We have a second consecutive robust slate on tap Saturday night, as there are eight games on the docket. Some big-name injuries persist, but the player pool is ample enough for us to easily differentiate in tournaments.
Slate Overview
For the latest spreads and over/unders, visit RotoWire's NBA Odds page. There, you can also find player props, futures, picks articles and sportsbook bonus codes.
Listed spreads/totals are from FanDuel Sportsbook and current as of Saturday, Dec. 27 @ 12:00 p.m. EST:
Denver Nuggets (-4) at Orlando Magic (O/U: 234.5)
Phoenix Suns (-5) at New Orleans Pelicans (O/U: 237.5)
New York Knicks (-6.5) at Atlanta Hawks (O/U: 241.5)
Indiana Pacers at Miami Heat (-8.5) (O/U: 230.5)
Milwaukee Bucks at Chicago Bulls (-2.5) (O/U: 234.5)
Cleveland Cavaliers at Houston Rockets (-4) (O/U: 234.5)
Brooklyn Nets at Minnesota Timberwolves (-12.5) (O/U: 226.5)
Utah Jazz at San Antonio Spurs (-15.5) (O/U: 242.5)
Saturday's betting lines paint quite the encouraging picture for DFS purposes, considering we have only one double-digit favorite and otherwise are looking at a plethora of games projected to be both competitive and high-scoring. That's the ideal recipe for plenty of useful individual performances, and it portends that some very high scores will be required to take down big tournaments.
Injury Situations to Monitor
For all the latest updates, visit RotoWire's NBA Injury News page and our comprehensive NBA Injury Report.
Alperen Sengun, HOU (calf): QUESTIONABLE
If Sengun is sidelined, Steven Adams and Clint Capela are likely to handle the majority of center minutes, while the rest of the starting five will see a significant increase in usage.
Bam Adebayo, MIA (back): QUESTIONABLE
If Adebayo sits out a second straight game, Kel'el Ware should draw another start at center.
De'Aaron Fox, SAN (thigh): OUT
With Fox unavailable, Dylan Harper could be in line for a spot start at point guard, while Victor Wembanyama will see his usage climb even higher than usual.
Other notable injuries:
Giannis Antetokounmpo, MIL (calf): OUT
Tyler Herro, MIA (toe): OUT
Ivica Zubac, LAC (ankle): OUT
Franz Wagner, ORL (ankle): OUT
Jerami Grant, POR (Achilles): OUT
Kristaps Porzingis, ATL (illness): OUT
Grayson Allen, PHO (knee): OUT
RJ Barrett, TOR (knee): OUT
Jakob Poeltl, TOR (back): OUT
Jalen Suggs, ORL (hip): DOUBTFUL
VJ Edgecombe, PHI (illness): QUESTIONABLE
Elite Players
We have four players with five-figure salaries that have a chance to play on Saturday's slate: Nikola Jokic ($12,800), Victor Wembanyama ($11,100), Jalen Johnson ($11,000) and Alperen Sengun ($10,100).
Jokic put together a jaw-dropping 98.7 FD points on Christmas Day against the Timberwolves, and he'd eclipsed 62 FD points in the two games prior as well. The matchup against the Magic isn't as daunting as it's been previously, setting him up for another potentially explosive night.
Wembanyama was up to 25 minutes in his most recent contest, and Saturday, he has both a premium matchup against the Jazz and a boost in usage with De'Aaron Fox sidelined.
Johnson continued to produce Friday despite Trae Young's availability, as the forward contributed 48.8 FD points against the Heat and has at least 46 FD points in all but one game dating back to Nov. 28.
Sengun's condition will have to be monitored carefully due to his questionable tag, but he certainly brings enough upside to warrant his salary if he's cleared to play.
Expected Chalk
Other likely chalk plays include:
Donovan Mitchell, CLE ($9,700)
Mitchell just 62.4 FD points on Christmas Day against the Knicks, and the visibility of that performance and his name value should ensure he's on plenty of rosters.
Josh Giddey, CHI ($9,500)
Giddey is always a popular pay-up option due to the safety he offers, and he checks in with three tallies of more than 47 FD points in his last five games alone.
Devin Booker, PHO ($9,300)
Booker has scored over 41 FD points in four of his last five games and draws a particularly appealing matchup against the Pelicans, factors that should ensure a high roster rate.
Jalen Brunson, NYK ($9,200)
Brunson has been a virtual lock for at least 40 FD points most of the season, and he draws a very appealing matchup in his own right against the Hawks and Trae Young's spotty defense.
Kevin Durant, HOU ($8,900)
KD has been over 45 FD points in five of his last six games, which gives him enticing upside relative to salary.
Key Values
Collin Gillespie, PHO at NOP ($6,500)
The Suns and Pelicans will face off for the second straight night Saturday, and after several Phoenix players had productive showings Friday, we're going back to the well with a couple of them as value options. The first is Gillespie, who posted 35.1 FD points across 34 minutes for his fourth straight ally above 35. The third-year pro is enjoying a career year despite his efficiency from in front of the arc still being a work in progress, and he should be teed up for another solid minutes workload Saturday as he continues to hold down the starting point guard role. Gillespie had already come in averaging 32.1 FD points over his 10 prior starts before Friday, so he offers a safe floor at this point while still sporting a reasonable salary.
Dylan Harper, SAN vs. UTA ($4,800)
As mentioned earlier, Harper could be primed for a spot start in De'Aaron Fox's stead Saturday, making the former a very eye-catching value option while facing a Jazz team that plays at a Western Conference-high pace and allows an NBA-high 127.5 points per game. The Jazz is also surrendering a league-high 56.6 FD points per contest to point guards in the last 15 games, and Harper has already flashed plenty of upside in his young career by recording over 24 FD points in eight of his first 20 games, with all of those performances coming in a second-unit role.
Tari Eason, HOU vs. CLE ($4,800)
Eason delivered nicely in a spot start against the Lakers on Christmas Night, posting 36.6 FD points across 26 minutes. The versatile veteran could very well remain on the first unit while handling small forward duties again Saturday, and if so, Eason carries a salary that's in no way commensurate to the opportunity he'd be seeing. Additionally, there's a possibility Alperen Sengun sits out Saturday due to his calf injury, and Eason sports a solid 21.5 percent usage rate and averages 37.4 FD points per 36 minutes with his teammate off the floor.
ALSO CONSIDER: Mark Williams, PHO at NOP ($6,100)
