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It’s a new year, and I can’t think of a better way to ring in 2021 than by diving head-first into a loaded 10-game NBA slate. With some exciting teams like the Lakers, Suns, Nets and Mavericks in action, let’s survey for some player props, totals and sides to take on DraftKings Sportsbook. You can follow me on Twitter (@KennyDucey) for any late adds.
Here’s what jumps out to me on DraftKings Sportsbook.
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Atlanta Hawks vs. Brooklyn Nets:
Nets -7
The Hawks are dealing with a host of injuries. DeAndre Hunter is questionable for this one, while Danilo Gallinari, Rajon Rondo and Onyeka Okongwu have already been ruled out. Atlanta will be incredibly thin on the wing even with Hunter in the lineup, and it doesn’t help that Trae Young is banged up coming into this game, although he is expected to play through a calf injury. With all due respect to the Hawks, I’m just not sure how they cover here. They led most of Wednesday’s game against Brooklyn, yet nearly failed to beat the spread down the stretch once Kyrie Irving finally awoke. If Irving shows up for a full four quarters, and the Hawks are down some scoring, this could get out of hand. Jarrett Allen also had a monster game against Clint Capela on Wednesday with 15 points on 6-7 shooting with 13 rebounds, and could be a big factor again here.
Portland Trail Blazers vs. Golden State Warriors:
Over 235
Golden State sits atop the league with a pace of 108.6, and as a result the Warriors have seen two of their four games go over this season. The Blazers have gone 2-2 against the total as well despite their slow pace (27th). This is due to some hot shooting from the perimeter and pure efficiency on the offensive end, where they bring in an offensive rating of 109 points per 100 possessions. CJ McCollum has been an an absolute machine scoring the basketball in the early going, averaging 28 points per game, and Gary Trent Jr. is shooting a ridiculous 58.8% from three. All that said, after a very slow start in Portland’s opener, Damian Lillard has turned it on over the past three games, averaging nearly 28 points per game as well. I’m supremely confident in Portland’s offense, and think Golden State pushing the tempo in this game should be a recipe for a boatload of points.
Phoenix Suns at Denver Nuggets:
Nuggets -4.5
The Suns’ calling card this season has been their perimeter defense, and on the second night of a back-to-back, playing in their third game in four days, I expect Chris Paul to either not play or not play enough to be a major factor. That should put a major dent into the backcourt’s line of defense, one which Jamal Murray, who is expected to return to the lineup on Friday, should be able to exploit. It also doesn’t help that Deandre Ayton is coming off his worst game of the season, and must now go head-to-head with Nikola Jokic.
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is jetsfan196) 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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