This article is part of our NBA Picks series.
Alex Barutha
Cole Anthony 25+ points and Orlando to defeat the Rockets (+600) -- FanDuel, 1:30 PM CT
This is a shocking number to me. Houston is abysmal and may be down Kevin Porter Jr in addition to Jalen Green. Anthony is a top Most Improved Player candidate who has been lighting up the scoreboard all year. He's averaging 19.9 points, and he's scored at least 24 points in seven of his 17 appearances. If we play this game five times, Anthony is certainly getting 25 in a win during one of them. Also, dare I suggest an Anthony triple-double + Magic win for +4000?
Domantas Sabonis over 33.5 points + rebounds + assists (-113) vs. Heat -- FanDuel, 1:03 PM CT
Initially, I was looking for something on the Heat side with both Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo sidelined, but I think the sportsbooks have adjusted Miami player props appropriately. So, I'll turn to the other side of the matchup, where I think Sabonis has a huge advantage in the paint tonight. Over the past seven games, the big man is averaging 36.1 combined P+R+A, so I like the odds on his over in this situation. You can also get Sabonis to double-double + a Pacers win for +108, which seems solid.
Jayson Tatum over 24.5 points (-110) at Jazz -- FanDuel, 1:25 PM CT
It's not too advisable to be targeting player props against the Jazz -- one of the best regular-season defenses in modern history. However, Jaylen Brown is out, which adds to Tatum's usage, and Tatum isn't reliant on buckets at the rim to score, which minimizes the defensive impact of Rudy Gobert. Tatum can survive and thrive off of an increased diet of jumpshots, and that's something the Jazz typically allow instead of shots at the rim.
Cavaliers moneyline (+135) at Wizards -- DraftKings, 1:42 PM CT
First off, in terms of Simple Rating (strength of schedule mixed with net rating), the Cavaliers are the better team by nearly three points. With Washington at home, this line should probably be closer to even money. Also, I think the Cavs match up really well against the Wizards. Isaac Okoro should be shadowing Bradley Beal, and the Cavs can switch as well and use Mobley on the perimeter to shake things up against Beal and Dinwiddie. Plus, Mobley and Allen should be able to contain Montrezl Harrell in the paint.
Joe Bartel
2-leg parlay: Dewayne Dedmon under 0.5 made threes + BRO win against MIN (-122) -- DraftKings Sportsbook 1:21 PM CT
Despite nine games on the Friday slate, there's really not a ton of eye-popping value across the board. When something like that happens, I tend to just find a couple of parlay pieces and smash them together. Dedmon obviously will be filling in for Bam Adebayo for the foreseeable future, but he has just five made three-pointers over the last two years combined. The extra playing time isn't going to suddenly raise his percentage from beyond the arc. And even if the full assortment of T-Wolves are available, I'll still side with the team that employs Kevin Durant every time, almost no questions asked.
