RADIO
With a 10-game slate Friday, only the Clippers are playing on the second night a back-to-back. Missed games continue to be the theme of these nightly contests, and the Clippers victorious starting lineup last night consisted of Nic Batum, Reggie Jackson, Luke Kennard, Terrance Mann, and Serge Ibaka. This is likely to be the starting lineup against the Magic Friday, but don't expect the pace to really change.
Orlando's defense has been trending in the wrong direction since the start of the season, and the last few games they have increased the pace of their offense at the expense of letting up more points. Since this is going to benefit players like Reggie Jackson and Nic Batum, look for some lower totals to hit the over on earlier in the day.
MonkeyKnifeFight.com continues to be 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.
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IND @ CHA
Gordon Hayward (CHA) MORE 23.5 Points - Malcolm Brogdon (IND) MORE 22.5 Points
Only Malcolm Brogdon was able to score over 20 points in the first meeting, which means the inevitable is about to happen and they swap outcomes. Only slightly joking, since statistics would say Gordon Hayward only scoring 16 points on 14 shots is unlikely to happen again. Brogdon has established himself as a primary threat for the Pacers, although he will sacrifice high-scoring games for the sake of his teammates.
While an excellent point guard trait, not ideal for gambling. The Hornets backcourt is downright bad defensively, and players that have struggled to shoot against them have been posting more assists versus Charlotte than any other team. Regardless of what some players have done, Brogdon is clearly a problem for them and for any fantasy point contests, the over is an easy take. Taking everything into consideration, if his point-total increases anymore, be hesitant.
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ATL @ WAS
Bradley Beal (WAS) MORE 31.5 Points - Trae Young (ATL) LESS 27.5
Bradley Beal has become a meme and there are plenty of people trying to pretend they have the scoop on his trade rumors. Until that happens, enjoy the Beal show and nightly 30-point games. He is taking near 30 shots a night and the Hawks defense has a young backcourt that really won't know what to do with themselves. The same can be said for the Wizards entire defense, but Beal is the best player in this game and has been in pretty much every game he has played in this season.
The Hawks have been one of the best teams in basketball recently, especially on the defensive end, but it's not enough to suppress Beal's upside. While this game won't be close, expect the same from Beal, and Trae Young to do a great job finding teammates and letting them put in work against the worst team in the league.
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MIL @ NOP
Giannis Antetokounmpo (MIL) LESS 27.5 Points - Zion Williamson (NOP) MORE 22.5
As expected, Giannis Antetokounmpo's scoring has taken a dip, but specifically over the past week, his usage has dropped with it. That doesn't mean he is producing less, and arguably he is posting more counting stats than ever, he's just not having to shoot nearly as much. The Pelicans will struggle, just like every other team, and Antetokounmpo will score at will per usual, but depending on how his teammates play, if they can score, the under is safe.
Zion Williamson, however, has been too important for this offense to sacrifice not giving him the ball whenever they can. The Bucks aren't the easiest team for opposing power forwards and centers to score on, but this will also be the first time they experience 35 minutes of Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson together.
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SAC @ TOR
De'Aaron Fox (SAC) MORE 22.5 Points - Fred Vanvleet (TOR) MORE 20.5
The last time these teams played, De'Aaron Fox was playing in one of his first games back from an injury, and he had a great night despite only playing 24 minutes. He shot well from the field and even though there is unlikely to be a repeat of that, his scoring aggression recently combined with his recent minutes and the Raptors backcourt is way too enticing to pass up.
For Fred VanVleet, his last outing wasn't necessarily uncharacteristic, but shooting 17% is something every NBA player will look to bounce back from. VanVleet has made it clear that he is the type of player that will contribute elsewhere when he isn't finding his shot, so his minutes are permanently safe, and after shooting so poorly last game, there is good reason to think he will try and make up for that. Over the past few games, without excluding that outlier, 10-point, 10-assist game, VanVleet is still averaging close to 18-points and faces the worst defense at guarding opposing point guards.
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