NBA DFS Cheat Sheet: Picks for NBA Monday, December 30
There are seven NBA games on the NBA DFS slate on Monday, and we get either some of the best teams in the league or some of the league’s worst defenses in many games, which means it could be a high-scoring set of games.
Below in the NBA PrizePicks Cheat Sheet, we’ll break down the best player picks and projection to target in your NBA DFS Lineups tonight.
The game of the night will be the Cleveland Cavaliers heading to The Bay to take on the Golden State Warriors. The first time these two met, the Cavs blew out the Warriors in Cleveland thanks to an astounding 83-point first half. Cleveland built a 41-point lead at halftime and ran their second unit for most of the second half. The Warriors are looking to right that his time around.
Five of the league’s worst defenses also are in action, so looking to target those matchups will be key for NBA DFS. The Washington Wizards face off against the New York Knicks once again. The bottom two teams in the West, New Orleans and Utah, face off against the Los Angeles Clippers and Denver Nuggets respectively.
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NBA DFS Cheat Sheet for Monday: Picks for PrizePicks
Find game previews, NBA DFS projections, and PrizePicks NBA picks below for Monday, December 30. You can find all of today’s NBA DFS Projections on the PrizePicks app.
Knicks vs. Wizards: Where To Watch, Preview
Time: 7 p.m. ET
How to Watch: NBA TV
The Knicks and Wizards meet once again in DC after playing a Saturday night thriller. The game came down to the wire, but it was New York who prevailed in overtime after a 55-point masterclass from PG Jalen Brunson.
This will be the team’s third meeting of the season, with their first two matchups being quite contrasting. Their first matchup saw the Knicks run their second unit for a majority of the fourth quarter having blown open a 34-point lead heading into the fourth.
The Wizards are the league’s worst defense allowing 122.3 points per game and by nature, are allowing the most fantasy points to their opposition as well. The Wizards are top-5 in fantasy points allowed to all positions but small forwards, so it has the potential to be another Knicks feast tonight
PrizePicks NBA Pick: Knicks G Jalen Brunson 25.5 Points — More
Nuggets vs. Jazz: Where To Watch, Preview
Time: 9 p.m. ET
How to Watch: NBA League Pass
The Denver Nuggets take the short trek to Salt Lake City to face the Jazz. Utah is currently the second-worst team by record in the West, sitting two games ahead of the Pelicans in the win column.
This is the third meeting between the teams, and Denver’s dropped 120+ points both times. Utah is the league’s third-worst defense in points per game allowed at 119.4 and are allowing the second-most fantasy points per game overall.
Similar to the Wizards, the Jazz are near the top in fantasy points allowed to all positions, but their best defensive spot is at the power forward position. Jokic, to no surprise, was dominant in these games and likely will need to be again to keep pace with MVP contenders Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
PrizePicks NBA Pick: Nuggets G Jamal Murray 29.5 Pts+Asts — More
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NBA DFS Picks Today for PrizePicks
Below, you’ll find the best NBA DFS picks today for PrizePicks for the NBA Monday games
Knicks C Karl-Anthony Towns vs. Wizards: 13 Rebounds — More
Knicks C Karl-Anthony Towns has hit this projection once in the two meetings against Washington, but has one of the best matchups possible against the Wizards. In that first meeting, Towns sat out in the fourth quarter due to a blowout while he got more time in this second meeting due to a closer game.
He is currently averaging 13 rebounds a game against the Wizards with 20 potential rebounds. Their Saturday meeting saw him grab 14 total boards with 22 potential rebounds. KAT has nearly identical home-road rebounding splits with a slight edge when he plays away games.
Washington currently allows the most rebounds to their opposition and has the third-worst team field goal percentage. More misses mean more opportunities for rebounds. The Wizards have shot better overall against the Knicks however, so the key here will be for them to keep it within reaching distance to ensure Towns gets a full run tonight.
Hornets F Miles Bridges vs Bulls: 33.5 Pts+Rebs+Asts — More
In their lone meeting, Bridges fell 8 PRA short of hitting this projection. However, as of current writing, both Brandon Miller and LaMelo Ball are both doubtful for the game, making them unlikely to play. Miller played in that last meeting so if he does miss, the offense will run through Bridges.
Bridges does not have a large sample size of games without both Ball and Bridges in the last season and a half. However, he has hit this projection four of six times with both players missing.
The Bulls are allowing the second-most fantasy points to the power forward position this season. They are allowing the most points, second-most rebounds, and fourth-most assists, so this is as good of a matchup as it gets for Bridges.
Nuggets C Nikola Jokic vs Jazz: 41.5 Pts+Rebs — More
Nuggets C Nikola Jokic has enjoyed success against the Jazz this season, with point-rebound double-doubles in both games. He hit this projection once in these two meetings and just missed out on this number in their most recent meeting.
With Aaron Gordon projected to miss this game, Jokic will have even more opportunities for both scoring and rebounding. This season, he has hit this projection in 60 percent of the games that Gordon has missed as opposed to a 53 percent hit rate on 40.5 PR when he is on the court.
Utah is currently allowing the second-most fantasy and third-most points to opposing centers this season. Despite being in the middle of the pack in rebounds allowed to centers, Jokic has still feasted against them on the glass. He averages 13 rebounds with 22.5 potential rebounds against Utah this season.
Their last meeting in Utah saw Jokic only grab 10 rebounds with 20 total potential rebounds. Those are down from his season averages on the road at 13.2 and 21.8 respectively so expect some positive regression. With fellow MVP contenders, SGA and Giannis continuously performing above expectations, look for Jokic to start this week with a bang.
Clippers C Ivica Zubac vs. Pelicans: 12.5 Rebounds — More
This is the first meeting of the season between the Pelicans and the Clippers, and Clippers C Ivica Zubac gets the best matchup possible against New Orleans. The wrath of injuries on New Orleans has forced them to rely on rookie Yves Missi more than usual, and he is currently a game-time decision for tonight’s game.
The matchup gets even better if Missi misses the game, but Zubac should feast against him regardless in a size mismatch versus an inexperienced Missi. The Pelicans are allowing the most rebounds to opposing centers and are allowing the fourth-most rebounds overall as a team.
While elite centers like Domantas Sabonis, Towns, and Jokic each cleared 10+ rebounds against New Orleans, the likes of Jericho Sims and Charles Bassey have also got 13 and 12 rebounds respectively — so even backup centers have cleaned up on the glass against them.
Zubac is currently averaging 12.5 rebounds and 20.3 potential rebounds and those numbers jump up on the road to 13.7 and 22.2 respectively. The Pelicans hold the second-worst team shooting percentage in the league this season so even hitting their season mark will mean ample opportunity for Zubac to clean the glass.
Lock In Your NBA Monday Lineups on PrizePicks
There should be some high-scoring matchups in NBA games tonight with a good majority of the league’s bottom defenses taking to the court. If we get some high-scoring affairs, it will be a great day for NBA DFS.
PrizePicks is the easiest way to cash in on your NBA knowledge; just pick more or less on at least two player stat projections and get paid if you’re correct. The more you pick, the more you stand to win.
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