Handicapping the NBA: Monday Picks

Handicapping the NBA: Monday Picks

This article is part of our NBA Picks series.

Alex Barutha

Bucks to win (-105) at BKN -- BetMGM (2:03 PM CT)

The Bucks played a competitive Game 1 despite shooting just 6-of-30 from behind the arc, plus some incredible shot-making from Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving at points. I assume Milwaukee's three-point shooting will improve while Durant and Irving will miss some of the tough shots they were making.

Nick Whalen

Bucks +1.0 (-112) at BKN -- DraftKings (11:41 AM CT)

Game 1 was a disappointing showing from the Bucks -- especially on defense -- with James Harden playing less than one minute. But with Harden already ruled out, Milwaukee has no excuses if it can't take advantage and even the series before heading back home for Games 3 and 4. The Bucks should get a much better game from Khris Middleton, and Blake Griffin should come back down to earth after having his best game in two years Saturday.

Kevin Durant OVER 32.5 points (-107) vs. MIL -- DraftKings

The Nets' complementary pieces played so well that they didn't need a massive game from Durant to take Game 1 comfortably. But I expect Milwaukee to do a better job of limiting Griffin and Joe Harris in Game 2, so Durant will have to shoulder more of the scoring burden alongside Kyrie Irving. Getting to 33 points against an elite opponent is no easy feat, but Durant is the best scorer in the world, and with Harden unavailable, Durant should again be set for a high-minute night.

Giannis Antetokounmpo OVER 12.5 rebounds (-125) at BKN -- DraftKings

The Bucks were thoroughly outplayed in Game 1, but the one area they were able to dominate was rebounding. Milwaukee pulled down 58 rebounds -- 15 of which came on the offensive end. Antetokounmpo did not account for any of those (he still finished with 11 rebounds), but that should change in Game 2, and the Bucks will be able to continue cleaning up the defensive glass so long as Brooklyn hesitates to throw a true big man into the rotation. 

Ken Crites

Mikal Bridges OVER 11.5 points (-134) vs. DEN -- DraftKings (1:43 PM CT)

Bridges averaged 13.5 points per game during the regular season. But more importantly, the DEN forwards will become obsessed with helping their backup guards defend Booker and Paul. This will leave Bridges open for lots of easy catch-and-shoots. And, frankly, Michael Porter plays bad defense.

Jacob Lebowitz

Jrue Holiday to record a double-double (+285) at BKN -- DraftKings (11:49 AM CT)

Holiday has had a phenomenal postseason so far, but the Bucks will need more from Holiday in a crucial Game 2. The 30-year-old has become a consistent threat to record a double-double every night, as he's a smart passer and is one of the best guards that can snag rebounds consistently. In every playoff game this season except for two, Holiday has recorded a double-double. In one of the games where he didn't record a double-double, he finished with nine rebounds, and in the other, he finished with nine assists. I expect this game to be another high-scoring game that will allow Holiday to rack up points and assists with ease. The Nets aren't great at rebounding either, which will benefit Holiday if he cannot get enough assists.

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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.
Jacob Lebowitz
Jacob is a former RotoWire contributor. He's always doing something sports-related whether that's playing NBA 2K, watching a football game or playing a game of pickup basketball.
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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