Handicapping the NBA: Monday Picks

Handicapping the NBA: Monday Picks

This article is part of our NBA Picks series.

Alex Barutha

Heat to win (-230) vs. CHI -- FanDuel (1:16 PM CT)

Miami still isn't performing up to the standard they set last season in the bubble, but I'm not worried about them against Chicago. The Bulls only have three wins since April 9, and two of them were against Charlotte and Cleveland. Even without Zach LaVine (COVID-19 protocols), they can still put up a fight with Nikola Vucevic around, but I think the center will struggle going up against Bam Adebayo. And if Vucevic has a rough game, I don't see the Bulls winning.

Nick Whalen

Ivica Zubac OVER 11.5 points (+100) at NOP -- DraftKings (12:09 PM CT)

Filling in for Serge Ibaka, Zubac is averaging 12.4 points per game over his last nine appearances, and he goes up against a Pelicans team Monday that may be without Steven Adams (toe). The drawback with Zubac is that he's prone to foul trouble. While that could be particularly problematic against Zion Williamson, I still like his chances to take advantage of a team that's struggled to find consistency on the defensive end.

Atlanta Hawks -4.5 (-112) at DET -- DraftKings

The Hawks are without Trae Young, but that wasn't a problem during Sunday's impressive win over Milwaukee. Even on a back-to-back, this number strikes me as too low -- especially considering the Pistons may be in position to rest several regulars after most were available for Saturday's game against Indiana. 

Ken Crites

Spurs (-3.0) at WAS; Keldon Johnson OVER 12.5 points -- FanDuel (11:04 AM CT)

At first blush, Washington seems slighted with this line. They have won eight in a row. The Wizards are 11-0 in the last 11 games in which Bradley Beal has played. I'm not saying they are the 60's Celtics, but Washington is playing well. Oddly, the Spurs play better on the road (17-10) than at home (13-19). And Washington is playing in the second of a back-to-back, while San Antonio last played Saturday night at New Orleans. I get the spread. Washington is woefully thin in the frontcourt, and Rui Hachimura likely won't play (as of noon ET). San Antonio is smart enough to exploit this weakness. Look for Keldon Johnson to have a long-overdue good game. 

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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.
Ken
An early RotoWire contributor from the 90's, K-Train returns with the grace of Gheorghe Muresan and the wisdom of Joe Gibbs. Ken is a two-time FSWA award winner and a co-host on the RW NBA Podcast. Championships incude: 2016 RW Staff NBA Keeper, 2019 RW Staff NFL Ottoneu Keeper, 2022-23 SiriusXM NBA Experts, 2022-23 SiriusXM NBA Kamla Keeper and 2023-24 FSGA NBA Expert Champions. Ken still owns a RotoNews shirt.
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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