There's no sportsbook offer as rich in opportunity as the DraftKings King of the Court promotion.
Simply place a $5+ wager on any NBA player prop and, if he totals the most Points + Rebounds + Assists (PRA) on the slate, you get a share of $2 Million in bonus bets.
Last week, I secured over $1,000 in bonus bets by picking Jalen Duren.
Here's a look at a few players I'm eyeing for today's slate. Choose whoever you like, but I'll let you know exactly who I'm taking at the end of the article.
📲 Want more expert betting advice? Save 60% When You Sign Up For RotoWire Picks Today
What Is DraftKings King of the Court?
King of the Court is a DraftKings promotional contest that rewards bettors whose player selection accumulates the highest combined Points, Rebounds, and Assists total in a given night. Rather than traditional point spreads or moneylines, KOTC focuses purely on PRA production. The player with the highest PRA total wins, and bettors who selected that player receive a share of $2 million in bonus bets.
With a condensed slate like tonight's, selecting the right player becomes even more critical as fewer games mean fewer statistical opportunities across the board. It also means there could be an obvious choice you can pivot away from.
📲 Looking for More Bets at DK? Check out our DraftKings NBA Picks for tonight.
Best Picks for DraftKings King of the Court Today
Typically, Tuesday offers a larger slate to choose a DraftKings King of the Court winner, but we only have four games to choose from today.
Of course, there's a certain Serbian elephant in the room on the slate. Still, I found plenty of ways to play this slate. Remember, no matter if you win KOTC or not, you'll still win your bet as long as your player clears the line.
Let's take a look at who I'm targeting.
Favorites for King of the Court Today
The Chalk Pick: Nikola Jokic
The NBA's triple-double king is always the King of the Court favorite, and for obvious reasons. Tonight, Jokic plays Phoenix, which allows the 10th most PRA to centers. This game also has the smallest spread on the slate, which matters quite a bit. I always encourage targeting players who will play all four quarters.
It's worth mentioning that Jokic has cleared 50 PRA just once the last three Tuesdays (when KOTC takes place). Still, with a pre-game line of 52.5, he is the obvious chalk play tonight. Duren won last week with just 50 total.
Jokic will likely result in anywhere from $20-$50 in bonus bets. In such a small slate, he will garner the most wagers from retail bettors. Given his matchup and a projectable close score, he is your best bet for a win. However, it depends on your goals.
Remember, even if you don't win KOTC, you still win your wager. So, if you want to take a chance at a long shot, there's still money to be made and a higher ceiling to chase. It all depends on your goals.
The Safe Pivot: Karl-Anthony Towns
Karl Anthony-Towns is one of a few Knicks stat-stuffers worth watching tonight. KAT has cleared 40+ PRA in his last 4/7 games. Meanwhile, the Pelicans allow the fourth-most PRA to centers. Against Washington on Sunday, Anthony-Towns recorded 16 rebounds. The Wiz allow the most rebounds to centers in the league, but the Pelicans allow the second-most. Given the spread, it's safe to anticipate a full four-quarter effort from him.
He is worth a close look as your King of the Court pick tonight, and will reward a much smaller pot than the other Knicks on this list, but larger than Jokic.
DraftKings King of the Court Longshots for Tonight's Slate
If you're willing to take a long shot, these are my King of the Court best bets for a big payout. Keep in mind, it's highly unlikely these players beat Jokic, but he ends up on nearly every slate and certainly doesn't win every time.
The Big Money Chase: Josh Hart
Hart finished top-5 last week, and he gets another juicy opportunity against a NOP defense that allows the second most PRA to SG/SFs, two positions Hart will play throughout the game. The 8-point spread isn't enough to scare me away from betting him as a longshot pivot from Jokic.
What's unique about Hart is that he will play three positions every game. Moving around from SG, SF, and PF throughout the night, he is among the most consistent stat-stuffers in the NBA. Still, he is easily the biggest longshot on the list with only one 40+ PRA performance in his last 10 games. He's got the highest pot opportunity on my list.
Multi-Time Winner Off A Back-to-Back: Paolo Banchero
Paolo has worn the crown multiple times this season, but he's off a back-to-back in a close loss in which he played all four quarters. You could stay off him completely, and I wouldn't blame you. Still, the B2B factor creates a high pot opportunity, as most bettors will pivot away from Orlando's star.
It's worth noting that Paolo has scored 40+ in his last 3-of-5 back-to-back scenarios, and cleared 47 and 50 in two of those – numbers that have been enough to win KOTC in the past. His team will play a close game at a decent pace, so he's certainly worth a look.
Last Week's Near Winner: LaMelo Ball
LaMelo came in second last week, but his team is favored by 18 points, which makes for a game where he won't play much of the 4th quarter. That being said, Memphis allows the 7th-most PRA to PGs, and the second-most points per possession to P&R ball handlers, which LaMelo does 40.5% of his time on the floor. This creates ample Points+Assists opportunities. As a cherry on top, MEM allows the 8th-most rebounds to PGs. Unfortunately, the massive spread scares me off.
However, it's the NBA, and anything can happen. If this game ends up close, he very well could wear tonight's crown.
Back-to-Back Leverage Play
James Harden
If you've been away from the NBA for a few, Harden was traded to Cleveland at the deadline. He's finding his footing in a big way. Tonight, he gets Orlando off a back-to-back in which every starter played all four quarters. Last time out against the Magic, Harden went for 43 PRA. Two games ago, against Chicago, the 11-time NBA All-Star totaled 52, which would be right at Jokic's projected mark tonight.
While Harden is certainly stuffing the stat sheet in Cleveland, boasting 16+ Points+Assists in his last two games, he doesn't have a favorable matchup. Orlando allows the 9th-least PRA to PGs in the league, and despite being off a back-to-back, I don't see Harden eclipsing Jokic's number in any scenario.
Donovan Mitchell
In his last three games against Orlando, Mitchell has totaled 50+ PRA twice. However, both of those games were before the James Harden trade. With them both in the starting lineup, Mitchell has only cleared 40+ PRA once in his last 10 games.
Yes, Orlando allows the fourth-most PRA to SGs, but they are among the 12 best teams at defending the pick-and-roll & in transition, both of which combine for 56% of Mitchell's overall production. He's one you have to list as a favorite, but I'm deciding to stay away from, given the matchup and stack with Harden.
Other Options for DraftKings King of the Court Today
I'm not betting on these guys, but it's worth noting that they are names that are popular weekly KOTC picks.
Here's who they are, and why I'm not betting them:
- Devin Booker: If Booker stuffs the stat sheet, his defense will be forced to defend an aggressive Jokic. He's a nice contrarian pivot play to the favorite in theory, but he struggles to stack PRA stats against top-15 defenses like Denver.
- Jamal Murray: Murray is a popular system pick (contrarian on the same team as the favorite), but he gets a miserable matchup vs. Phoenix, a top-10 PRA defense vs. PGs. He's never cleared 40 PRA against the Suns.
Who I'm Betting for King of the Court on DraftKings Tonight
I pride myself as a non-chalk bettor. So, if you've come here for low-hanging fruit, I advise targeting Mr. Jokic for your DraftKings King of the Court bet tonight.
My Favorite Pick for KOTC
My favorite pick for King of the Court is Karl-Anthony Towns. He's got the most logical path to beating Jokic, with the second-highest projected PRA on the slate at 36.5. He won't make you rich in bonus bets like Duren did last week, but I'd anticipate a triple-digit payout with Jokic being the most-bet-on player tonight.
My Favorite Longshot for KOTC
Banchero is easily my favorite longshot on the slate. Everyone will stay off of him due to the back-to-back but he's proven to be less impacted by the lack of rest, and he gets a highly favorable matchup. Additionally, he'll be the go-to facilitator in a high-pace game. Lastly, the Magic desperately need a win over a playoff team. They'll play this game hard. As the 8-seed, a win over 4-seed Cleveland would be huge, as they're currently tied with Miami.
I'd have a difficult time not betting on him tonight. I'll be laying my money on Banchero in a must-win setting.
For more daily NBA picks, download the Rotowire Picks App Today.
