Before the NBA steps into center stage on Christmas, there are 14 games of action taking place tonight. It will be one of the busier nights of the season with several intriguing matchups taking place.
Most notably, the Boston Celtics will face the Orlando Magic, the Philadelphia 76ers will face the San Antonio Spurs, and the Atlanta Hawks will face the Minnesota Timberwolves in the early slate of games. Looking later in the night, the Los Angeles Clippers will play the Memphis Grizzlies and the Portland Trail Blazers will face the Dallas Mavericks. In the 10:00 PM EST slate, the Indiana Pacers will face the Golden State Warriors and Phoenix Suns will play the Denver Nuggets before the Los Angeles Lakers and Detroit Pistons square off in the night’s final matchup.
With plenty of available games and players to choose from, tonight is a great chance 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 23rd. We simply choose whether a player will record more or less of the set statistic. Here are my six favorite plays for Monday night’s action.
Joel Embiid More Than 30.5 Points
Injuries have derailed the start of Joel Embiid’s season, but the Philadelphia 76ers superstar is trending in the right direction for the first time all season. He has played just seven games this season, which includes him leaving a matchup with the Pacers at halftime after suffering a sinus fracture from a stray elbow. Embiid most recently suited up for a game on Friday night against the Charlotte Hornets in which he finished with 34 points on 12-of-24 shooting from the field.
He missed the second half of the back-to-back matchup with the Cleveland Cavaliers in which the Sixers were completely played off the floor. What is becoming clear with Embiid’s situation is he is still capable of producing as one of the top players in basketball, but the struggles are with his body bouncing back and being able to repeat this effort. The two-time scoring champion has still shown flashes of being the most dominant player on the floor, but this unfortunately is typically followed by knee swelling and some time missed.
Embiid is listed as available tonight and will be active in the matchup against the San Antonio Spurs. This will be his second matchup with Victor Wembanyama on the NBA level. In their matchup last season, Embiid set the Sixers’ franchise record by scoring 70 points against the first overall pick. While this performance likely will not be replicated, expect Embiid to be in attack mode. The Sixers are fully built around Embiid being the primary offensive option and he has averaged more than 30.5 points over each of the past three seasons. He is finally getting back to looking like himself physically and has recorded 31 or more points across each of the past three games he has started and finished. Look for this level of scoring to continue tonight and for Embiid to record more than 30.5 points as this begins to be the norm for him once again.
Wendell Carter Jr. Less Than 9.5 Points
It has not been the start to the season that Wendell Carter Jr. has envisioned. The seventh-year forward has seen his level of opportunity be far more limited than expected. This is especially the case with all the injuries that the Magic have dealt with. Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner have each missed extended time due to torn obliques while Moe Wagner joined them on the injury report with a torn ACL this weekend.
Overall, Carter is averaging 25.4 minutes per game this season, which is the lowest since his rookie year with the Chicago Bulls. In these minutes, he is averaging just 7.2 points per game and shooting 47.1% from the field, which each mark career-lows. Even in Saturday’s game in which Wagner suffered the ACL injury in just 1:34 of game time, Carter only saw the court for 12:58 of game time. He finished with five points on 2-of-5 shooting across this stretch.
Orlando will take on the Boston Celtics tonight. The defending champions rank seventh in opponent points per game and ninth in opponent field-goal percentage. Boston is at its best when it spreads the floor and plays five-out basketball, with much of its scoring production coming from beyond the three-point arc. Expect the Magic to be forced to match this style of play and for the available minutes for interior players like Carter to be limited. He has been held to less than 9.5 points in 12 of the 17 games he has played this season and in seven of the past eight games. With a tough matchup in front of him and Carter already struggling, expect him to record less than 9.5 points tonight.
Stephen Curry More Than 24.5 Points
The Golden State Warriors will host the Indiana Pacers tonight and are still desperately trying to keep the championship window open and go on another run with Stephen Curry leading the charge. Steve Kerr has tried plenty of different tactics with the Warriors already this season. They have leaned on a more defensive approach, had 12 players in the rotation and benched Draymond Green already this season. Most recently, Kerr took to the media to publicly criticize the lack of ball movement on the team and Curry not getting the ball enough.
While Curry is not the MVP-level talent he once was, he is still capable of serving as the engine of the Warriors’ offense. So far this season, he is averaging 22.4 points, 6.5 assists and 5.0 rebounds. Even still, he has not played to his peak this season and the Indiana Pacers present a great chance for this to change. Indiana ranks 22nd in opponent points per game, 23rd in defensive efficiency and 24th in opponent field-goal percentage. The Pacers have found their identity as an offensive-minded team, but they simply have not been good enough on either side of the ball this season.
Expect Kerr’s pointed message to have some effect on the team and for the Pacers’ defense to provide the opportunity for Curry to have a strong offensive output. He is attempting just 16.5 shots per game, which is well below his career average of 17.9. Even still, Curry has recorded more than 24.5 points in eight different games and against tougher defenses. Count on him being in attack mode tonight and recording more than 24.5 points.
Zaccharie Risacher Less Than 10.5 Points
The Atlanta Hawks have been a positive surprise this season with their vision for roster construction being clear. Surrounding Trae Young with large, versatile wings is clearly the direction the franchise is leaning into and Zaccharie Risacher is a huge part of this. This year’s No. 1 pick did not carry the same buzz as a typical year but has settled in nicely in his rookie season. Risacher has started 27 of the 29 games and is averaging 10.8 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.1 assists across his 23.6 minutes per game.
Looking at tonight’s matchup, Risacher and the Hawks are set to square off with the Minnesota Timberwolves. While it has had some ups and downs, Minnesota ranks fourth in opponent points per game, fifth in defensive efficiency and eighth in opponent field-goal percentage. It is a defensive-minded team that makes life tough on opponents on an every-night basis.
The long-term vision for Risacher is still there, but his opportunities have been more limited as of late. He is averaging just 19.5 minutes per game across the past four matchups and has been held to less than 10.5 points in each of the past five games. The Frenchman has hit a shooting slump in December and has shot just 27-of-75 (36%) from the field and 6-of-26 (23.1%) from beyond the three-point arc. The Timberwolves are a difficult matchup for any team and this is especially the case with Risacher’s recent shooting slump. Expect his minutes to continue to be limited and for him to be held to less than 10.5 points for the sixth consecutive game.
Aaron Gordon More Than 21.5 Points, Rebounds & Assists
Nikola Jokic is playing at an incredibly high level this season but has failed to get the necessary help from the supporting cast. While Aaron Gordon has missed 11 games due to injury this season, he is back healthy and needs to perform for this team. His absence was greatly felt during his injured stretch. Overall this season, Gordon is averaging 14.3 points, 6.2 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game.
Denver is on the second night of a back-to-back and will face off with the Phoenix Suns tonight. The Suns rank 21st in opponent points per game, 27th in defensive efficiency and 24th in total rebounds. Jusuf Nurkic will likely match up with Jokic in this game and Aaron Gordon’s size, strength and athleticism will play a significant role. The inconsistencies of Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. have further maximized the need for Gordon in the Nuggets’ offense.
Overall this season, Gordon has recorded more than 21.5 combined points, rebounds and assists in 10 of the 15 games he has played. This includes his 17-point, eight-rebound and three-assist performance last night. Gordon will be plenty capable of finding some vulnerable spots in the Suns’ defense and Jokic will have no problem finding him. Denver needs Gordon to continue stepping up, so expect him to deliver tonight against the Suns.
Tyrese Maxey More Than 5.5 Assists
Along with the rest of the Philadelphia 76ers roster, it has not been an ideal start to the year for Tyrese Maxey. His shooting splits have taken a significant step back this season as he has missed the gravity that Joel Embiid provides when he is on the court. Embiid will be available tonight and the entire Sixers offense fits together better when he is on the floor. This is especially true regarding Maxey’s role within the offense.
Looking at his output on the season, Maxey is averaging 25.1 points, 5.0 assists and 3.6 rebounds per game. The Kentucky product has recorded more than 5.5 assists in eight of the 19 games he has played. In the first game this season with Maxey, Embiid and Paul George all on the floor together, the All-Star guard notched his first career triple-double. He recorded 14 assists in that game with 10 of them coming as passes to Embiid. The duo has played just three games together this season, with Maxey recording more than 5.5 assists in two of these matchups.
San Antonio is trending in the right direction as a team, but Philadelphia must approach the remainder of the season with desperation if it is to reach its goals. Expect Maxey to fill his role with more of a playmaking focus with both Embiid and George on the floor with him. Count on Maxey to record more than 5.5 assists for the ninth time this season and be comfortable taking a backseat to Embiid.
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!
The Crown Is Yours: Sign up for DraftKings and experience the ultimate host for games and betting experiences!
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.
