March Madness is winding down, and the NBA is on the home stretch of its regular season.
This is the time of year when teams are either fighting for playoff positioning or fighting for lottery positioning.
It creates a unique dynamic for trying to predict how these games will play out.
I have scanned the PrizePicks lobby and have found my four favorite plays for tonight’s eight-game NBA slate.
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Kawhi Leonard more than 27.5 points
Much like the first pick, this one is looking to take advantage of an injury situation.
Paul George has missed the last two games and is set to miss a couple of weeks with his knee injury.
We’ve seen the Clippers play much quicker since acquiring Russell Westbrook and in turn, it has led to the team scoring more points (and allowing more points).
Leonard has averaged 27.3 points per 36 minutes with George off the floor this season.
He should play as many minutes as he can handle tonight, as the Clippers are battling to stay out of the play-in tournament in the Western Conference.
Kelly Olynyk less than 31.5 fantasy score
Olynyk has played great over the last five games and the Jazz continue to find themselves in shootouts against their opponents.
While this is a solid game environment as a whole, 31.5 feels a bit too high for his projected fantasy score.
He has only averaged 27.5 fantasy points per game on the season and he’s been held under this mark in nine of his last 14 games.
I’m trusting the long-term numbers with Olynyk and taking the less than side tonight against the Suns.
Betting on the NBA?
Chris Paul more than 27.5 points + rebounds + assists
Even though he’s past his prime, CP3 is still capable of racking up fantasy production.
This pick is as much about Paul as it is about his matchup against the Jazz. Over the last five games, Utah is ranked third in pace and 24th in defensive rating.
They have struggled to contain opposing point guards all season and it has gotten even worse since they traded Mike Conley to the Wolves.
This should be a competitive and high-scoring game and the Suns are still playing without Kevin Durant.
You can follow Derek Farnsworth on Twitter @RG_Notorious