This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
The NBA commemorates its return to action following the All-Star break with a robust 12-game schedule Thursday, and FanDuel's main slate schedule consists of 10 of those games. The resumption of play following the week-long pause is always interesting from the standpoint of players typically being as rested as they've been since the start of the season, which can lead to some elevated individual numbers.
Slate Overview
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Listed spreads/totals are from FanDuel Sportsbook and current as of Thursday, 2/22 @12:15 a.m. ET:
Brooklyn Nets at Toronto Raptors (-2) (O/U: 231.5)
Detroit Pistons at Indiana Pacers (-11.5) (O/U: 247.5)
New York Knicks at Philadelphia 76ers (-1) (O/U: 226.5)
Orlando Magic at Cleveland Cavaliers (-7) (O/U: 215.0) Phoenix Suns at Dallas Mavericks (-2.5) (O/U: 244.0) Boston Celtics (-7.5) at Chicago Bulls (O/U: 225.5) Houston Rockets at New Orleans Pelicans (-6.5) (O/U: 227.5) Los Angeles Clippers at Oklahoma City Thunder (-2) (O/U: 236.5) Washington Wizards at Denver Nuggets (-15) (O/U: 231.0) Charlotte Hornets at Utah Jazz (-10) (O/U: 230.0)
Another way the unprecedented amount of in-season rest afforded by the All-Star break comes into play in the betting realm is seen in some of the point spreads. There are larger home favorites than usual in certain cases, with oddsmakers clearly believing when all things are equal in terms of rest and injuries, the superior team will maximize its advantage over the weaker club.
That phenomenon is most clearly seen in the Pistons-Pacers and Wizards-Nuggets matchups, although the Cavs and Jazz are fairly sizable favorites over the visiting Magic and Hornets, respectively, despite there not being a major disparity in the records between the teams.
Injury Situations to Monitor
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LaMelo Ball, CHA (ankle): OUT
With Ball still out Thursday, Tre Mann will be in line for another start at point guard.
Donovan Mitchell, CLE (illness): QUESTIONABLE
If Mitchell sits out, Caris LeVert may enter the starting five while the remainder of the starting five will be set for elevated usage.
Brandon Ingram, NOP (illness): QUESTIONABLE
If Ingram sits out, Jordan Hawks and Trey Murphy could be primary beneficiaries, and the rest of the starting five will be set for big bumps in usage.
Bradley Beal, PHO (hamstring/nose): QUESTIONABLE
If Beal can't play, Devin Booker will likely shift to point guard while Eric Gordon enters the lineup at shooting guard.
Other notable injuries:
Luka Doncic, DAL (nose): PROBABLE
Jamal Murray, DEN (lower leg): PROBABLE
Cade Cunningham, DET (knee): PROBABLE
Isaiah Hartenstein, NYK (Achilles): PROBABLE
Dereck Lively, DAL (nose): PROBABLE
OG Anunoby, NYK (elbow): OUT
Julius Randle, NYK (shoulder): OUT
Aaron Nesmith, IND (lower leg): OUT
Elite Players
We have five players with five-figure salaries on Thursday's slate – Luka Doncic ($12,600), Nikola Jokic ($12,100), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ($11,400), Jayson Tatum ($10,300) and Donovan Mitchell ($10,200).
A well-rested Doncic is certainly an extremely high-upside bet to make even at his very elevated salary, and he'll check in having posted over 65 FD points in three of the last five games before the All-Star break.
Jokic posted a modest-by-his-standards 36 FD points in his last game before the All-Star break, but he produced over 50 FD points in seven straight contests before that.
SGA had an impressive All-Star Game showing and also generated 51.1 FD points or more in six of the last eight games before the pause in play.
Tatum generated tallies of 56.5 to 72.3 FD points in three of his last four games before the All-Star break and will have the benefit of some much-needed three days of rest preceding Thursday.
Mitchell scored 53 to 55.8 FD points in four of his last five games before the All-Star break and put up 57.1 FD points across 30 minutes against the Magic the last time he faced them Jan. 22.
Expected Chalk
Other likely chalk plays include:
Tyrese Haliburton, IND ($9,900)
Haliburton has gotten some solid rest for his lingering hamstring issue and scored 45.6 and 48.8 FD points in two of his last three games before the ASB before a stellar 46.4 FD-point tally in the All-Star Game.
Kevin Durant, PHO ($9,800)
Durant scored 45.2 to 63.1 FD points in the five games before the All-Star break and put up 42.5 versus the Mavericks the last time he faced them.
Kyrie Irving, DAL ($9,700)
Irving's run leading up to the All-Star break – he scored 44.4 to 63.3 FD points in five of the last six games before the pause in play – should keep him very popular Thursday.
Jalen Brunson, NYK ($9,600)
Brunson has scored at least 45.5 FD points in all but one game since Jan. 27, which should help usher him into plenty of lineups Thursday.
Devin Booker, PHO ($9,500)
Booker recorded 49.8 and 48.1 FD points in his last two full games before the All-Star break and racked up 62.9 FD points in 34 minutes against the Mavs the last time he faced them.
Key Values
Keyonte George, UTA vs. CHA ($5,800)
George went into the All-Star break with quite the head of steam, scoring a career-high 51.4 FD points against the Warriors across 41 minutes. The rookie had also scored 30.9 to 33.5 FD points in three of the previous five games as well, and he shot a blistering 46.8 percent from three-point range over the last six contests overall before the pause in play. The 16th overall pick has been named the starting point guard going forward, and he could be facing a backcourt that will still be without LaMelo Ball on Thursday. Charlotte has already surrendered the fourth-highest offensive efficiency rating to point guards (30.3), along with 40.0 percent three-point shooting to the position. The Hornets are also yielding 51.7 FD points per game to ones in the last 15 contests, surrendering the third-most assists (11.3) and fifth-most made threes (3.5) to PGs in that span along the way.
Simone Fontecchio, DET at IND ($5,500)
Fontecchio has scored 34.3 and 26.7 FD points in two of his first three games with the Pistons, and the other contest during that span saw him put up a respectable 18.8 in 26 minutes. The second-year pro is shooting a respectable 45.0 percent in that span and has shown some impressive upside for his current salary this season by producing over 25 FD points on 12 occasions. The Pacers will certainly offer Fontecchio plenty of possessions to work with, and they check in surrendering the third-highest offensive efficiency rating to small forwards (24.7), along with league-high 50.7 percent shooting to the position (42.6 percent from behind the arc).
Grant Williams, CHA at UTA ($5,400)
Williams has been a hit since arriving in Charlotte, averaging 17.0 points, 7.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 30.1 FD points per game over three contests. Williams is shooting 51.4 percent in that span as well, and he's encouragingly put up 11.7 shot attempts per game after averaging just 6.7 per contest during his time in Dallas before the trade. The Jazz have been defensively vulnerable all season, and they gave up a league-high 66.8 FD points per game to centers in the last 15 contests before the All-Star break. With Mark Williams (back) still projected to be out, Williams' minutes behind Nick Richards should be locked in once again in what is very likely going to be a high-scoring battle.
ALSO CONSIDER: Ausar Thompson, DET at IND ($6,300); John Collins, UTA vs. CHA ($6,200); Eric Gordon, PHO at DAL ($5,200)
