The NBA Cheat Sheet provides an in-depth look at Monday’s nine-game main slate, featuring DFS and Sportsbook picks.
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Top scoring game environments on DraftKings Sportsbook
Spurs-Bulls: 233.5 points
Trail Blazers-Bucks: 232 points
Rockets-Jazz: 229.5 points
Both DeMar DeRozan ($10,200) and Dejounte Murray ($11,000) make for interesting high-priced options on Monday with both teams just outside the bottom 10 in defensive efficiency. And while those two studs deserve your attention, Ayo Dosunmu ($5,900) is in a spot to be one of Monday’s best mid-range options.
Moving over to the game Milwaukee will host, Justise Winslow ($5,600) has been a strong mid-range play of late. Now, he didn’t do much when he last saw Milwaukee, but that was his first game with a new team. Winslow also only played 20 minutes in that game. Over the last three games, on the other hand, Winslow has played at least 33 minutes each night and hovered right around six-times value for his Monday price tag.
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Scheduling Notes
3rd game in 4th night
Bulls, Spurs, Magic, Nuggets, Thunder
2nd night of a back-to-back
N/A
1st night of a back-to-back
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Key Injury to Monitor
Jazz C Rudy Gobert ($9,100) vs. Rockets
There’s no two ways about it, Gobert ruins the value of one of Monday’s better $5-6K range options if he returns. Hassan Whiteside ($5,900) has had some low points while Gobert has been out, but he’s also hot at the moment. Whiteside has grabbed 35 rebounds over his last two games, posting 50.25 then 44.5 DKFP. The Rockets are an uptempo opponent for every team in the NBA, and they aren’t at all defensively efficient. What’s more, they’ve given up the most DKFP to opposing centers. But if Gobert plays, Utah’s backcourt isn’t an option on Monday.
Favorite Pick Against the Spread
Kings -4 vs. Nets
Yet another battle in Brooklyn without a single star available to take the floor for the Nets.
That makes the refurbished Kings the favorite at Barclays Center. Having covered in the two games since the deal with Indiana, Sacramento’s 27-31 record ATS doesn’t mean a whole lot in the short term. What does is Brooklyn’s league-worst 20-35-1 record ATS. Furthermore, the Nets 7-9 ATS as underdogs and 1-3 ATS as home underdogs.
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Favorite Player Prop
Bulls PG Ayo Dosunmu: over 24.5 points+rebounds+assists vs. Spurs
This game has the highest total on DraftKings Sportsbook, and with good reason. The Spurs are fifth in pace and both teams rank just outside the bottom 10 in defensive rating. Last time they met, they combined for 253 points. So naturally, I first scoped out Murray and DeRozan’s points-related props on DraftKings Sportsbook. There are some solid options involving those two. But Dosunmu’s points+rebounds+assists prop is my No. 1 for Monday.
Now, I do think it’s worth getting a little bit of exposure to his double-double prop at +310, but going with the over on this total is the safer route. LaVine is out, and Dosunmu has gone over this total in the last two games. After going for a 14-point, 10-assist double-double with four rebounds on Thursday, the guard went for 12 points, nine assists and eight rebounds on Friday.
Favorite Value Play
Knicks PG Kemba Walker ($4,300) vs. Thunder
RJ Barrett has been out the last couple games, and Walker has seen an increase in shot volume as a result. That should come as no surprise, though. With Barrett off the floor this season, Walker is second in usage rate (25%) and DKFP per minute (1.11) to only Julius Randle. Now, OKC may be a pace-up opponent for the Knicks, but pretty much everyone is. What’s more important is opposing guards have done well from a fantasy perspective vs. the Thunder this season, making this an even more favorable matchup for Walker.
Favorite Stud
Bulls PF DeMar DeRozan ($10,200) vs. Spurs
Revenge game. Plain and simple. Doesn’t matter that he already got a crack at the Spurs.
But if non-quantifiable factors aren’t enough: the Spurs are fifth in pace and rank just outside the bottom 10 in defensive efficiency. On top of that, LaVine is out Monday. That always creates a big boost in potential value for DeRozan.
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All odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.
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