Handicapping the NBA: MLK Day Picks

Handicapping the NBA: MLK Day Picks

This article is part of our NBA Picks series.

Alex Barutha

Grizzlies to cover -8 (-110) vs. Bulls -- PointsBet, 12:35 PM CT

This is a relatively big number, but there's a lot of necessary context. The Grizzlies are at home and continue to play at an elite level. Over the past two weeks, Memphis is 7-1 and have a +7.6 point differential and are +6.8 points ATS. Meanwhile, Chicago is down Zach LaVine, Lonzo Ball, Alex Caruso and others. And while DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic are capable players, Chicago was regressing a bit even before the recent injuries. Over the past two weeks, they have a -6.0 point differential and are -7.2 ATS. I'm banking on the trends continuing here.

Nick Whalen

Utah Jazz -4.5 (-115) at LA Lakers -- DraftKings Sportsbook, 11:45AM CT

This number feels suspiciously low. Utah is on a back-to-back, so maybe there's an expectation that a starter or two doesn't play, but even so it's difficult to find an argument in favor of this Lakers team, which most recently loss by 37 to the Nuggets on Saturday. As long as the Jazz don't employ a mass-rest approach, side with the road team here. The Lakers are a mess.

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ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Alex Barutha
Alex is RotoWire's Chief NBA Editor. He writes articles about daily fantasy, year-long fantasy and sports betting. You can hear him on the RotoWire NBA Podcast, Sirius XM, VSiN and other platforms. He firmly believes Robert Covington is the most underrated fantasy player of the past decade.
Nick Whalen
Now in his 10th year with the company, Nick is RotoWire's Senior Media Analyst, a position he took on after several years as the Head of Basketball Content. A multi-time FSGA and FSWA award winner, Nick co-hosts RotoWire's flagship show on Sirius XM Fantasy alongside Jeff Erickson, as well as The RotoWire NBA Show on Sirius XM NBA with Alex Barutha. He also co-hosts RotoWire's Football and Basketball podcasts. You can catch Nick's NBA and NFL analysis on VSiN and DraftKings, as well as RotoWire's various social and video channels. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram @wha1en.
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