The NBA Cheat Sheet provides an in-depth look at Monday’s five-game main slate, featuring DFS and Sportsbook picks.
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Top scoring game environments on DraftKings Sportsbook
Suns-Bulls: 227.5 points
Raptors-Hornets: 224.5 points
Knicks-Jazz: 219.5 points
Both Fred VanVleet ($8,500) and Pascal Siakam ($9,200) have been rolling throughout Toronto’s five-game winning streak. The Hornets provide them with a great scoring environment, making both great options on this small slate. One is my favorite stud play of the night, which I’ll get to later.
As for Suns-Bulls, Chicago’s side of things is dependent on Zach LaVine ($9,300). We’ll get into that more in Key Injuries to Monitor. But there’s no need to wait on rostering Mikal Bridges ($6,100) for Monday’s action. Like Chris Paul ($9,600) and Devin Booker ($8,900), Bridges didn’t play his normal allotment of minutes vs. the Wizards on Saturday, leading to limited fantasy production. But before that, he’d been rolling, providing 40-plus DKFP in three consecutive games. He should get his normal workload vs. the Bulls, making him one of my favorite mid-range DFS plays of the slate.
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Scheduling Notes
3rd game in 4th night
Bulls, Thunder, Hornets
2nd night of a back-to-back
Bulls
1st night of a back-to-back
Suns, Knicks
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Key Injuries to Monitor
Bulls SG/SF Zach LaVine ($9,300) vs. Suns
Heat SF/PF Jimmy Butler ($9,700) at Wizards
Heat PG/SG Tyler Herro ($6,400) at Wizards
Duncan Robinson ($3,600) becomes a strong DFS play if Butler and Herro are ruled out — even more so if either (or both) Caleb Martin ($3,700, questionable) or Max Strus ($3,900; questionable) can’t go. I’m also interested in Robinson’s scoring props on DraftKings Sportsbook — depending on the total for his points or 3-pointers made, I may only need Butler or Herro out to back one of these picks instead of requiring both to be out. (Miami’s player props are OTB as of writing.)
As for the Bulls, Ayo Dosunmu ($6,200) remains a strong mid-range play if LaVine can’t go vs. Phoenix. DeMar DeRozan ($9,800) becomes the better high-priced option on the Bulls of the two available if LaVine is ruled out. I’ll be keeping tabs on DeRozan’s props vs. Phoenix, too — can’t move on any of those without knowing LaVine’s status, though.
Favorite Pick Against the Spread
Heat (-5.5) at Wizards
As much as they’d help the situation, Miami doesn’t need Butler or Herro to cover this one.
The Wizards are one of the worst teams ATS this season (20-31-1), and they’re without their best player, Bradley Beal, again Monday. Miami still has Bam Adebayo ($9,000) and Kyle Lowry ($6,600).
Now while the Wizards are 6-5 ATS as home underdogs, they’re 14-20 ATS on one day’s rest and 13-18 ATS when they’ve had the same amount of rest in between games as their opponent. The Heat are only 8-8 ATS as road favorites, but they’re 19-16 ATS in games played after one day of rest and 18-15 ATS when they have the same amount of rest as their opponent.
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Favorite Player Prop
Raptors C Pascal Siakam: over 21.5 points vs. Hornets
Siakam has been rolling of late, and the Hornets are always a team to consider attacking in some form — be it in DFS or betting. They’re one of 10 worst teams in the NBA in terms of defensive rating and rank second in pace. On top of all that, Charlotte is giving up the fourth-most points per game to the center position this season.
Since Siakam has gone over this total in three of his last four games (one being an overtime loss vs. Chicago), he’s in form to capitalize off the good matchup Monday is providing him.
Favorite Value Play
Wizards C Montrezl Harrell ($4,700) vs. Heat
The absence of Daniel Gafford isn’t going to have a seismic impact on Washington’s big man rotation, but Harrell doesn’t need much to provide five-times value Monday. He’s logged over 23.5 DKFP in three of his last five, a span in which he’s logged anywhere from 27 to 19 minutes. But with Gafford out, there’s no way Harrell is going to be near the lower end of that spectrum. And even with the Heat being tough on opposing bigs, I still like the chance at sizable volume with some of Beal’s shots also up for grabs.
Favorite Stud
Raptors C Pascal Siakam ($9,200) vs. Hornets
If you checked out my favorite prop for the night, you understand why I like Siakam from a DFS perspective, too. He’s been rolling offensively, whereas the Hornets are bad defensively, don’t do well against centers and rank second in pace.
On top of all that, a points-rebounds double-double is always in play for Siakam. The Hornets should help lead to yet another one on Monday, given they’ve surrendered the seventh-most rebounds per game to the center position this season.
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All odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.
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