RADIO
The word of the night is 'options,' and there hasn't been this much money making potential all season. While lines change and Monkey Knife Fight seems to try and crop out the easier bets before they can be taken advantage of, today they are helpless. With how this season has played out, some projections are a little off and until they are reformed, there is nothing saying we are not allowed to get the most out of it. Tonight specifically, look for the Portland-Memphis game to cause a stir in terms of betting.
Ten games Wednesday with a surprisingly interesting slate. A few landmines you should avoid, but also plenty of options for you to stack what should be high scoring games. Feel free to go to the NBA Chat Room to ask about specific games and bets, but these are the four best options for tonight. Some of these wagers are based on fantasy points, so make sure you are understanding where you place your money.
MonkeyKnifeFight.com is always ahead of the curve with their canceling of contests amid postponements, so don't worry about wasting money on a player or game that might not play. As always, you can find me in the NBA Chat Room or @HalfCourtJester on Twitter with any questions, especially since lines and players are subject to change throughout the day.
Featured Promo: Our friends at Monkey Knife Fight are hooking you up. Get a 100% instant deposit match up to $50 with promo code BALLER with your first deposit. Claim your 100% instant deposit match now, and use our prop picks to get off on a winning foot!
CHA @ ORL
LaMelo Ball (CHA) MORE 36.5 Fantasy Points - Mo Bamba (ORL) MORE 30.5 Fantasy Points
At first, this seems like a game to avoid until you really start thinking about each team's roster breakdown. LaMelo Ball is going to initiate nearly every possession and he gets teammates involved whether they like it or not. Looking at Miles Bridges projected 19.5 points tonight, it's hard to see him or LaMelo Ball suffering any statistical shortcomings against Orlando's defense.
The Magic offense is slightly harder to predict. Mo Bamba, specifically, has been fairly inconsistent although his minutes haven't and the addition of Wendell Carter Jr. makes every night a toss-up. Both being young, inexperienced defenders, foul-trouble is almost certain and scoring consistency is going to be based entirely on who they are lined up against. The Hornets frontcourt addition of Mason Plumlee hasn't fixed Charlotte's defense, but it added some toughness where it was needed. Even with that, it shouldn't be enough to keep Bamba from doing work on the boards against a smaller Hornets squad.
Play the Contest Now on Monkey Knife Fight
MIA @ BKN
Kevin Durant (BKN) MORE 28.5 Points - Jimmy Butler (MIA) MORE 20.5 Points
There should be no reservations when it comes to putting money down on Kevin Durant's scoring. He has to do it all for this team and the worst part about it, is he's not forcing the issue. He contributing across the board and doing what he can on defense without taking away from his offensive ability. Until James Harden is able to provide some support, Durant is going to look to light up defenses that he knows will give his teammates trouble. The Heat always play physical and even though Jimmy Butler won't stop Durant, he will force him to hit tough shots rather than giving Joe Harris or Blake Griffin easy looks.
Since Jimmy Butler has been playing well thus far and has only scored below 20 points once this season, there's no reason why you couldn't look to stack a fantasy point bet in here as well. Miami clearly needs the consistency Butlers gives them every single night, so in games where they are facing potential title contenders, you can be sure that P.J. Tucker and Bam Adebayo are going to be slightly busy on the defensive end, and will need Butler's scoring more than anything.
Play the Contest Now on Monkey Knife Fight
MEM @ POR
C.J. McCollum (POR) MORE 36.5 Fantasy Points - Steven Adams (MEM) MORE 33.5 Fantasy Points
All you have to do is watch, maybe, one half of basketball from both of these teams to see why this is the bet of the night. C.J. McCollum is the Trail Blazers best player right now and Damian Lillard is playing support, increasing McCollum's upside with every game Lillard fails to find his rhythm. We've seen both players play well together and produce as a very dangerous combo, so even if Lillard has a great night here, it's not going to take away from what McCollum is doing.
For the Grizzlies, Steven Adams has been one of their most consistent pieces on offense. Not only he in an obstacle in the paint, but he's getting touches on offense and that's a huge boost. If he just went for rebounds and points, he's still a safe bet for how his minutes have played out for this team, but he's contributing defensive stats and assists fairly consistently. Until something dramatic happens, it's time to prepare for Adams being this player, for this team, for some time.
Play the Contest Now on Monkey Knife Fight
CLE @ LAC
Paul George (LAC) MORE 28.5 Points - Collin Sexton (CLE) MORE 21.5 Points
This is fairly straightforward. Paul George is playing extremely well and is facing a very passive defense. Collin Sexton has been playing well and has a history of scoring over 20 points against the Clippers. The Cavaliers have shifted their offense to allow Sexton to thrive in a shooting guard's role, so although the rest of his stats are going to continue to suffer, his points and shot attempts are going to continue to go up with every game he proves he's worth the investment.
For the Clippers and Paul George, he's the most valuable player in the league in terms of stats and efficiency, so until Kawhi Leonard returns, expect George to stay on this MVP-pace. The last time he faced the Cavaliers, he dropped 36 points, playing with Leonard. Without him, he's more likely to surpass that with how he has been playing. If there is any doubt, his fantasy point projected is 47.5 fantasy points, but he's paired up with Jarrett Allen at 31.5 fantasy points. Betting on Allen makes it not worth it, but if you can't help yourself, go with the under for Allen.
Play the Contest Now on Monkey Knife Fight
Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App
Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy basketball mobile app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, lineup notifications & DFS articles. All free!
