No shortage of NBA action on Wednesday. Here’s how to best navigate it via DraftKings Sportsbook.
Follow along on Twitter (@Nick_Friar) for updates.
All odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.
Chicago Bulls at Cleveland Cavaliers
Bulls +135
DeMar DeRozan is out, but the Bulls as underdogs? The Cavaliers have been better than expected, but really? The three-point spread on DraftKings Sportsbook seems right — just in the opposite direction. This Chicago unit just knocked off Denver on Monday by 12 without DeRozan and despite a Nikola Jokic triple-double. Like the Cavs, the Nuggets are the No. 8 seed in their respective conference. Cleveland may have a slightly better record, but Denver is a Western Conference team, so I still view the latter as the better team of the two.
One thing that will jump out as a reason to back the Cavs is they’ve covered as the favorite 83.3% of the time this season. The Bulls, however, have only covered as the underdog 55.5% of the time. But we have to consider the type of teams Cleveland has been favored over. There are some pretty abysmal teams in this league, and the Cavs have been a surprise.
Last thing: the Bulls are just as good on the road (9-4) as they are at home (8-4), but the Cavs have been much worse at home (5-7) than on the road (8-5).
Lonzo Ball over 18.5 points and rebounds -125
You can get some good value on a Ball double-double Wednesday (+380). I’d feel more inclined to back that if he was more likely to get a double-double on points and assists than points and rebounds, but that’s not the case. Still, he has two points-rebounds double-doubles this month — and he’d have three if he scored two more points vs. Brooklyn.
All that said, I love this number for his rebounds and points with DeRozan out of the mix. Zach LaVine gets the biggest usage bump with DeRozan off the floor, but Ball also sees an increase. Chicago’s point guard just posted a double-double vs. Denver on Monday, eclipsing this number on points alone. He’s eclipsed this number three times in Chicago’s five December games while also logging three 10-plus rebound performances this month.
Milwaukee Bucks at Miami Heat
Total over 216.5 points -110
No Jimmy Butler or Bam Adebayo absolutely puts the Heat in a tough spot offensively, but it also hurts them on the defensive end. The absence of Adebayo has been a bit more significant, and that’ll prove to be the case again on Wednesday with Miami hosting Milwaukee.
Miami-Milwaukee just went over this total on Saturday despite the absence of Butler, Adebayo and Giannis Antetokounmpo. Unlike Miami’s two best players, Milwaukee’s star is good to go for this one, which will only help this game hit the over. Antetokounmpo had been dealing with a calf injury, but he returned Monday and scored 27 vs. Cleveland. He’s in a much better spot here to go off with Adebayo out — assuming the game doesn’t get out of hand early.
Boston Celtics at Los Angeles Clippers
Jayson Tatum over 27.5 points -105
EDITOR’S NOTE: Clippers SF/PF Paul George (elbow) has been ruled out Wednesday vs. the Celtics.
So long as Jaylen Brown is out, Tatum’s point total is going to be on my radar. Even on a back-to-back, I’m not batting an eye over Boston’s top scorer logging 28-plus points without his No. 2 on the floor. Tatum has eclipsed this mark in each of the last three games and six of his last 10. The last two times he’s been on the second leg of a back-to-back — which is the situation he’s in vs. the Clippers — Tatum has scored 31-plus points.
As tough as the Clippers have been on opposing small forwards from a fantasy perspective, Tatum has taken on Paul George and done well before. In their last three meetings, Boston’s All-Star has scored 30-plus points twice.
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