#Alex Barutha

This article is part of our NBA Picks series. FanDuel, 3:43 PM CT Alex Barutha: With the Pelicans still down Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson -- plus Herb Jones out and a few others questionable -- I believe New Orleans will continue to lean heavily on McCollum. The veteran has turned things around lately through both added volume and increased…

This article is part of our NBA Picks series. FanDuel, 2:55 PM CT Alex Barutha: The Wolves allow the most three-point makes in the NBA (14.2), and McCollum has been cooking lately. Over the past six games, he's making 4.3 threes per game at 48.1 percent. That'll cool off, but this number is too enticing, given the situation. To place a bet on…

This article is part of our NBA Picks series. FanDuel, 2:37 PM CT Alex Barutha: The schedule-makers dealt a few teams a bad hand today. The Clippers, Pacers and Spurs are all on the second night of a back-to-back set and facing opponents with three days of rest. Of course, that doesn't guarantee wins for the Raptors, Hawks and Thunder, but it's a…

This article is part of our NBA Picks series. FanDuel, 3:47 PM CT Alex Barutha: Pascal Siakam, Fred VanVleet and Gary Trent are out. With those three off the court this season, Anunoby has a 29.1 percent usage rate, +9.3% compared to those three on the floor. That high number, plus Detroit's tendency to allow huge performances, makes me think this…

This article is part of our NBA Picks series. DraftKings, 2:23 PM CT Alex Barutha: These picks are based on teammate injuries. Both Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jrue Holiday are out for the Bucks. I think Bobby Portis' props (20.5 points, 14.5 rebounds) are too inflated to bet with confidence, so I'm pivoting to Allen. He has a 31.5 USG% with Giannis…

This article is part of our NBA Picks series. FanDuel, 5:22 PM CT Alex Barutha: Zubac is coming off an absurd 29-rebound game against the Pacers. However, Myles Turner is a relatively poor rebounder for a center, and Indiana lacks strong inside presence in general. That's not the case for the Trail Blazers, who have a strong rebounder in Jusuf…

This article is part of our NBA Picks series. BetMGM, 3:06 PM CT Alex Barutha: Per our Defense vs. Position metrics, Houston is one of the worst teams in the NBA at defending point guards. This game also has a bloated 236.5 total, so there should be plenty of possessions for Haliburton to rack up stats. He's one of the safest bets in general, as he…

This article is part of our NBA Picks series. BetMGM, 3:43 PM CT Alex Barutha: The 76ers are coming off a literal and moral victory over the Nets in Ben Simmons' return to Philadelphia. But, I think the adrenaline will wear off on the second half of the back-to-back set Wednesday, and it'll become clear exactly how shorthanded the Sixers are. The…

This article is part of our NBA Picks series. BetMGM, 1:54 PM CT Alex Barutha: Both of these teams are missing key offensive hubs. The Nuggets are down Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, and the Pistons are down Cade Cunningham and Saddiq Bey. There's a chance this game could get really sloppy, and you're putting a lot of trust in fringe rotation…

This article is part of our NBA Picks series. BetMGM, 4:21 PM CT Alex Barutha: Nikola Jokic being out opens up immense usage on Denver. I expect Murray to take more shots than usual. With Jokic off the floor, Murray averages 23.6 shots per 36 minutes and has a 37.5 USG%. Don't yet have a BetMGM account? Use our BetMGM Bonus Code! DraftKings…

This article is part of our NBA Picks series. FanDuel, 10:42 AM CT Alex Barutha: Al Horford and Luke Kornet are not slowing down Embiid inside. Embiid had eight such performances last season -- one of which was against Boston. I think Embiid will spend more time in the paint this season with James Harden dropping pick-and-roll dimes, which should…

This article is part of our NBA Picks series. FanDuel, 3:16 PM CT Alex Barutha: A lot factors into this one. De'Aaron Fox is out. That opens up more usage for Huerter -- 5.2 USG% increase; +1.6 3PA per 36 minutes with Fox off the court. He's already making 4.2 threes per game on 7.8 attempts. Miami also allows the second-most made threes (14.6) in…

This article is part of our NBA Picks series. DraftKings Sportsbook: 2:30 PM CT Nick Whalen: I can't make up my mind on the early game tonight, but I really like Phoenix to have a major bounceback game at home. Virtually everything that could've gone wrong went wrong in Game 4, including Chris Paul being a complete non-factor due to foul trouble.…