Handicapping the NBA: Thursday Picks

Handicapping the NBA: Thursday Picks

This article is part of our NBA Picks series.

Alex Barutha

Cole Anthony over 1.5 threes (-195) vs. Pistons -- DraftKings, 2:29 PM CT

Anthony takes nearly half his shots from distance, so it's a relatively safe bet to assume he makes at least two against a poor Pistons defense. Since the All-Star break, he's averaging 2.0 makes per game, and with Jalen Suggs sidelined, there will be even more offense for Anthony.

Nick Whalen

Orlando Magic-Detroit Pistons UNDER 219.0 points – DK Sportsbook, 11:30 AM CT

For a number of reasons, this matchup just screams "under". Key pieces on each side have already been ruled out, while Wendell Carter and Cade Cunningham are very much questionable. Meanwhile, both teams rank 24th or worst in offense over the last 15 games, and they each rank 20th or better in defense. Orlando plays at one of the fastest paces in the league, but Detroit is on the other end of the spectrum, so the pace should settle somewhere in the middle.

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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.
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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