The NBA Playoffs are here! The action got underway with Tuesday’s play-in games, and now we transition to the teams with hopes of getting to play for the 8-seed on Friday night. Let’s breakdown some betting angles on DraftKings Sportsbook.
All odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.
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Chicago Bulls at Toronto Raptors
CHI +6 (-110)
OVER 212.5 (-110)
DeMar DeRozan OVER 21.5 Points (-125)
I haven’t gotten around to actually placing a bet on this game, but I do have some leans as to how it may play out.
It’s hard to give any numbers that make either side look like the wrong side with the points in this game. The Raptors have been a terrific home team, winning 11 of their last 12 in Toronto, and going 21-12-1 ATS as home favorites over the course of the season.
However, the Bulls have been strong on the road, going 15-12-1 ATS as road dogs, and actually winning eight of their last 10 straight up. I feel like it’s too many points for a game like this, and the Bulls should be able to compete and keep this close enough.
The total is super low in this game, and it shouldn’t take much to get this over. These are two average paced teams, and this would make for one of the lowest totals of the season for either side. With these games getting bet under due to some rock fights in the play-in games, the total on this one might just have taken too much of a dive.
As for a player prop that ties into both the side and total that I lean towards, DeRozan is in a really interesting spot here. His point prop is set at just 21.5, which shocked me at first. His scoring has been down a bit lately, but it’s rare you get a player that averages 24.5 points per game over the season, and his prop in a one-game playoff is set significantly lower.
DeRozan’s game log against his former team scares me a bit here — he had just 20, 13 and nine points in their three meetings this season. But how much of that was a fluke? DD dropped at least 26 points in all four of his matchups against Toronto last season. A little postseason revenge spot against the franchise he played for for so many years doesn’t feel like an awful spot.
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All views expressed are my own. I am an employee of DraftKings and am ineligible to play in public DFS or DKSB contests.
The contents contained in this article do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment.