Saturday’s NBA slate ends the calendar year with a slew of fun games as half of the tilts post game totals in the 230s. Nearly half the teams played Friday night, so there should be some news this afternoon with updated injury reports which will provide valuable options with players playing increased roles.
Action for the eight-game main slate begins at 7 p.m. ET on DraftKings and FanDuel. Let’s look at the player pool to discuss the top NBA SFN building blocks today for the DraftKings and FanDuel lineups.
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NBA DFS Pick: Saturday, Dec. 12, 31
Base Game of the Day – Luka Doncic: Dallas Mavericks-San Antonio Spurs
in his last five games, Luka Doncic He was superb averaging 40.0 minutes and 22.8 field goal attempts with a ridiculous conversion rate of 57.9%. That includes seven 3-point attempts per game with a 42.9% success rate. In total, the NBA MVP favorite has averaged 40.4 points, 11.8 rebounds, 10.4 assists and 2.8 blocks and steals combined during that span. It’s clear that this warm-up will come to an end, but keep in mind that across the whole season, Doncic is still averaging over 60 fantasy points per game and 1.6 fantasy points per minute.
This month, the Spurs allowed 119.4 points per 100 possessions, which is the worst defensive efficiency rating in the league. Even though this game is in San Antonio, the Mavericks are still 4.5 point favorites and while that indicates they are 2-1 favorites to win this game, there’s a good chance the Spurs will stay within range. of hand, allowing the fantastic fans of Doncic to revel in 35 minutes or more of court time.
Philadelphia 76ers-Oklahoma City Thunder
It’s a straight game for the 76ers who lost 127-116 last night at New Orleans. James Harden (35), Joel Embid (34) and Tobias Harris (33) They’ve played their standard minutes, so they should all be ready to play tonight. Tyrese Maxey (broken foot) returned after an 18-game absence and is likely to stay overnight as Philadelphia looks to get him back into the mix.
Oklahoma City just isn’t equipped to handle Embiid, especially with Alexei Pokusevsky (leg) and Jeremiah Robinson Earl (ankle) sidelined with leg injuries. Also, right now the best point for dollar options that have center-only eligibility include Nicholas Claxton in a big game against Charlotte and Naz Reid who faces Detroit and has been solidly replaced Rudy Gobert in the starting lineup on Friday. That means there’s less opportunity cost to roll with Embiid, who also has the second-best fantasy point projection, behind Doncic tonight.
Harden continues to impress and while he didn’t look good last night despite scoring 10 assists and scoring 20 points, we should see him with less than seven turnovers and more than one rebound in this game. He is eligible for both the Guard position on DraftKings and FanDuel, which provides additional flexibility when building rosters.
Harris is a neutral option on the various DFS venues tonight, meaning there’s no need to target or avoid him. De’Anthony Melton and George Niang have no merit on the main slate, although they provide adequate base projections for the two-game late slate.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander He continues to impress and he has eight consecutive games with at least 42 fantastic points. During that streak, he averaged 37 minutes and 21.9 field goal attempts with a stellar conversion rate of 51.4%. That peaked with 33.3 points, 5.5 rebounds, 5.4 assists, and 2.8 blocks and steals combined. Josh Giddey has been an excellent sidekick and has taken on more and more goalscoring responsibilities as the season progressed.
Luguentz Dort, Tre Mann, in the same way Jalen Williams and Jaylin Williams complete the rest of the viable options for Saturday’s action. Keep an eye on the announced starting lineup and also know that head coach Mark Daigneault lives for subterfuge when it comes to his rotation expectations.
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NBA DFS Picks Building Blocks Picks Today – Sports Betting Opportunities
James Harden is an intriguing option with a 5.5 over/under the line on his rebound prop in their game against the Thunder in Oklahoma City. For the season, Harden is averaging 6.2 rebounds per game and with OKC’s frontcourt lacking in depth, it wouldn’t be surprising to see The Beard more active on the glass. Harden has exceeded that threshold in 12 of his 20 games this year.
the NBA Bet Pro Projections have him grab 6.9 rebounds for a 62% chance of passing that milestone; at -145 on BetMGM, this equates to an expected return on investment of 4%. Bets like this are best used as a leg in a straight bet or in the same game for additional upside potential.
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Miami Heat – Utah Jazz
Both teams are back-to-back, with the Jazz losing at Sacramento 126-125 last night while the Heat lost at Denver 124-119. That means it’s the dreaded “back-to-back altitude” for Miami, which is likely to be without Jimmy Butler (injury management) after scoring a team record 38 minutes on Friday. Dewayne Dedmon (foot) has missed the last four games and Caleb Martin (ankle/quad) was out last night, both are questionable to fit on Saturday.
If Butler is out as expected – he hasn’t played consecutive days since October – then Bam Adebayo (30), Kyle Lowry (32) and Tyler Hero (33) are in line for additional opportunities and none of that trio were overworked last night. Victor Oladipo He didn’t play last night, but he also hasn’t played on consecutive days, so he’s a marginal punt option on the main slate and a solid late lottery ticket.
Utah is generally healthy, so unless we have news that someone is missing, we know what we’re getting from this overperforming team. Lauri Markkanen, Jordan Clarkson, Kelly Olynyk and Mike Conley are all neutral options on the main roster, who would gain appeal if one of their compatriots ended up missing out.
Final Thoughts on NBA DFS Picks Building Blocks Today
Tonight should be fun with 16 teams in action and four games to start the slate. Be sure to tune in to the Stokastic NBA Deeper Dive and Live Before Lock Shows at 5:50 p.m. ET on YouTube, courtesy of betMGM. Did you know you can get two free months of Stokastic Plus Platinum for signing up and making your first bet at BetMGM? Claim here today!
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