The Sportzshala Fantasy Basketball Betting Tips and Basketball Betting Cheat Sheet is where you can get pre-game basketball betting predictions and our best intelligence and data, including Sportzshala’s own Basketball Power Index (BPI), which will help you make smart betting and fantasy decisions. Feb. 11 NBA odds are provided by Caesars Sportsbook and fantasy tips are based on Sportzshala’s 10-team leagues.
What you need to know about Saturday games
We watch an endless amount of basketball games, honing our views and refining our view of the league, and yet the final score can still be productive. In other words, players like Zach Collins of the San Antonio Spurs can defy reputation and expectations, even become statistics stars. It may have taken Collins years to get really healthy and find his place in the league as he just scored a season-high 29 points in a double overtime loss to the Detroit Pistons last night.
Predicting Collins’ appearance was no easy task, but the lesson may be to simply respect opportunity; as the team just brought starting center Jakob Poeltl back to the Toronto Raptors, creating a starting role in this former lottery draw. Is this surge sustainable for Collins? It’s hard to take a big line against the Pistons for granted, but he’ll get another shot today against the more formidable interior of the Atlanta Hawks. In the context of DFS, I’m predicting Collins to score about 33 DraftKings points at just $4,100, indicating there’s plenty of opportunity to profit from the production.
The days past the deal deadline require fictitious managers to be patient and proactive; anticipating some statistical spikes as the rotation reforms, and also acting as soon as they do so.
It’s not just Collins showing emergence: Charlotte Hornets rookie Mark Williams recorded his second career double-double last night and is now averaging 14 points and 12.5 boards in his only two pro games of over 21 minutes. He’s painting the Denver Nuggets at home tonight.
On Friday, we recently approved the addition of Collin Sexton from the Utah Jazz and he has since scored 44 points in his last two games, which is an encouraging sign after Mike Conley heads to Minnesota. With the exception of the first few weeks of the season, these post-deadline days are some of the most fertile for fantasy additions.
— Jim McCormick
game of the night
Los Angeles Lakers v Golden State Warriors
8:30 pm ET, Chase Center, San Francisco, CA
Records (against spread)
Lakers: 25-31 (24-30-2)
Warriors: 28-27 (25-29-1)
Line: Warriors (-2)
Performance Index Forecast: Warriors: 119.6-116.7
Money line: Lakers (105), Warriors (-125)
Predicted BPI Winner: Warriors (58.2%)
General: 238.5 Predicted BPI: 235.7
Trend: Saturday likely offers a glimpse of the Lakers in a new guise in a game that favors the Warriors hosts a bit. While it’s been hard to trust the Lakers’ determination on the road this season, it’s helpful to consider that the team is third in their last five games and the Warriors are seventh in this example. The total is 283.5 points, while additional possession of the ball can affect the result. – McCormick
Fantasy streamer: Donte DiVincenzo (listed in 12.3% of Sportzshala leagues) was a solid streamer before Stephen Curry’s shin injury. Without Curry, his ceiling was even higher. In five of his last ten games, Di Vincenzo has scored 30 or more fantasy points. -Eric Moody
Best bet: Jordan Pool over 33.5 points + assists + rebounds. Curry’s absence means Poole will continue to play a major role with the Warriors. In his last 34 games without Curry, Pool averaged 26.9 points, 5.3 assists and 3.7 rebounds. The Lakers are 22nd in points per 100 possessions. -Capricious
Best bet: LeBron James over 43.5 points + assists + rebounds. When it comes to positioning the Lakers in the playoffs, every game is critical. At 38, James is still capable of taking on any game. Over the last 15 games, he averaged 32.7 points, 7.7 assists and 9.2 rebounds. These per-game averages must be met or surpassed by James against the Warriors. -Capricious
Destruction of the rest of the shale
Philadelphia 76ers to Brooklyn Nets
6:00 pm ET, Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York.
Records (against spread)
76ers: 35-19 (29-24-1)
Networks: 33-22 (30-25-0)
Line: 76ers (-1)
Performance Index Forecast: Networks: 115.3-115.1
Money line: 76ers (-115), Nets (-105)
Predicted BPI Winner: Networks (50.9%)
General: 224.5 Predicted BPI: 230.4
Denver Nuggets vs. Charlotte Hornets
7:00 pm ET, Spectrum Center, Charlotte, NC
Records (against spread)
Nuggets: 38-18 (29-26-1)
Hornets: 15-42 (23-32-2)
Line: Nuggets (-8)
Performance Index Forecast: Nuggets: 126.6–118.2
Money line: Nuggets (-345), Hornets (270)
Predicted BPI Winner: Nuggets (77.5%)
General: 237 Predicted BPI: 244.8
Fantasy streamer: Mark Williams (played in 8.8% of Sportzshala leagues) moved to the Hornets’ starting lineup on Friday after trading Mason Plumley to the Clippers. Williams scored 31 fantasy points in 31 minutes against the Celtics. He also scored 20 or more fantasy points in the previous two games. -Capricious
Best bet: Nikola Jokic over 51.5 points + assists + rebounds. The Nuggets are set to return to play Saturday night against the Hornets after a disappointing loss to the Magic on Thursday night. This season, the Hornets are fifth in scoring and second in rebounding centers. Jokic averaged 24.4 points, 11.9 assists and 12.6 rebounds over the last 10 games. -Capricious
Best bet: Lamelo Ball over 40.5 points + assists + rebounds, triple-double. This season, the Nuggets have lost fifth in points and third in rebounding to point guards. In his last seven games, Ball averaged 23.0 points, 7.4 assists and 8.0 rebounds. Against the Nuggets, the young point guard has the potential for triple-doubles, which is intriguing since the odds are +762. -Capricious
Miami Heat at Orlando Magic
7:00 pm ET, Amway Center, Orlando, Florida
Records (against spread)
Heat: 31-25 (20-33-3)
Magic: 23-33 (32-22-2)
Line: Warm (pick ’em up)
Performance Index Forecast: Magic: 126.6-107.6
Money line: Heat (-110), Magic (-110)
Predicted BPI Winner: Magic (65.4%)
General: 215.5 Predicted BPI: 219.4
Trend: The Florida NBA game this evening showed the Heat positioned as a slight favorite. Miami was only 2-4-1 ATS when playing without rest days, which is likely due to the fact that the team relies on rest in such scenarios. Orlando ranks eighth in rebounding percentage and ninth in defense rating over the last 10 games, while Miami is sixth in defense over that period, indicating that there is less in the game. -McCormick
Best bet: Bam Adebayo over 31.5 points + rebounds. With the departures of Kyle Lowry and Victor Oladipo, Adebayo should see some serious use against the Magic. He’s averaging 21.8 points and 9.9 rebounds this season and has a great game against Orlando. -Capricious
Indiana Pacers at the Washington Wizards
7:00 pm ET, Capital One Arena, Washington DC
Records (against spread)
Pacers: 25-32 (30-27-0)
Wizards: 25-29 (25-28-1)
Line: Wizards (-5.5)
Performance Index Forecast: Wizards: 121.3-118.5
Money line: Pacers (185), Wizards (-225)
Predicted BPI Winner: Wizards (60.2%)
General: 234 Predicted BPI: 239.8
Fantasy streamer: Deni Avdija (listed in 14.3% of Sportzshala leagues) is on the streaming radar again as Kyle Kuzma will miss his third game in a row with a sprained left ankle. In two of the last three games, Avdiyya has scored 37 or more fantasy points. The Pacers are 23rd in points per 100 possessions. -Capricious
Best bet: Kristaps Porzingis over 34.5 points + rebounds. Especially with Kuzma already out, Porzingis can be more relied upon against the Pacers. In three of the last four games, Porzingis has topped 34.5 PR. -Capricious
Best bet: Miles Turner over 2.5 blocks. It’s another positive bet that I’m drawn to like a moth to a fire. Turner has averaged 2.4 blocks per game this season. In two of his last four games, he overcame 2.5 blocks. In his last five games against the Wizards, Turner averaged 3.2 blocks. -Capricious
San Antonio Spurs – Atlanta Hawks.
7:30 pm ET, State Farm Arena, Atlanta, Georgia
Records (against spread)
Spurs: 14-42 (23-33-0)
Hawks: 28-28 (25-29-2)
Line: Hawks (-14)
Performance Index Forecast: Hawks: 131.3-114
Money line: Spurs (700), Hawks (-1100)
Predicted BPI Winner: Hawks (93.9%)
General: 239.5 Predicted BPI: 245.3
Fantasy streamer: Zach Collins (played in 6.6% of Sportzshala leagues) did very well against the Pistons on Thursday night after the Spurs trade for Jakob Poeltl. He finished with 50 fantasy points in 35 minutes. Against a Hawks team that is 19th in points per 100 possessions, Collins is a great streamer. -Capricious
Best bet: Trae Young over 37.5 points + assists. This season, Young averaged 27.0 points and 10.0 assists per game. Against the Spurs on Saturday night, he has a great chance to beat those averages per game. San Antonio ranks 30th in points per 100 possessions and allows opponents to field goals at a 58.2% percentage, the highest in the league. -Capricious
Fantasy streamer: Devonte Graham (reported in 6.3% of Sportzshala leagues) came off the bench on his Spurs debut on Friday and finished with a fantastic 42 points in 37 minutes. Graham is the streaming option for fantasy managers, and Tre Jones is still out with a foot injury. -Capricious
Utah Jazz to New York Knicks
7:30 pm ET, Madison Square Garden, Manhattan, New York
Records (against spread)
Jazz: 28-29 (31-26-0)
Knicks: 30-27 (29-27-1)
Line: Nix (-5.5)
Performance Index Forecast: Knicks: 131.3–118.5
Money line: Jazz (185), Knicks (-225)
Predicted BPI Winner: Nix (68.9%)
General: 229 Predicted BPI: 242.4
Fantasy streamer: Walker Kessler (listed in 37.4% of Sportzshala leagues) continues to be a great source of rebounds and blocks for managers. He scored at least 38 fantasy points in three consecutive games. In the midst of a great rookie season, Kessler is a player that managers should keep in their dreams for a long time to come. –Capricious
Best bet: Julius Randle over 40.5…
Source: www.espn.com
