The NBA is back in full swing and Thursday brings us a five-game betting card (after 4:00 p.m. ET), spaced out throughout the afternoon and evening. Here’s what stands out to me on DraftKings Sportsbook on Thursday.
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Milwaukee Bucks vs. Memphis Grizzlies: MEM ML (-143)
This is a square spot, but everything will be on a day like this. Four teams (maybe three by the time the Spurs tip off) actually have motivation to win today, and the Grizzlies are one of them. If Memphis can get past Milwaukee, it guarantees itself a spot in the Western Conference play-in round, and a chance to face the Lakers in the first-round of the playoffs.
The Bucks stand in the way, but Giannis Antetokounmpo, who may have sat out anyway, had that decision made for him with a one-game suspension handed down from the league for head-butting Moritz Wagner. With the Bucks locked into the top-seed in the east since last week, will they really risk injury to any stars? I doubt the ones in uniform play the second half, which gives a huge edge to the Grizzlies’ starters.
This team has been awful in the bubble, especially without Jaren Jackson Jr., but playing a playoff game against another team’s unmotivated bench seems like too good a spot to pass up.
San Antonio Spurs vs. Utah Jazz: SAS 1H -4.5 (-110)
This is a situational bet, so pay attention before locking it! The Spurs need help from the Suns and Grizzlies to get in, and while I don’t think they get it, those games could go the other way, or still be going on when this one tips off. If that’s the case, the Spurs will come out against the Jazz with some fire.
Utah is sitting Mike Conley Jr. and Rudy Gobert and likely won’t give Donovan Mitchell much run. The reason I don’t want to play the full game is just in case the Spurs find out in the locker room at halftime that they’ve been eliminated. That would be a deflating spot. But again, they could have that news before this game starts, which takes this play off the board for me.
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Dallas Mavericks vs. Phoenix Suns/Portland Trail Blazers vs. Brooklyn Nets: PHO/POR ML parlay: -190
We started the day with this play at a very affordable -140, but with how it’s been appropriately bet up I can understand this spot being a pass. But I wanted to highlight using these two teams as parlay pieces, because they’re by far the safest pieces on the board.
The Suns are 7-0 in the bubble and are facing a Mavericks team that is locked into the 7-seed in the west. The Blazers are on a roll and are facing a Nets team that is locked into the 7-seed in the east. The Mavs and Nets can be pesky, but Phoenix and Portland needs these games badly. I’m not getting in the way of betting on Devin Booker and Damian Lillard here.
Portland Trail Blazers vs. Brooklyn Nets: Carmelo Anthony OVER 15.5 points (-110)
Everyone’s instinct here will be to play the over on Lillard’s prop, but at O37.5 (-125), it’s just too much, although he probably gets it though because Dame Time is a beast. But ‘Melo is very fairly priced here.
Anthony’s played a huge role for Portland in the bubble, stepping up in the absence of Trevor Ariza. He’s played at least 32 minutes in each game, and we know he’s out there to score. He’s scored at least 20 points in three straight, and this is a game the Blazers will go all-out in.
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is jedlow) 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 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.
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