Handicapping the NBA: Tuesday Picks

Handicapping the NBA: Tuesday Picks

This article is part of our NBA Picks series.

Alex Barutha: Grayson Allen over 14.5 points (+100) at Pistons -- FanDuel, 3:30 PM CT

Three fifths of Milwaukee's starting lineup -- Brook Lopez, Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton -- are out for this game. And while Allen is dealing with some knee soreness, he's probable for this game and should see increased usage. With the aforementioned trio off the court this season, Allen is averaging 16.5 shot attempts per 36 minutes. I think the Bucks will lean on him heavily, and he should have no problems scoring against the lowly Pistons.

Dorian Finney-Smith over 9.5 points (-116) vs. Heat -- FanDuel, 3:30 PM CT

With Kristaps Porzingis and Maxi Kleber out, I expect coach Jason Kidd to lean on Finney-Smith heavily. He's played the most minutes (97) with those two off the court, and he averages 13.4 shots per 36 minutes in those instances. He's still a low usage player going up against a tough defense, so this prop is a little dangerous, but the Mavericks really don't have that many options for Luka Doncic to pass to.

Nick Whalen: Dorian Finney-Smith OVER 5.5 rebounds (-105) vs. Miami Heat -- DraftKings Sportsbook, 1:30PM CT

I know, I know. This will be a popular bet tonight. Everyone loves to have action on Dorian Finney-Smith. But on a slightly more serious note, he should be in a good spot to hit this number with Maxi Kleber and Kristaps Porzingis both sidelined. Injuries aside, Finney-Smith already plays a ton of minutes on most nights, and he's grabbed at least six boards in five of six games thus far. The Heat are an elite rebounding team, so that does scare me a bit, but 5.5 is ultimately a friendly enough number that I'm still comfortable rolling with the Over.

Jeff Edgerton: Bucks to cover (-4) at Pistons -- Caesars, 11:49 AM CT

The Bucks have won 14 straight against the Pistons, and even though Milwaukee has injury question marks all over their roster, the spread is too favorable to pass up.

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ABOUT THE AUTHORS
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.
Jeff Edgerton
Jeff has provided sports content for numerous sports outlets and has played fantasy sports since scores had to be tabulated via newspaper. He started working with RotoWire in 2017. Originally from South Carolina, he's a lifelong Clemson fan now enjoying the sun in Los Angeles.
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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