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Follow along on Twitter (@julianedlow) for any potential updates — things can always change with lineup moves leading up to tipoff. Here’s what jumps out to me on DraftKings Sportsbook.
All odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.
We have a short Monday card with just four games, and some uncertainty with injuries. It’s possible I just sit the Monday NBA card out, but I’ll lay out a couple of leans that depend on injury news.
Per usual, I’ll put everything official up on Twitter that I bet on personally. This is a betting guide for this NBA card, and anything I’ve actually bet will include a unit amount.
Potential Bets
New York Knicks at Cleveland Cavaliers
CLE 1Q -1.5 (-115)
We know the Cavs have been money on the first quarter spread all season — an NBA-best 32-15 1Q ATS. It’s also a perfect matchup on paper against the Knicks, who rank 29th in the NBA in 1Q ATS at 19-27-1. However, when we look deeper at trends and recent numbers, I do have some pause on playing this. If this game were in New York, it’d be about as strong of a 1Q ATS play as you could script up given the road dominance by the Cavs and home struggles by the Knicks. But New York is 11-9-1 1Q ATS on the road, and the Cavs are somehow just 11-11 1Q ATS at home. Neither team has been anything special overall in their last 10 contests against the first quarter spread, so while I have a strong lean to the Cavs here, I haven’t gotten around to playing it. I’d also need to confirm that Jarrett Allen is playing for the Cavs. Allen becomes an even larger advantage if Mitchell Robinson sits for the Knicks. Both are questionable.
Chicago Bulls at Oklahoma City Thunder
CHI ML (-125)
This one is all about who’s in for the Bulls. Chicago is coming off a gross loss on Sunday, but a shorthanded one. The absence of Lonzo Ball and Alex Caruso in the backcourt has been killer, but if Zach LaVine is back from a knee injury, there could be some hope here. Nikola Vucevic is also questionable on the second night of a back-to-back for the Bulls. He’ll be needed against OKC. Chicago is playing awful right now, and I fell into the trap of backing them at a short number on Sunday. But against a team like the Thunder, a near pick’em line is still too disrespectful. Again, I’ll need LaVine and Vucevic both ruled in to even consider the Bulls. But if we get that news this number will certainly jump.
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All views expressed are my own. I am an employee of DraftKings and am ineligible to play in public DFS or DKSB contests.
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