The NBA is the Wild West right now given COVID-19 and the league’s health protocols, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t edges to be had. We sit at 46-40 on the season for article plays and look to bounce-back from a couple of airballs on Thursday with a strong Friday.
Follow along on Twitter — @julianedlow — for what we hope to be another great season, as some plays jump out late due to news, particularly in the player prop market. Here’s what jumps out to me on DraftKings Sportsbook.
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Golden State Warriors at Toronto Raptors: TOR 1Q -1 (-117)
Some big names are missing from this one, with Kyle Lowry sidelined due to a foot injury, and Stephen Curry out again with his tailbone issue. During Curry’s previous four-game absence with this injury, the Warriors went 0-4 straight up and ATS, trailing by four or more points after the first quarter in three of those games. You really have to plug your nose to bet on the Raptors right now, but at least they’ve been starting strong in some of these embarrassing losses — going 4-1 1Q ATS over the last five. Toronto is somehow the second-best first quarter team in the NBA, going 27-18-3 1Q ATS. Meanwhile, Golden State is just 8-14-2 1Q ATS on the road, and most of those are with Curry on the floor.
Oklahoma City Thunder at Phoenix Suns: Theo Maledon O21.5 P/R/A (-107)
Editor’s Note: Thunder PG/SG Ty Jerome has been upgraded to questionable for tonight’s game vs. the Suns.
This was a play I cashed an ugly over ticket on for Wednesday’s slate, but I’m surprised we can get the same number once again. The Thunder have a barren roster right now, with four key contributors on the shelf. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s absence opened up a ton of PG minutes, which Maledon and Ty Jerome have taken on. Jerome was ruled out on Wednesday, which put me on this prop, and he’ll remain out on Friday. Maledon just crept over this mark in a win over Toronto, finishing with 11 points, seven rebounds and six assists. But keep in mind that he shot an abysmal 3-for-16 from their field. Anything close to an average shooting night while playing the same role should lead to a comfortable over. As pretty much the only capable PG on the roster, we should be safe here with blowout minutes.
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