It seems like nearly everyone’s status is in question Wednesday, which could make for a messy night. Here’s how to best navigate Wednesday’s NBA action via DraftKings Sportsbook.
Follow along on Twitter (@Nick_Friar) for updates.
All odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.
Atlanta Hawks at Orlando Magic
Hawks (-8.5) -110
It’s no secret the Hawks have had an odd season. They just gave up 132 points to the Rockets after holding Brooklyn to 113 in their previous game — both were losses — and they experienced a 13-game stretch where they lost six in a row, then won seven in a row. In the course of it all, they’ve posted an 11-16 record ATS. Not ideal. But, the majority of the times the Hawks have covered were games in which they were favored (9-9).
Whereas, the Magic — who’ve never been favored this season — are 12-16 ATS. At home, their record ATS (3-7) is better than their home win-loss record (2-8), but only by a smidge. Furthermore, the Magic are 1-3 ATS when they have multiple days between games.
Lastly — perhaps burying the lede here — the Hawks are the second-most efficient team on the offensive end, and the Magic are the second-worst team in terms of defensive efficiency.
John Collins over 16.5 points -120
The big man went off for 23 points last time he saw Orlando, and that’s not exactly an outlier for anyone vs. the Magic. Opposing bigs have had their way with Orlando — both centers and power forwards. Clint Capela (over/under 12.5 points on DraftKings Sportsbook) finished with 20 points and 16 boards last time he saw the Magic.
Collins came just shy of this total vs. Houston last time out. But he only logged 25 minutes in the loss — a significant drop off from his season average (32.5), which he comfortably surpassed against both Brooklyn and Charlotte recently (38 minutes in each game).
Memphis Grizzlies at Portland Trail Blazers
Grizzlies (-3) -110
Grizzlies over 110.5 points -115
Don’t wait for Damian Lillard’s status update — Memphis is in a great spot to cover here even if Portland’s star plays. For those unaware, if Lillard plays Wednesday, it’ll be the first time he’s played both legs of a back-to-back since his return from injury earlier in the week. On top of that, Portland went into overtime vs. the Suns on Tuesday — where the Blazers failed to cover a similar spread to the one they have vs. Memphis. Either way, Portland is going to be in a tough spot when it comes to Lillard on Wednesday.
What’s more, Portland is one of the least efficient teams on the defensive end in the NBA this season (27th). Memphis may be middling in that category, but they’ve been substantially better in that regard without Ja Morant. Also, despite their star’s absence, the Grizzlies are one of the most efficient teams on the offensive end this season (tied for fifth), and they are 11th in pace.
Memphis has also been one of the best teams ATS this season, sitting at 17-11 as opposed to Portland’s 10-18. Not to mention, the Blazers have covered even less frequently when they’ve been the underdog this season (11.1%).
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