Handicapping the NBA: Monday Picks

Handicapping the NBA: Monday Picks

This article is part of our NBA Picks series.

Alex Barutha

Jonas Valanciunas to double-double + Pelicans win vs. Pacers (-115) -- FanDuel, 4:00 PM CT

This slate is downright ugly, with tons of questionable players throwing a wrench into everything. One spot that feels safe is Valanciunas against the decimated frontcourt of the Pacers, who are down both Domantas Sabonis and Myles Turner. I'm throwing in the win to the double-double prop for the extra value, since New Orleans should also be able to take care of business as a team.

Nick Whalen

Jonas Valanciunas OVER 20.5 points (-125) vs. Indiana Pacers -- DraftKings, 3:00 PM CT

The big man has only gone over 20 points twice in the last seven games, but he draws perhaps the most appealing matchup in the league right now in the banged-up Pacers, who will be without Myles Turner, Domantas Sabonis, Malcolm Brogdon and possibly Caris LeVert. Obviously, the frontcourt players are our main concern here. With Turner and Sabonis down, Valanciunas will likely match up against Goga Bitadze, Oshae Brissett and rookie Isaiah Jackson. Any of those matchups should be easily exploitable. Valanciunas Points + Rebounds prop (34.5) is also worth a look.

Joe Bartel

Josh Giddey 10+ points, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl under 7.5 points, CHI/OKC under 217.5 points (+323) -- FanDuel, 9:43 AM CT

Yes, I'm going back to the Giddey well after the rookie embarrassingly couldn't score 10+ points in the last recommendation. The odds of that happening again just seem extreme, especially with the Bulls missing so many guys in the backcourt. Those backcourt absences are also why I think the under seems completely likely. It's the Robinson-Earl number that truthfully has me most concerned, but the Thunder's frontcourt rotation is incredibly rigid which should hopefully limit the rookie's opportunities.

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ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Joe Bartel
Joe Bartel is RotoWire's Operations Specialist and football contributor among many other things. When not at the office, he's probably playing a variety of Gen 4 console games or rooting on his beloved Green Bay Packers.
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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