We have 9 NBA games on the card for Monday, and plenty of injury news to go along with it. Here are some player props I’m backing based off some of those key injuries.
Portland Trail Blazers at Detroit Pistons
I played on Malik Beasley on Friday with Jayden Ivey sidelined, and he let us down. Beasley has been tremendous without Ivey in the lineup this season, but shot just 1-for-10 from downtown and landed on 12 points. He came back with a strong effort on Saturday, connecting on 6-of-14 triples, en route to 23 points against the Timberwolves. Beasley has now scored 23 or more in four of his five games without Ivey this season, averaging just under 37 minutes. Look for him to play a prominent role again and get up plenty of shots against Portland.
PLAY: Malik Beasley OVER 17.5 Points (-120) 1-unit
On the other side of this matchup, Deni Avdija has been really heating up for the Blazers. He’s gone for 17 or more points in nine of his last 10 games, averaging 18.4 during that span. Avdija’s averaging 30 minutes over his last 10, but has seen his role grow even more in recent games. He should continue to be a focal point of Portland’s offense in a good matchup against the Pistons.
PLAY: Deni Avdija OVER 17.5 Points (+100) 1-unit
Indiana Pacers at Brooklyn Nets
D’Angelo Russell dropped 22 points in his debut as a Net, but has struggled since. He scored just 11 against Milwaukee, and then departed early in the game against the 76ers with a shin injury. We’re expecting Russell to return to the court against the Pacers, which would set up a nice spot. The Nets are now without both Cam Thomas and Cam Johnson, which leaves a ton of shots to go around. Look for Russell to see a bulk of those scoring opportunities to go to Russell, in what should be a paced-up game against Indy.
PLAY: D’Angelo Russell OVER 18.5 Points (-120) 1-unit
Orlando Magic at New York Knicks
The Magic have been decimated in the front court for weeks now, but injuries are starting to pile up in the backcourt as well. Anthony Black is in and out of the rotation, and Jaylen Suggs went down with a back injury, and has been ruled out for this game. That leaves Cole Anthony in the starting point guard role, without much depth behind him. In three games without Suggs this season, Anthony is averaging 21 points. He should see even more run in this game given the lack of depth, so I’m looking for Anthony to be an aggressive scorer under the bright lights at Madison Square Garden.
PLAY: Cole Anthony OVER 15.5 Points (-115) 1-unit
Dallas Mavericks at Memphis Grizzlies
The Grizzlies continue to lose bodies on the perimeter. They’ve been without Ja Morant and Marcus Smart since late December, and now Desmond Bane is expected to join them on the sidelines. Bane has played the last four games without Morant and Smart, putting up at least 22 points in each game. All of that volume will trickle down to a handful of players to replace, but Scotty Pippen Jr. should play a prominent role. Pippen averages over 14 points in nearly 27 minutes per game in eight outings without Bane this season, and many of those games were with Smart and/or Morant on the floor. With all of those playmakers out, I’m expecting Pippen to see a lot of run against a Mavericks team that’s very rundown.
PLAY: Scotty Pippen Jr. OVER 12.5 Points (-110) 1-unit
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All views expressed are my own. I am an employee of DraftKings and am ineligible to play in public DFS or DKSB contests.
The contents contained in this article do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment.
