This article is part of our Handicapping the NBA series.
Alex Barutha
Spencer Dinwiddie over 26.5 points + assists (-111) vs. Pelicans – FanDuel, 2:42 PM CT
Kyle Kuzma over 24.5 points + rebounds (-113) vs. Pelicans – FanDuel, 2:54 PM CT
Both Bradley Beal and Davis Bertans are out for Washington, which will open up more usage for Spencer Dinwiddie and Kyle Kuzma. With Beal and Bertans off the court, Dinwiddie averages 18.1 shot attempts and 8.9 assists per 36 minutes; Kuzma averages 15.2 shots and 11.9 rebounds per 36 minutes. Part of the appeal here, too, is that the Pelicans are awful.
Sacramento Kings to win (-176) at Pistons – FanDuel, 2:52 PM CT
I don't understand this one. The Pistons are a bottom-five team (at best) on talent alone and have just three wins. The Kings have just five wins but have way, way more talent on the roster. It's shocking to see this number shorter than -200.
Nick Whalen
Chicago Bulls -1.0 (-110) at LA Lakers – DraftKings Sportsbook, 2:00 PM CT
I know the Lakers are at home, and I know they're coming off of another LeBron-less win, but with James sidelined, I think the Bulls are the better team. The loss of Nikola Vucevic (COVID protocols) hurts – mostly because of the lack of depth behind Vucevic – but Chicago still has plenty of firepower, and it will also get Coby White back from a long-term injury absence. The Lakers got a key piece of their own back Sunday in Talen Horton-Tucker, but even as their depth improves, the Lakers are an extremely difficult team to trust against strong opponents without James. This is a good matchup for Anthony Davis, but I see Russell Westbrook struggling against the defensive-minded Alex Caruso-Lonzo Ball backcourt pairing for Chicago.
