Handicapping the NBA: Thursday Picks

Handicapping the NBA: Thursday Picks

This article is part of our NBA Picks series.

Alex Barutha

Domantas Sabonis OVER 43.5 points+rebounds+assists (-113) -- FanDuel (1:21 PM CT)

Sabonis is playing at an MVP level over the past seven games. In 38.9 minutes per game, he's averaged 24.6 points, 15.0 rebounds and 11.0 assists. I can understand FanDuel's hesitancy to put out a prop upwards of 50 P+R+A, but I'm not anticipating Sabonis slowing down against the Bucks. Brook Lopez has somehow become an overrated defender, and Milwaukee doesn't need this game as badly as Indiana. Also, Caris LeVert (knee) could end up being sidelined, which would only add to Sabonis' usage.

Nick Whalen

Knicks -5.5 (-110) vs. SAS -- DraftKings (1:22 PM CT)

I was on the fence about this game earlier, as several Knicks players were listed as questionable, but Derrick Rose, Reggie Bullock and Alec Burks are now all expected to play. This is a meaningful game for both teams, but it's extra important for the Knicks if they hope to avoid the Bucks in Round 1. After a tight loss to the Lakers on Tuesday, I expect the Knicks to take care of business at home against the NBA's 29th-ranked defense over the last 10 games.

Joe Bartel

MIL (at IND) + LAC (at CHA) + MEM (vs. SAC) + ATL (vs. ORL) all to win (+137) - DraftKings (1:49 PM CT)

From a parlay-building perspective, I'm all in on Clippers and Bucks to win outright Thursday. Just betting the two combined would be in the -165 range, which feels like solid value. Yes, both of their respective opponents also have playoff ramifications on the line, but the Clippers and Bucks are simply the better teams and certainly have something to play for in their own right. If Jonas Valanciunas is unable to play, I'm removing the Grizzlies from the parlay entirely, but with the Grizzlies favored by eight in that contest, it certainly feels like Vegas knows something we don't. Not really much to mention with the Hawks. They should cruise through the Magic and have understandably the worst odds of the bunch.

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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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