This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
We're teed up for a typically compact four-game slate Tuesday night, but there are a couple of particularly intriguing matchups on tap. There's also a relatively light injury report with respect to potential short-term absences, which is always particularly welcome when the player pool is already relatively narrow.
Slate Overview
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Listed spreads/totals are from FanDuel Sportsbook and current as of Tuesday, 3/11 @ 1:15 a.m. ET:
Brooklyn Nets at Cleveland Cavaliers (-18.5) (O/U: 226.5)
Washington Wizards at Detroit Pistons (-15.5) (O/U: 234.0)
Milwaukee Bucks (-3) at Indiana Pacers (O/U: 232.5)
Los Angeles Clippers (-7) at New Orleans Pelicans (O/U: 223.5)
The betting outlook is a definite mixed bag Tuesday, considering the pair of massive favorites in the Cavs and Pistons. While those games could well turn out lopsided as expected, the Bucks and Clippers are expected to face a lot more resistance. In terms of the best overall game environment, the Bucks-Pacers game could certainly qualify as such given the tight spread and elevated total, especially if Tyrese Haliburton (hip) is cleared to play.
Injury Situations to Monitor
For all the latest updates, visit RotoWire's NBA Injury News page and our comprehensive NBA Injury Report.
Tyrese Haliburton, IND (hip): QUESTIONABLE
If Haliburton can't play, Aaron Nesmith could draw a third straight start in his stead while Pascal Siakam and Myles Turner should once again see a significant usage bump.
Other notable injuries:
Norman Powell, LAC (hamstring): OUT
Cam Thomas, BKN (hamstring): OUT
Khris Middleton, WAS (ankle): OUT
Bobby Portis, MIL (suspension): OUT
Bilal Coulibaly, WAS (hamstring): QUESTIONABLE
Giannis Antetokounmpo, MIL (calf): PROBABLE
Damian Lillard, MIL (groin): PROBABLE
Elite Players
We have two players with five-figure salaries on Tuesday's slate – Giannis Antetokounmpo ($11,500) and Cade Cunningham ($10,500).
Antetokounmpo had put up at least 53 and as many as 62.3 FD points in six consecutive contests before dipping to 47.3 on Sunday against the Cavaliers, although that came on a modest 33 minutes.
Cunningham posted tallies of 46.3 to 58.4 FD points in three straight games before a dip to 32.3 against the Trail Blazers on Sunday, but the lower score was largely the result of eight turnovers considering Cunningham tallied 28 points on 9-for-17 shooting.
Expected Chalk
Other likely chalk plays include:
James Harden, LAC ($9,600)
Harden has scored over 51 FD points in three of the past four games, which should ensure his popularity at his salary on a small slate.
Zion Williamson, NOP ($9,200)
Williamson will have a bit of extra rest under his belt since he sat out Sunday's game for reconditioning purposes, and he should be ensured a full allotment of minutes in what projects to be a close game against the Clippers.
Damian Lillard, MIL ($8,900)
Lillard is averaging 42.7 FD points over his last five games and has shot 51.7 percent in that span, and his salary should make him especially appealing for what should be a high-scoring, fast-paced matchup against the Pacers.
Ivica Zubac, LAC ($7,900)
Zubac has scored 39.3 to 57.5 FD points in five of the last six games, and given he plays a position that's at a premium in short slates, he should be even more popular than usual.
Jalen Duren, DET ($7,700)
Duren has scored 40.4 to 55.2 FD points in three of the last five games and 33.6 in a fourth contest during that sample, making him especially relevant at his salary on a small slate.
Key Values
Andrew Nembhard, IND vs. MIL ($6,000)
Nembhard has been stuffing the stat sheet with some welcome consistency of late, and Tyrese Haliburton's recent absences certainly haven't hurt the former's cause either. The third-year pro, along with the rest of Indiana's starting five, played limited minutes in a double-digit loss to the Bulls on Monday, but he still found his way to a respectable 24.1 FD points. However, he'd averaged 34 FD points in the five games prior while putting up 10.2 points, 8.6 assists, 3.6 rebounds and 2.0 steals per contest. Nembhard also shot an efficient 47.6 percent, including 38.9 percent from distance in that span, and he's averaging 32.9 FD points per 36 minutes with Haliburton off the court this season.
Dennis Schroder, DET vs. WAS ($4,800)
Schroder comes into Tuesday having found his stride off the Pistons bench, averaging 24.8 FD points across 22.1 minutes in his last eight games. The veteran even has a pair of tallies of more than 33 FD points in that sample, a reminder of the upside he can offer even in a second-unit role. Schroder also put up 28.2 FD points in his one previous meeting with the Wizards back on Jan. 18 when he was still a member of the Warriors, and Washington comes in ranked No. 30 in offensive efficiency rating allowed to second-unit players (49.2) and No. 29 allowed to point guards (30.9). The Wizards have also conceded the third-most FD points to ones (52.8), enhancing Schroder's case even further.
Karlo Matkovic, NOP vs. LAC ($4,600)
Matkovic has been making good use of a bump in playing time since the start of February, averaging 22 FD points across 23.3 minutes per contest in his last 16 games. Matkovic has shot a crisp 54.6 percent in that span as well while exceeding 25 FD points in exactly half of those contests, making him quite the potential bargain at his salary. Kelly Olynyk will sit out Tuesday's game for rest as well, which will give Matkovic, who's also backed up Yves Missi at center, another path to minutes. Matkovic is capable of checking off every box on the stat sheet as well, which always ups his chances of returning solid value even in a relatively tough matchup against the Clippers.
ALSO CONSIDER: Malik Beasley, DET vs. WAS ($5,300)
