This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
We have a pair of Game 6 clashes on tap Friday night, with the Cavaliers and Mavericks in position to finish off their series. Fortunately, we have a very light injury report, although the one big name on it, Kawhi Leonard, is already confirmed out.
Slate Overview
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Listed spreads/totals are from FanDuel Sportsbook and current as of Friday, May 3 @9:30 a.m. EDT:
Cleveland Cavaliers at Orlando Magic (-4) (O/U: 200.0)
Los Angeles Clippers at Dallas Mavericks (-8) (O/U: 208.5)
The Magic are notably solid home favorites despite being behind in the series, with their near win in Cleveland in Game 5 clearly playing a role in the oddsmakers' thinking. The Mavericks are projected to even have an easier time against the short-handed Mavs, which they just decimated by 30 points on the road in Game 5.
The low projected totals aren't surprising, considering Cleveland and Orlando have played a defensive-centric series for the most part and Dallas could potentially blow out Los Angeles again in this potential close-out contest.
Injury Situations to Monitor
For all the latest updates, visit RotoWire's NBA Injury News page and our comprehensive NBA Injury Report.
Kawhi Leonard, LAC (knee): OUT
In Leonard's ongoing absence, James Harden and Paul George should continue to be the biggest beneficiaries in terms of usage, while Amir Coffey could remain in the starting five.
Terance Mann, LAC (lower leg): QUESTIONABLE
If Mann sits out, Norman Powell could potentially enter the starting five at shooting guard.
Other notable injuries:
Tim Hardaway, DAL (ankle): OUT
Elite Players
We have one player with a five-figure salary on Friday's slate – Luka Doncic ($12,000).
Doncic has been about as productive as one would expect in the series, averaging 55.2 FD points per contest while averaging 30.2 points with the help of 25.4 shot attempts per game. Luka has gotten it done despite shooting just 41.7 percent overall, and it's encouraging that he played 39 minutes even in Dallas' blowout win in Game 5.
Expected Chalk
Other likely chalk plays include:
Kyrie Irving, DAL ($9,200)
Irving has scored over 40 FD points in three of the first five games of the series and should be very popular as a result Friday.
James Harden, LAC ($8,900)
Harden should continue to be highly rostered in Kawhi's absence, and after exceeding 46 FD points in three of the first four games, the Beard should remain very popular despite a dud in Game 5.
Paolo Banchero, ORL ($8,700)
Banchero has produced 58.3 and 49.6 FD points in two of the last three games, which should keep him very popular at his salary.
Paul George, LAC ($8,600)
George is another beneficiary of Kawhi's absence and posted 63.2 FD points two games ago, and the expectation he should be very heavily involved in a high-stakes Game 6 should keep him highly rostered.
Evan Mobley, CLE ($8,000)
Mobley has averaged 43.5 FD points in the last two games of the series, making him particularly appealing at his salary.
Key Values
Darius Garland, CLE at ORL ($6,700)
Garland's salary would ideally be a bit lower, but he certainly has the upside to deliver a strong return on it. The talented guard is averaging 26 FD points per game in the series and is shooting a blistering 44.4 percent from behind the arc in that span as well. He's also coming off his best game of the series Tuesday, when he generated 34.5 FD points over 39 minutes. The matchup isn't easy by any stretch, but Garland's talent does give him a solid floor and he could be a bit more aggressive than he's been with the series within reach.
Ivica Zubac, LAC at DAL ($6,200)
Zubac has been a steady performer throughout the series and arguably warrants a slightly higher salary, as he's averaged 31.7 FD points on 16.0 points, 9.0 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 1.0 steals across 30.8 minutes per contest. The big man clearly isn't having too much trouble making inroads against the Mavs' frontcourt, and he's now averaging 38.7 FD points per 36 minutes with Kawhi on the floor since the start of the regular season.
Jalen Suggs, ORL vs. CLE ($5,800)
Suggs' production has been fairly dependable in its own right during his series, with the third-year guard averaging 27.5 FD points on a well-balanced line of 14.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.4 steals per contest. Shooting efficiency has been a bit more inconsistent, but Suggs has managed to make up for it with his contributions in other categories and serviceable 77.3 percent free-throw shooting. With a sub-$6K salary and having scored over 25 FD points in four of the first five games of the series, Suggs is a solid value option.
ALSO CONSIDER: Wendell Carter, ORL vs. CLE ($5,200)
