Handicapping the NBA: Wednesday Picks

Handicapping the NBA: Wednesday Picks

This article is part of our NBA Picks series.

Alex Barutha: Raptors on the moneyline +235 vs. MIL (BUT WAIT ON THE INJURY REPORT) -- FanDuel, 1:45 PM CT

The Raptors started off the season ice cold but have found more of a stride lately. Since Jan. 8, the Raptors have a +4.6 net rating, which is good for seventh in the league and is actually one spot over the Bucks (+4). Toronto has notable wins over both Dallas and Miami over this stretch, and it's certainly within the realm of possibility that they upset Milwaukee, especially with coach Nick Nurse likely to try some defensive trickery against Giannis. The main thing here is to look out for the Raptors' injury report, as both OG Anunoby and Pascal Siakam are questionable. Hit the current number if they're both in, and wait for the line to adjust if they're ruled out -- at which point, a bet on the spread likely makes more sense.

Nick Whalen: Tyrese Haliburton OVER 10.5 points (-110) vs. Orlando -- DraftKings Sportsbook

This number jumped out to me as a slight discount, likely due to a few underwhelming games from the rookie of late. Over a three-game span from Jan. 15 to Jan. 20, Haliburton had just 18 total points, including a two-points-on-three-shots no-show against the Pelicans. Haliburton righted the ship with 16 points against New York in the Kings' last game, and he should be in a good spot Wednesday coming off of four full days of rest. Haliburton has reached at least 11 points in 11 of 14 games thus far.

Joe Bartel: Evan Fournier over 24.5 P+R+A vs. SAC (-110) - DraftKings Sportsbook (12:05 p.m. CT)

I'm always a fan of targeting a PRA figure that could be hit alone on points which feels reasonable for Fournier. In his four games back in the lineup after missing most of January with a back injury, the 28-year-old guard is averaging 22.5 points, 2.5 rebounds and 5.8 assists. The Kings are generally just dreadful covering anyone in the backcourt so the over on points (o/u 17.5, over -120) is a no-brainer to me, but whatever Fournier might lose in assists from the last four games I think he makes up in rebounds Wednesday. Give me the better odds with the PRA.
 

Ken Crites: I'm taking the OVER on Cole Anthony scoring 13.5 points via BetMGM (105)

Sacramento has the worst defense in the NBA, giving up 121.2 points per game.  Cole Anthony has averaged 14.3 points per contest over his last four games while shooting 56.4 percent from the field.  He's hot. Anthony put up a career-high 21 points on Monday despite Evan Fournier playing well beside him at SG. The two are learning how to play well together.

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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.
Ken
An early RotoWire contributor from the 90's, K-Train returns with the grace of Gheorghe Muresan and the wisdom of Joe Gibbs. Ken is a two-time FSWA award winner and a co-host on the RW NBA Podcast. Championships incude: 2016 RW Staff NBA Keeper, 2019 RW Staff NFL Ottoneu Keeper, 2022-23 SiriusXM NBA Experts, 2022-23 SiriusXM NBA Kamla Keeper and 2023-24 FSGA NBA Expert Champions. Ken still owns a RotoNews shirt.
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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