opportunity again tonight and record more than 15.5 combined points and rebounds once again against this scrappy Magic team.
Josh Giddey More Than 6.5 Assists
The Chicago Bulls will match up with the Indiana Pacers tonight and be braced for an up-tempo matchup. While the Pacers have not been as effective at pushing the tempo as last season, Indiana still ranks eighth in pace, 26th in points allowed, 25th in defensive efficiency, and 19th in assists allowed per game (26.3).
The Bulls made a splash this offseason by trading for Josh Giddey. While this was met with plenty of criticism at the time, the 22-year-old is averaging 11.9 points, 6.7 assists, and 6.2 rebounds per game. Giddey has some of the best court vision in the NBA and is responsible for pulling the strings of the Bulls’ offense. The Australian guard has recorded more than 6.5 assists in 13 of the 23 games this season and in six of the past nine games. This also includes an 11-assist performance against the Brooklyn Nets on Monday.
With an underwhelming defense and Giddey gaining more comfortability in the offense, expect a strong playmaking performance tonight. Looking at last year’s matchups while playing with the Thunder, Giddey averaged 7.0 assists across five matchups with the Pacers. Expect him to benefit from the up-tempo play in the matchup and record more than 6.5 assists for the 14th time this season.
Paul George More Than 27.5 Points, Rebounds, & Assists
It has not been a seamless transition to Philadelphia for Paul George after signing a max contract in the offseason. George has played just 10 of a possible 20 games this season while being on a minutes limit in several games that he has been active. The nine-time All-Star has played just 29.5 minutes per game so far this year, well below his career average of 33.6 minutes per game, and is averaging just 15.9 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 5.1 assists.
Finally, the max player the Sixers expected they signed showed up on Tuesday against the Hornets. George finished with 29 points, eight assists, and two rebounds while playing a season-high 37 minutes. George was held out of the second night of the back-to-back on Wednesday but will be back in action for tonight’s matchup with the Magic.
The Sixers are drastically missing the production of their offseason addition, especially in the absence of Joel Embiid. Philadelphia fell just short of Orlando in the first matchup and a strong performance from George could be the difference. Look for George to record more than 27.5 combined points, rebounds, and assists for the fourth time this season as he finally settles into his new team.
Dalton Knecht More Than 13.5 Points
After a strong start to the season, the Los Angeles Lakers should now be hovering over the panic button. The Lakers lost their last matchup to the Heat by 41 points which marked the third biggest loss of LeBron James’ career. They also have lost their past two games by a combined margin of 70 points. They now will attempt to bounce back against a red-hot Atlanta Hawks team which has won five consecutive games leading into this matchup.
One adjustment the Lakers do have to make is further unleashing Dalton Knecht. The 17th overall pick has been a bright spot this season and is averaging 11.1 points across his 24.2 minutes per game. While he has been held to six points or fewer in each of the past three games, Knecht recorded more than 16.5 points in six of the nine games before this. The Tennessee product has recorded more than 13.5 points in seven of the 22 games with all but one of these occurring over the past 12 games.
Atlanta struggles defensively as a team, and currently ranks 27th in opponents’ points allowed. While Knecht has some defensive struggles, he is one of the cleaner matchups among the Hawks’ abundance of wings. He has looked ready for every challenge thus far, playing like the Lakers’ third-best player for stretches, and should be expected to see his opportunity increase moving forward. Look for this to start tonight and for Knecht to record more than 13.5 points against a poor defensive opponent.
Anthony Davis Less Than 27.5 Points
One of the clear changes to the Lakers to start the season was it being evident that the offense runs through Anthony Davis. The nine-time All-Star was off to an MVP-level start to the season and has averaged 26.9 points, 11.3 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game thus far. While his production deserves a ton of credit, he seems to have hit a bit of a wall in recent games.
Across the past seven games, Davis has averaged just 18.0 points per game and has been held to less than 27.5 points in six of these seven matchups. This also includes being held to 15 or fewer points in four of these games.
While Clint Capela and Onyeka Okongwu are not the most fearful matchup in the frontcourt, look for the Lakers to take some offensive responsibilities off of Davis’ plate. The Lakers must make adjustments to get back on track and Davis’ track record of injuries only further speaks to the importance of scaling back his workload. Davis has averaged 26.1 points or fewer every year with the Lakers including 24.7 points per game last year. He has been held to less than 27.5 points in 10 of the 21 games has played this season and expect another to be added to the list 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!
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is seanbarnard) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.
Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.Must be at least 18 years or older. Higher age limits may apply in some states. Eligibility restrictions apply. Valid only in states where DraftKings Pick6 operates. Void where prohibited. For entertainment purposes only. Winning a contest on DraftKings depends on knowledge and exercise of skill. See terms at pick6.draftkings.com.
