Saturday’s NBA slate is a bit smaller than usual. There are five games to choose from, starting with the Warriors vs. the Hornets at 8 p.m. ET and wrapping up with the Wizards vs. the Blazers at 10 p.m. ET.
Let’s dive into some of my favorite wagers on DraftKings Sportsbook for Saturday’s NBA slate.
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Golden State Warriors @ Charlotte Hornets:
Over 234.0
This game has plenty of potential for points scored.
For starters, the Warriors have played at the second-fastest pace in the league this season. Charlotte is average in that department, so this is a solid pace-up spot for them.
More importantly, the Hornets will be without Devonte’ Graham in this contest. Graham is just a role player at this point in his career, but he has been vital for the Hornets on defense. They’ve allowed an additional +11.6 points per 100 possessions with Graham off the court this season, which puts him in the 96th percentile in that department, per Cleaning the Glass. No Graham means more LaMelo Ball and Terry Rozier, who are much less inclined on the defensive end.
I think the Warriors should be able to cover the spread as two-point favorites, but I like the chances of this game going over even more.
Miami Heat @ Los Angeles Lakers:
Under 209.0
This game sets up as the exact opposite of Hornets-Warriors.
Miami remains without Goran Dragic, who has been their most important player on the offensive side of the ball. They’ve increased their Net Rating by 7.7 points per 100 possessions and their effective field goal percentage by +3.9% with Dragic on the court this season. Both of those marks rank in at least the 88th percentile for qualified players and both rank in the top two for the Heat.
The Lakers have been the best team in the league this season in terms of defensive efficiency, so they should be able to put the clamps on Miami.
Additionally, these teams tend to play slow. The Lakers rank tied for 19th in terms of pace this season, while the Heat rank 22nd.
Finally, the under has seen some major sharp betting activity early in the day. Just 8 percent of the bets on the total in this contest have landed on the under, but those bets account for 70% of the dollars. That’s a massive discrepancy.
Add it all up, and this game fits all the criteria for an under.
Washington Wizards @ Portland Trail Blazers:
Enes Kanter over 14.5 points (-104)
Let’s wrap things up with a player prop. This game between the Wizards and Blazers figures to be one of the best of the day from a scoring perspective. The total on this game sits at 242 points, and neither of these teams plays a lick of defense. The Wizards currently rank 26th in defensive efficiency, while the Blazers rank 28th. Washington also plays at the fastest pace in this league, so this game should feature a ton of possessions.
Kanter has struggled in his past two contests, finishing with just eight and 11 points, but he did play at least 30.5 minutes in both games. If Kanter is on the floor that much again today, expect some positive regression as a scorer. He’s averaged 16.5 points per 36 minutes this season, and he should continue to see a few additional shot attempts with C.J. McCollum remaining out of the lineup.
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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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