Handicapping the NBA: Thursday Picks

Handicapping the NBA: Thursday Picks

This article is part of our NBA Picks series.

Alex Barutha

Karl-Anthony Towns 30+ Pts, 12+ Rebs, 4+ Asts (+850) at Pistons -- DraftKings, 1:06 PM CT

The Pistons don't have anyone in the frontcourt even remotely capable of guarding Towns. KAT has gone for 30+ points in 10 games this season. He had at least 12 boards in four of those and at least four assists in six of those. It seems reasonable to assume if he had eight tries against Detroit, he'd reach 30/12/4 at least once.

Nick Whalen

Phoenix Suns -4.0 (-115) at Atlanta Hawks -- DraftKings Sportsbook, Noon CT

The line is actually down from Suns -4.5 earlier in the day, so that pushes me even more toward Phoenix. Trae Young is a game-time decision, but even if he plays, I like the Suns' chances to win their 12th straight. During this latest winning streak, Phoenix has by far the best offensive rating in the league, with Chris Paul, Devin Booker and Mikal Bridges leading the way and each seeing big minutes on a nightly basis. It hasn't even mattered if Deandre Ayton or Jae Crowder are available, but both should be good to go tonight. The Hawks are just 7-13 ATS as an underdog this season, and they're 1-3 ATS as a home dog. Meanwhile, Phoenix is 15-8 ATS on the road and 12-6 ATS as a road favorite.

Joe Bartel

Deandre Ayton under 14.5 points (-125) at Hawks -- DraftKings, 12:15 PM CT

Clint Capela under 10.5 points (-125)  vs. Suns

Ayton scored 12 points Tuesday following a seven-game absence due to an ankle injury. It's hard to imagine the fourth-year center playing enough minutes to really push this over, especially against a feisty Hawks frontcourt that has both Clint Capela and John Collins back after both missed stretches throughout the end of December and into January. 

Conversely, Capela is averaging just eight points and 23.8 minutes over the last six games after returning from his own six-game layoff due to an ankle injury. Sure, the 27-year-old figures to play more against a lineup like the Suns which features its big men heavily, but it's difficult to imagine major offensive production coming his way. Parlaying the two isn't possible on DraftKings, but you could get similar action on FanDuel for +249, but you'll have to forfeit some flexibility given Capela's o/u 9.5 point figure on that platform.

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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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