The NBA is the Wild West right now given COVID-19 and the league’s health protocols, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t edges to be had. We sit at 49-47-1 on the season for article plays and look to improve on Friday to end the week strong.
Follow along on Twitter — @julianedlow — for what we hope to be another great season, as some plays jump out late due to news, particularly in the player prop market. Here’s what jumps out to me on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Place your NBA bets at DraftKings Sportsbook and bet online by downloading the DraftKings Sportsbook app.
Minnesota Timberwolves at Boston Celtics
BOS 1H -4.5 (-115)
A few strong first half spots stand out to me on Friday, starting with the Celtics. Boston is in the middle of a long home stretch, and while its struggled with the good teams, its dismantling the bad ones. The C’s have hosted Houston and a banged up Charlotte squad during this stretch, producing leads of eight points and 15 points at the half, respectively. Boston’s had pieces in and out of the lineup during the homestand, and should be fully healthy for this one, outside of Evan Fournier’s absence. The Celtics are 15-10-1 1H ATS at home this season, and the Timberwolves have generally come out sluggish on the road. Minnesota sits at 9-16-2 1H ATS away from home, trailing by an average of 7.5 points per game.
Houston Rockets at Los Angeles Clippers
LAC 1H -6.5 (-110)
Editor’s Note: Clippers SG Paul George (rest) has been ruled out for tonight’s game vs. the Rockets.
The Rockets ended their legendary skid of 17 consecutive failed first half covers, and have actually played decent basketball on their recent three-game homestand. However, I’m willing to bet on them going back to their old ways in a difficult road test against the Clippers. The Rockets are still just 20-31 1H ATS this season, and run into a Clippers team that’s playing really well at home. The Clips are 9-2 ATS in their last 11 home games, and are 19-9 1H ATS at home this season. Los Angeles has had no issues on the second night of a back-to-back this season, actually posting an NBA-best 8-1 ATS mark. Let’s just make sure all the key players suit up in this one before locking it in, though.
Washington Wizards at Golden State Warriors
GSW 1H -2 (-115)
I also like the Warriors’ moneyline, but the Wizards have been extremely scrappy picking up road covers in narrow losses. Washington is just 8-16 on the road this season, but it’s above .500 against the number at 13-11 ATS. So I’m turning to the first half here, where Washington is just 19-30-1 1H ATS, trailing by an average of 3.6 points per game. The Warriors have gotten off to some awful starts on the road this season, but they’ve generally cleaned that up at home, with a 15-9 1H ATS record. I’ll wait to make sure the Warriors are at full strength before locking this one, but if Stephen Curry is a full-go, this will be a play. The Dubs got the cover with him back in the lineup on Wednesday against Milwaukee for the 1Q, 1H and full game.
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