Handicapping the NBA: Saturday Picks

Handicapping the NBA: Saturday Picks

This article is part of our NBA Picks series.

Alex Barutha: Delon Wright over 4.5 rebounds (-114) -- FanDuel Sportsbook 1:52 PM CT

Wright was a clear sleeper option in fantasy during drafts this season but got off to a slow start due to the Pistons giving rookie Killian Hayes preferential treatment (not in a bad way). However, with Hayes sidelined indefinitely due to an injury, Wright has joined the starting five and continues to play big minutes. He's been a clear part of the Pistons' "success", as his on/off-court difference is +8.5 points per 100 possessions.

Over the past 11 games, Wright is seeing 30.1 minutes per game and averaging 10.5 points, 5.6 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 1.6 steals. The rebounds are what we're interested in here. He's always been a great rebounder for a guard -- 3.8 boards in 21.5 minutes per game last season -- and the Warriors struggle cleaning the glass, allowing the second-most rebounds (49.5) in the NBA. I trust his number more than Jerami Grant (5.5), Blake Griffin (5.5), or Mason Plumlee's (8.5) because that trio has the potential to steal rebounds from each other based on positional overlap.

Nick Whalen: Milwaukee Bucks -8.5 (-107) vs. Charlotte Hornets -- DraftKings Sportsbook

While the final score ended up being respectable, the Bucks are coming off of an ugly loss Friday night in New Orleans. It's a tough spot on the second night of a road/road back-to-back, but I like Milwaukee to bounce back against a favorable opponent. The Pelicans shot the lights out for most of Friday's game, and chances are that won't happen again against a Hornets team that ranks in the bottom 10 in both true shooting and actual field goal percentage. Defensively, the two sides are nearly identical, but the Bucks are nearly 10 points per 100 possessions better on the offensive end. As long as Giannis Antetokounmpo is active on the back-to-back, I like Milwaukee to make a statement after last night's defeat.

Jeff Edgerton: TRAILBLAZERS (+2) over Bulls (FD Sportsbook, 7:46 a.m. ET)

Chicago has won three of their last five games, and they narrowly beat Portland earlier in the season., but I see a different outcome in this matchup. They've found a temporary solution for CJ McCollum in the backcourt with Gary Trent, and Enes Kanter is playing some of the best basketball of his career. 

John Wall OVER 17.5 points (MGM Sportsbook, 7:46 a.m. ET)

It's time for Wall to break out. He's playing with a day of rest, so his lingering knee issue shouldn't be of any concern. He's also coming off games of 24 and 20 points, so his ability to go north of this number is well-founded.

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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.
Jeff Edgerton
Jeff has provided sports content for numerous sports outlets and has played fantasy sports since scores had to be tabulated via newspaper. He started working with RotoWire in 2017. Originally from South Carolina, he's a lifelong Clemson fan now enjoying the sun in Los Angeles.
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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