DraftKings Sportsbook: Thursday NBA Picks

DraftKings Sportsbook: Thursday NBA Picks

This article is part of our NBA Picks series.

Alex Barutha: Robert Williams under 7.5 rebounds (+110) at Miami -- DraftKings, 1:12 PM CT

The Heat are the best rebounding team in the NBA, allowing just 40.4 rebounds per 100 possessions to opponents this season. Williams is averaging 7.8 rebounds in 29.3 minutes since the double-OT opener against the Knicks, but one of those games was a 16-rebound effort in another overtime game against the weak frontcourt of the Hornets. Williams' minutes can be in flux, and there's a chance Al Horford steals his rebounds. The plus odds are also nice.

Russell Westbrook over 20.5 points (-115) vs. Thunder -- DraftKings, 2:23 PM CT

I'm surprised the number is this low after LeBron James has been ruled out. Westbrook takes 22.8 shots per 36 minutes with LeBron off the court this season, so it's clearly fair to expect him to get to 21 points against the lowly Thunder.

Nick Whalen: Philadelphia 76ers -5.0 (-110) at Detroit Pistons -- DraftKings Sportsbook, 12:30 PM CT

The Sixers are both banged-up and dealing with a key COVID-related absence, but let's keep in mind that they're facing easily the worst team in the league right now. Detroit was manhandled by a Bucks team missing three starters Tuesday, while Philadelphia is coming off of a pair of shorthanded wins over Portland (by 10) and Chicago (by five). Now, there's a chance the Sixers could rest Joel Embiid on the second night of a back-to-back against an inferior opponent. If that happens, then obviously I don't like this bet nearly as much. But the way Detroit is playing, the Sixers would have to feel reasonably okay about their chances to steal a win without the big man.

Joe Bartel: Isaiah Stewart under 8.5 points against PHI (-115) -- DraftKings 1:02 PM CT

Provided this game actually happens, and Joel Embiid is playing, I just don't see a way in which Stewart goes over 8.5 points, particularly given he was kept in check when these two teams faced last Saturday. No same-game parlays on DraftKings means we can't get quite as creative with this bet, but it's still one to mention regardless.

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ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Joe Bartel
Joe Bartel is RotoWire's Operations Specialist and football contributor among many other things. When not at the office, he's probably playing a variety of Gen 4 console games or rooting on his beloved Green Bay Packers.
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.
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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