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Sunday features a full day of NBA action. There are eight games to choose from, with the first games tipping off at 1 p.m. ET and the final game getting underway 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.
Brooklyn Nets (-4) @ Miami Heat:
Nets -4
This is an interesting matchup between two teams with big aspirations. The Nets are the NBA title favorites on DraftKings Sportsbook, while the Heat represented the East in the NBA Finals last year.
That said, the Heat are dealing with a massive injury at the moment. Jimmy Butler is questionable with an ankle injury, and he’s done absolutely everything for the Heat this season. They’ve increased their Net Rating by 10.1 points per 100 possessions with Butler on the floor, so his absence would be massive.
Even if he does suit up, the Heat will still be facing an uphill battle vs. the Nets. They’ve got Kevin Durant back in the lineup, and he’s playing as well as he ever has. He hasn’t been asked to carry as large of a burden as he did with the Thunder, but he’s averaging 28.1 points per game while shooting 53.9% from the field and 45.4% from 3-point range.
The sharps appear to love the Nets in this spot, who are garnering 84% of the spread dollars on just 43% of the betting tickets.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Jimmy Butler (ankle) has been ruled out for today’s game vs. the Nets.
Oklahoma City Thunder @ Toronto Raptors (-10.5):
Thunder +10.5
What have the Raptors done recently do deserve being favored by 10.5 points against anyone? They’re clearly tanking playing for the future, so they’ve been resting multiple players in basically every game. Kyle Lowry hasn’t suited up in three straight games, and the Raptors were actually fined $25,000 on Saturday for failure to comply with league policies governing player rest and injury reporting.
To be fair, the Thunder are definitely taking too, but I just don’t see a ton of difference between these squads at the moment. We’re still waiting on official statuses for Fred VanVleet and Gary Trent Jr., but it wouldn’t be shocking if both players are ultimately ruled out given how they’ve approached games recently.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Raptors PG Kyle Lowry (rest), PG/SG Fred VanVleet (hip), PF Pascal Siakam (shoulder) and SF/PF OG Anunoby (calf) have been ruled out for tonight’s game vs. the Thunder. SG/SF Gary Trent Jr. (ankle) is not listed on the injury report. Thunder SG/SF Lu Dort (hip) is questionable.
Portland Trail Blazers (-4.5) @ Charlotte Hornets:
Jusuf Nurkic Under 3.5 assists (+129)
Nurkic is in an interesting spot tonight vs. the Hornets. On one hand, he is playing without Damian Lillard. That bodes well for his assist upside: He’s increased his assist rate by 3.8% with Lillard off the court this season. Overall, he’s averaged 5.7 assists per 36 minutes in that situation.
That said, Nurkic just isn’t playing many minutes at the moment. He’s coming off just 22.2 minutes in his last game, and he’s played 25.9 minutes in each game since returning to the lineup on March 26. I’m willing to roll the dice on the under 3.5 at better than even money.
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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