RADIO
Six games on Wednesday's slate is just the beginning of the end. There won't be any more night's with a seemingly endless amount of games, but that doesn't mean we don't have our fair share of options to bet on. The biggest cause of concern is who will be available and late scratches, so get in some quality bets before you miss out on some easy under bets for superstars who won't see full minutes.
Teams will want to see what bench players can offer them in the post-season or in some cases, for the following season, so look for trends where superstars are seeing fewer minutes than usual. Luka Doncic is a prime example of someone who the Mavericks don't want to risk hurting, but also can't afford to not play. With only a few games left in the regular season, there isn't much to guarantee other than which teams are playing.
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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WAS @ ATL
Russell Westbrook (WAS) MORE 26.5 Points - Trae Young (ATL) MORE 26.5 Points
Now that Russell Westbrook has solidified himself as the best point guard to ever play the game...Ok, RELAX, it's just a joke, although he does deserve the utmost respect for his incredibly consistent effort night-in and night-out. The Hawks couldn't do much to stop him and almost let up a significant comeback to the Wizards Monday, which says enough to understand just how little the Hawks defense can do to stop Westbrook from producing. Without Bradley Beal, Russell Westbrook is not the type of player you want to bet the under against.
Trae Young will have his work cut out for him against this Wizards backcourt since Westbrook will be busy trying to figure out how to carry Washington's offense once again, rather than stopping Young. If you can outscore the Wizards, you win, and Young is Atlanta's top option. Look for a repeat performance from Young, especially if the Hawks bench flops like they did in the first meeting between these two a few days ago.
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SAS @ BKN
Kevin Durant (BKN) MORE 27.5 Points - DeMar DeRozan (SAS) MORE 22.5
With the news that James Harden could return, it doesn't affect Kevin Durant's upside and if anything, it's a boost having that type of playmaker play alongside a lethal scorer. In the last eight games Durant has played, he's scored 30-points in at least five of those contests, all coming against much tougher defenses. As long as Durant is playing, he has a great chance of carrying the offense and posting yet another 30-point game.
Last time DeMar DeRozan faced the Nets, he posted a 22-point double-double. DeRozan's assists have seen a monstrous boost this season and even if that trend continues in the waning games of the season, DeRozan still excels at putting the ball in the basket against rigorous opponents. Whatever the Nets throw at DeRozan shouldn't ultimately affect his production and 23-points-per-game is his two-month average despite San Antonio lacking in nearly every department.
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BOS @ CLE
Jayson Tatum (BOS) MORE 28.5 Points - Collin Sexton (CLE) MORE 26.5
Without Jaylen Brown there is no reason to take the under on Jayson Tatum's points. Even with the Celtics safely in the playoffs, there isn't much to look forward to now that their best two-way player is out. Although Tatum has been the driving force in this offense all season, he's going to take a slight hit in overall production without having Brown at his disposal as a potential bail-out. Regardless, his scoring won't be affected and he is going to have all the usage he needs to hit the over.
With Collin Sexton on the verge of posting his fourth straight 20+ point game, the Celtics defense will have their hands full once again. Cleveland won the last meeting between these two and now that the Cavaliers won't have Darius Garland, Sexton needs to score, and he will.
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NOP @ DAL
Luka Doncic (DAL) LESS 28.5 Points - Lonzo Ball (NOP) LESS 18.5 Points
Unless Luka Doncic randomly plays a full workload Wednesday, the under is fairly safe since the Mavericks are clearly experimenting with bench options, and we can easily take advantage of that. Normally, the Pelicans defense is stingy, and that forces their opponents hand to rely even more on their top scorers, not like there are many defenses that can stop Doncic as it is. For what it's worth, Dallas is more likely to sit Doncic after he scored 46-points in the first meeting between the two back in February.
Since it's hard to bank on any consistency at this point in the season, Lonzo Ball's field goal attempts are no different. The seven shots he took last game were the lowest since his six point outing against the Magic back in April, so expect the Mavericks defense to allow him whatever freedom he needs. Dallas has the playmakers to defensively stop quality stars, but they won't designate one of them to keep Ball from scoring. There's as much upside as there is downside, but just like every other team that has their fate for this season all but settled, front offices are looking to see what's up and coming more than what they've been witnessing all season.
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