It was a quiet day in the association last night with just one game taking place. The NBA will look to make u for it today with 12 games tipping off across the night including a few notable matchups.
To kick off the night, the Charlotte Hornets will host the Los Angeles Lakers while the Cleveland Cavaliers play the Detroit Pistons with each game taking place at 7:00 p.m. ET. A half-hour later, the Houston Rockets will face the Boston Celtics to headline the four 7:30 matchups. Then, at 8:00, the Chicago Bulls will host the Denver Nuggets and the Atlanta Hawks will play the Minnesota Timberwolves. One game will start at each half-hour following this before the final matchup of the night takes place between the Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles Clippers, tipping off at 9:30 p.m. ET.
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 January 27. 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.
Trey Murphy III More Than 19.5 Points
Injuries have derailed the hopes of the New Orleans Pelicans this season but Trey Murphy III has leaped at the opportunity for an expanded role in the offense. The 24-year-old is averaging 21.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 3.0 assists this season while attempting a career-high 15.9 field goal attempts with 8.5 shots coming from beyond the arc.
Murphy has recorded more than 19.5 points in 17 of the 30 games he has played this season. While the return of Zion Williamson has cut into the level of offensive opportunity that Murphy receives, Brandon Ingram remains out and Murphy continues to improve in his own right. The Virginia product has recorded more than 19.5 points in six of his past eight games played including recording over 30 points twice.
This is a great matchup for Murphy to continue his impressive offensive output as the Pelicans take on the Raptors. Toronto enters on a three-game winning streak but still sits at 13-32 on the season. They rank 25th in opponents points allowed, 20th in opponents’ field goal percentage, and 21st in opponents’ three-point percentage. Murphy continues to look like a complete basketball player and has showcased his shot creation and ability to beat players off the dribble at a much higher rate this season. Look for him to continue this strong level of play and record more than 19.5 points tonight against the Raptors.
Jarrett Allen More Than 23.5 Points & Rebounds
The Cleveland Cavaliers have lost three consecutive games for the first time all season and no longer hold the best record in the NBA. This has been the first sign of turmoil this season and the matchup against the Pistons will not be an easy one tonight. Evan Mobley made his return to the floor last game to help complete this Cavaliers’ roster and Cleveland will return to leaning on their double big man lineup.
Jarrett Allen is in the midst of an excellent season averaging 13.8 points and 9.9 rebounds this season. He has recorded more than 23.5 combined points and rebounds in 21 games already this season. Detroit sits in sixth place in the Eastern Conference and ranks 16th in opponents’ points allowed and third in opponents’ rebounds per game given up. This will be the second matchup between these two teams. Allen finished with 17 points and 13 rebounds in the first matchup which resulted in a 12-point victory for the Cavaliers.
While Detroit has a strong frontcourt, Jalen Duren is the only player averaging over 6.5 rebounds per game on their roster. Duren is an exciting young player who has shown encouraging growth this season. But he also is averaging 3.3 fouls per game and has tallied five or more personal fouls in 12 of the 42 games he has played. This includes the first matchup with the Cavaliers. Look for Allen to assert himself on the boards and around the basket tonight. The 26-year-old was held to a disappointing eight-point and five-rebound output in the last game against the Rockets. Expect a bounce-back effort against a team he has already had success against.
Dyson Daniels Less Than 15.5 Points
It has been a breakout season for Dyson Daniels who has established himself as one of the premiere perimeter defenders in the NBA. The 21-year-old has found a home after being traded to the Hawks this offseason and is averaging 13.5 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and a league-leading 3.1 steals per game. Daniels has taken a step forward offensively and is averaging 17.7 points per game across his past six games which has driven his projections up.
Expect this to even out a bit as the season progresses. Despite the increased shot volume, Daniels is still shooting just 31.1% on three-point attempts this season. This is the same percentage he shot last year and slightly below the 31.4% he shot on three-pointers as a rookie. Atlanta will now travel to Minnesota who lean on a more defensive-minded approach to basketball. Even while having their struggles, the TImberwolves still rank fourth in opponents’ points per game, eighth in opponents’ field goal percentage, and fourth in opponents’ three-point percentage.
In addition, Minnesota ranks 27th in pace on the season so there will not be an overabundance of offensive opportunities. Expect Dyson Daniels to struggle against a strong defense and for Atlanta to need to lean on other offensive options in this matchup. The Australia native has been held to less than 15.5 points in 27 of the 41 games thus far and expect tonight to be added to this list.
LaMelo Ball Less Than 8.5 Assists
In one of the opening games of tonight’s slate, the Charlotte Hornets will host the Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers quietly sit at 25-18 on the season and in fifth place in the Western Conference. LaMelo Ball will headline the attack for the Hornets and is averaging 28.9 points, 7.5 assists, and 5.4 rebounds per game on the season. He also is launching a career-high 23.9 field goal attempts and 12.6 three-pointers per game.
Los Angeles ranks 15th in the NBA in opponents points per game and 24th in assists allowed on the season. However, this total feels a bit too lofty based on Ball’s production. He has been held to less than 8.5 assists in 20 of the 30 games he has played this season. The All-Star guard also has been held to less than 8.5 assists in back-to-back games entering this matchup.
The Hornets will surely be reliant on the production of Ball in this matchup but expect most of his damage to be done as a scorer. He is averaging just 6.8 assists per game across the five matchups against the Lakers in his career and has recorded more than 8.5 assists just once. Expect Ball to still make his impact greatly felt but record less than 8.5 assists for the 21st time this year.
Nick Richards More Than 9.5 Rebounds
The Phoenix Suns have been among the most active teams in trade discussions and have already improved their team by adding Nick Richards about two weeks ago. The former Hornets big man has made his impact felt immediately and is averaging 13.3 points and 12.3 rebounds across his first four games with the team. Richards is coming off a 20-point and 19-rebound performance against the Wizards the last time he was on the floor and has recorded more than 9.5 rebounds on three of the four games with the team.
The Suns will face off with the Clippers tonight who have been one of the more pleasant surprises in the NBA this season. Los Angeles has embraced a more defensive-minded approach and ranks third in the league in opponents’ points per game and fourth in opponents’ rebounds allowed. Even so, they allowed 10+ rebounds to both Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard in the last game they played while Alex Sarr and Jonas Valanciunas each also cracked double-digit rebounds against them in the game prior.
Richards was brought to this Suns team for a reason and is proving it with his relentless commitment to rebounding. He is a talented big man who was buried in a deep Hornets’ frontcourt and is making the most of his expanded opportunity with the Suns. Count on him to continue bringing a high-level rebounding effort and record more than 9.5 rebounds for the fourth time in five games.
Ty Jerome More Than 1.5 Made Three-Pointers
The interior impact of Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen is a huge part of the identity of the Cavaliers, but it would not be effective without the balance of perimeter shooting. Ty Jerome has been a huge part of this and has earned a much larger role in this Cavaliers team than most expected. Across the opening 42 games, Jerome is averaging 10.8 points, 3.3 assists, and 2.3 rebounds in his 18.3 minutes of play. He is shooting 44.1% from beyond the three-point arc on 3.4 perimeter shots per game which comes out to an average of 1.5 makes.
Jerome made eight three-pointers against Philadelphia this week and has connected with more than 1.5 made deep shots in 18 games. He has been especially impressive of late reaching this number in four of the past six games. Jerome and the Cavaliers will now shift their attention to matching up with the Detroit Pistons who rank 16th in opponents’ points allowed and 25th in opponents’ three-point percentage.
After seeing limited minutes at the start of this year, Jerome has gradually seen his workload expand and played a season-high 33:20 of game time earlier this week. Expect him to continue to be a valuable part of this Cavaliers team and be active in creating three-point shots. Count on Jerome to knock down at least two long-range attempts again tonight for the 19th time this season.
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!
