Handicapping the NBA: Monday Picks

Handicapping the NBA: Monday Picks

This article is part of our NBA Picks series.

Alex Barutha

Suns to win (-200) vs. LAC -- BetMGM (2:14 PM CT)

It's still hard for me to believe the Clippers have made it this far without Kawhi Leonard, but I think the road ends here. With Chris Paul back, the Suns are in the driver's seat, and even though Devin Booker is dealing with a broken nose, there's always a chance he carries the team with a monster game. Deandre Ayton is playing extremely well, too. The Clippers have impressed me with how close they can keep things while being down their best player, but I believe they'll ultimately be overwhelmed by Phoenix.

Nick Whalen

Player parlay: Chris Paul to score at least 18 points + the Suns win outright (+145) -- DraftKings (1:47 PM CT)

Going back to the well with another player parlay at the DraftKings Sportsbook. Paul hasn't shot the ball well in his first two games back, but he's taking a ton of shots (41, to be exact) while getting to the free throw line at his normal rate. As he regains comfortability, those shots should start falling, so I like Paul's chances to at least match his 18-point total (on 6-of-22 FG) from Game 4. Even with Kawhi Leonard out, the Clippers have proven to be a difficult out, but the series is back in Phoenix with a Finals berth on the line. The Suns' entire season has been building toward this moment -- I don't think they let it slip.

One more note: Keep an eye on Chris Paul to win Finals MVP, which currently sits at 4/1 at the DraftKings Sportsbook. Devin Booker (+240) may be the Suns' best player at this point, but Paul is still their most important piece. If Phoenix wins it all, Paul will be a major reason why. Unless Booker blows him out of the water, statistically, I think Finals MVP would go to Paul as something of a lifetime achievement award.

Jacob Lebowitz

Ivica Zubac to record a double-double (-125) at PHO -- DraftKings (12:04 PM CT)

Ever since coach Ty Lue switched away from his small-ball lineup, Zubac has been dominant. In Games 2 through 4, Zubac started and received 30+ minutes of action in each game. Zubac also recorded a double-double and averaged 14.0 points and 13.7 rebounds over that three-game stretch. With the series potentially ending tonight, I expect Zubac to continue to receive lots of minutes and plenty of chances to bring in another double-double. 

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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.
Jacob Lebowitz
Jacob is a former RotoWire contributor. He's always doing something sports-related whether that's playing NBA 2K, watching a football game or playing a game of pickup basketball.
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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