RADIO
Feeling the holiday spirit, the NBA starts with one afternoon game today between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics, all part of a six-game schedule.
The Celtics should have a mismatch at home against the Cavaliers and the Milwaukee Bucks should have a lopsided matchup against the Hawks in Atlanta, but the rest of the schedule should be much more competitive.
You can use that information to find value on the board when looking at player point totals, fantasy point totals and more.
Here are some angles to consider before making Monkey Knife Fight prop picks in the Star Shootout for Friday’s NBA action.
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STAR SHOOTOUT
MORE OR LESS
Giannis Antetokounmpo LESS THAN 32.5 POINTS – As great as Giannis is, he’s also scored 58 points in his past three games. Banking on improvement against an Atlanta team with porous defense is one thing but it doesn’t mean that he’s suddenly good for 33-plus, a threshold that he’s crossed eight times in 15 road games this season.
Trae Young MORE THAN 28.5 POINTS – Can Young continue his recent hot streak, which includes five straight games of scoring at least 30 points? The Bucks play strong D, but their interior defense is the real calling card, so there should still be an opportunity for Young to stay on his high-scoring run.
Devin Booker LESS THAN 24.5 POINTS – The Suns’ scoring guard has been in a slump. He has been held under 20 points in each of his past four games and had missed three with injury. The Warriors have the league’s worst three-point defense in the league this season, allowing 38.7% from beyond the arc, but Booker may not be in position to make the difference – he’s 1-for-14 on threes in his past four games.
D’Angelo Russell MORE THAN 22.5 POINTS – Winners of three straight, the Warriors seem to be finding a bit of a groove and Russell is averaging 25.0 points per game in those three wins. The Suns don’t offer much defensive resistance (48.0 FG%, 37.6 3PT%) so Russell should be able to continue scoring, whether the Warriors keep winning or not.
Jayson Tatum MORE THAN 21.5 POINTS – In 28 games this season, Tatum has scored at least 22 points in 14 of them, so what tilts this towards the over? A home game against a Cleveland Cavaliers team that is one of the worst teams in the league, allowing opponents to shoot 49.0% from the field, the second-highest mark in the NBA.
Dennis Schroder LESS THAN 20.5 POINTS – While the Charlotte Hornets aren’t much defensively, and Schroder has put up at least 20 points in five of the past six games, he has managed at least 21 points in six of 13 road games.
RAPID FIRE
Ricky Rubio -1.5 assists vs. Ben Simmons – In his past dozen games, Rubio is putting up 11.1 assists per game, finishing with at least eight in every one of those games. Simmons is averaging 9.1 assists per game in his past dozen games but has a lower floor, so Rubio seems the safer option.
Joel Embiid +0.5 rebounds vs. Domantas Sabonis – For all of the concern about Embiid’s consistency, he’s averaging 13.3 rebounds per game in his past 15. In his past 15 games, Sabonis is a beast on the glass in his own right, putting up 13.6 rebounds per game. Close enough to give Embiid a shot as the underdog.
