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The NFL will garner most of the attention today on DraftKings Sportsbook, but don’t forget about the NBA! There are seven games available to wager on, starting with the Pacers vs. the Raptors at 1 p.m. ET and wrapping up with the Blazers vs. the Knicks at 10 p.m. ET.
Let’s dive into some of my favorite wagers on DraftKings Sportsbook for Sunday’s NBA slate.
Place your NBA bets at DraftKings Sportsbook and bet online by downloading the DraftKings Sportsbook app.
Oklahoma City Thunder @ Los Angeles Clippers:
Under 222.5
Betting unders on Sunday afternoon basketball: a tradition unlike any other. Taking the under in any Sunday contest that starts before 7 p.m. ET has historically been a profitable endeavor, rewarding bettors with a 355-301-12 record dating back to 2006. That includes a mark of 4-2 to start the new season.
The Clippers are an excellent offensive team – their average of 119.26 points per 100 possessions ranks first in the league – but that only makes this wager more enticing. They have hit the over in 62% of their games this season, which has kept this line nice and high despite the fact that these player’s bodies are not conditioned to play at this time of day.
The Thunder have also played at a bottom-nine pace this season, which makes this a significant pace-down spot for the Clippers. Add it all up, and the under makes a lot of sense.
New York Knicks @ Portland Trail Blazers:
Under 213.5
The Blazers are typically not an under team because they play such dreadful defense, but the Knicks are not the type of team who can take advantage of that fact. The Knicks rank just 27th in offensive efficiency, so they have to grind hard for every single point.
However, the Knicks do excel on the defensive end of the court. Head coach Tom Thibodeau has them ranked fourth in defensive efficiency, allowing an average of just 107.57 points per 100 possessions. They are also playing at one of the slowest paces in the league, so this game has the potential to be a slog.
Cleveland Cavaliers @ Boston Celtics (-6):
Cavaliers +6
The Celtics are clearly the better team when these squads are at full strength, but that is not going to be the case in this matchup. Boston still has some players in the health and safety protocols, most notably Jayson Tatum.
They also lost Payton Pritchard to an injury in their last game. Pritchard is not a household name, but he’s an important part of the Celtics’ rotation. He ranks seventh on the team in minutes per game, and he’s one of just two players to play in all of their games so far this season. The Celtics have increased their Net Rating by 18.0 points per 100 possessions with Pritchard on the court this season, so he’s made a huge impact as a role player.
Conversely, the Cavaliers have gotten healthier lately. Collin Sexton and Darius Garland have both returned to the lineup, and the Cavs are a much better team with those guys on the court. They’ve increased their Net Rating by 11.7 points with Garland on the floor and 7.2 points with Sexton. When both players have been on the floor at the same time, the Cavaliers are actually outscoring their opponents by an average of 2.9 points per 100 possessions.
I think there’s a chance that the Cavaliers can win this contest, so I will gladly take the six points with them.
Place your NBA bets at DraftKings Sportsbook and bet online by downloading the DraftKings Sportsbook app.
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is mlamarca) 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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