The NBA is back! We waited a week, watched a lackluster All-Star Game and finally the beautiful game returns. There are 12 games on tap for Thursday night in the league’s return to action, with playoff chases and season turnarounds on the horizon.
Here’s the lowdown on guide to DraftKings Pick6.
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DraftKings Pick6 Predictions for Today’s NBA Slate
DraftKings Pick6 Predictions: Top 3 Plays for Thursday, February 22
Darius Garland M/L 6.5 Assists
The Cavaliers saw Darius Garland return from injury on Jan. 31, and he played in nine games before the break. In that time, Garland cleared 6.5 assists in five of those games. While he hit seven-plus assists in four straight games, that’s not the best representation of the play for tonight. Before the injury Garland was averaging fewer than six assists a night, with some volatility coming on nights he went for more than the total.
We like him to stay under, as he should garner a lot of favoritism from people looking to slam this more, especially after seeing his last four games. The Cavs are fully rested hosting a lesser team in the Magic, and by laying -8.5 at the time — this could get out of hand for Orlando.
DraftKings Pick6 Prediction: Darius Garland LESS Than 6.5 Assists
Coby White M/L 21.5 Points
The last time Coby White took the floor he dropped 32 points on the Cavaliers. That was not an easy task against Cleveland by any means, but much like Garland above, that’s not a complete representation of White’s scoring output.
Time on the floor hasn’t mattered much, or more importantly led to a higher scoring output from White. He spent 30-plus minutes on the court in three games prior to Cleveland, including 45 minutes in an overtime loss at Orlando. None of those games saw White clear this 21.5 point total.
The Bulls are hosting a fresh Celtics team that makes life incredibly difficult for most guards — especially those running the point. Expect a frustrating night that may see plenty of shots from White but not hitting anything higher than 20 points.
DraftKings Pick6 Prediction: Coby White LESS Than 21.5 Points
Tyrese Haliburton M/L 11.5 Assists
The star guard for the Pacers spent 27 minutes on the floor on Sunday, dropping 32 points in the All-Star Game. While he won’t show any fatigue from that game, it’s one fewer day of rest for Tyrese Haliburton, who still only played nine games following a 12-day absence due to injury.
He’s not going to be on any planned minutes restriction but certainly isn’t going to play 40 minutes in a home blowout of the Pistons. Indiana is going to run up and down the floor, baiting the lowly Pistons into tagging along. People will see the 16 dimes he dropped on Detroit’s head last time they played, not looking at some more overall variance with the Haliburton assists market.
Yes, he hit 12-plus in the final three games before the break but was below that number — well below in some cases — for the six games prior. There’s no reason for these heavier favorites to get their legs back all in one night, as the Pacers have two nights off before their next game versus Dallas. We like Haliburton to hover in that 9- to 10-assist range with Detroit being just bad enough to allow the blowout.
DraftKings Pick6 Prediction: Tyrese Haliburton LESS Than 11.5 Assists
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