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We’ve arrived at yet another NBA Saturday, and we have a loaded slate of games tipping off at 5:10 p.m. ET. With so many games come so many opportunities to make money, here’s what jumps out to me on DraftKings Sportsbook.
All odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.
Miami Heat at Utah Jazz
Jazz -7
The Heat have fallen into a tailspin with four losses in their past five games and now have to face the prospects of taking on one of the league’s best teams without Jimmy Butler, who missed Miami’s last game and is listed as questionable.
Utah is 30-16-1 against the spread at home since the start of last year, and they boast one of the very best defenses in basketball. The Jazz rank sixth-best in field goal percentage allowed inside 10 feet, which is where the Heat do the majority of their damage, particularly with Bam Adebayo. The Heat have also shot the mid-range jumper more frequently than almost every team in the league.
When you put it all together, Utah is a deserving favorite here. I suspect this game gets out of hand quickly considering how poorly the Heat have defended the paint (61.8% FG% against inside 10 feet, which ranks third) and how great the Jazz are in there.
Boston Celtics at Cleveland Cavaliers
Celtics -130
The Celtics have looked a lot more like themselves lately. They’ve posted defensive ratings under 90 points per 100 possessions three times in the past five games and have steadied themselves on offense. It’s really hard to find a bone to pick with this team over the past six games.
Enter the Cavaliers, who have had just one big offensive night all season which came in a win over the Knicks. They scored 128.6 points per 100 possessions in that game, and it was all thanks to an outlier of a shooting night from Ricky Rubio.
Outside of that, things have been pretty quiet on the offensive end. Cleveland ranks 17th in efficiency and really doesn’t have much offensive weaponry that scares you, especially with Collin Sexton (knee) out. I think Boston should control this game on the defensive end and get the win.
Philadelphia 76ers at Indiana Pacers
Sixers +3.5
I’m not sure what else the Sixers need to do to get some respect. They lost Joel Embiid to the league’s health and safety protocols earlier this week and lost three games to very good opponents. No one will bat an eye after losses to the Knicks, Bucks and Raptors, and Philly was right in all three of those games.
The Sixers still rank atop the league in offensive efficiency and the Pacers are 22nd in defense. While it’s not as simple as that, I’m not sure the Pacers’ interior defense is good enough to defend against Tobias Harris and rebound with Andre Drummond. There has been absolutely no drop-off in the Sixers’ long-range shooting, which is an area Indiana struggles to defend, ranking sixth-worst against the triple.
The Sixers will finally get a break with an easier opponent, and I expect them to come out and win this game.
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