Fantasy basketball picks and betting tips for Thursday’s NBA slate

Thursday’s slate features just three games, and the two teams tied for the worst record in the league at 1-6 — the Milwaukee Bucks and Utah Jazz — face one another in Milwaukee.

Victor Wembanyama and Scoot Henderson, the No. 1 and 3 overall picks in the 2023 NBA draft, face off for the first time this season as the San Antonio Spurs take on the Portland Trail Blazers.

Finally, we have the Minnesota Timberwolves taking on a Chicago Bulls team that has lost three straight. Let’s dive into Thursday’s matchups to pinpoint some streamers and bets to consider.

ESPN’s fantasy basketball daily cheat sheet is your pregame destination before you set your lineups for that night’s games. Here you’ll read our best advice for the night, including a selection of players you can stream as well as game-by-game injury reports and player projections.

Thursday’s fantasy players to stream into your lineup

Toumani Camara, PF, Portland Trail Blazers (available in 83.5% of ESPN leagues): Camara has locked down a starting role and is standing out defensively. He’s scored 25+ fantasy points in four straight games and played 34+ minutes in three of them. With his ability to fill up the stat sheet, Camara is a strong streaming option.

Keyonte George, PG/SG, Utah Jazz (74.0%): George should be on your radar if you’re hunting for points and assists. He just hit a season-high 58 fantasy points against the Bulls on Monday. He’s also scored 23+ fantasy points in four of his last five games. George has a favorable matchup to keep producing, with the Bucks ranking near the bottom defensively in points allowed per 100 possessions. He’s got the skill set to take advantage here.

Moody’s bets for Thursday

Julius Randle over 27.5 points and rebounds (-115). Randle has found his groove alongside Anthony Edwards in the Timberwolves’ offense, posting a 24.8% usage rate while playing 33.1 MPG. He’s only hit this mark in 43% of games this season, but tonight’s matchup is favorable. The Bulls have struggled to contain power forwards, and the Bulls have allowed the second-most points and fifth-most rebounds per game to the position.

Victor Wembanyama over 23.5 points (-115). Wembanyama’s season has started off slow, with him surpassing this line in only three of eight games. Part of this is due to tough matchups and how opponents have defended. He’s in a great bounce-back spot on Thursday night. Expect a heavy dose of Deandre Ayton — a matchup Wemby should dominate. He averaged 26.5 points in two games against the Trail Blazers last season. With Jeremy Sochan and Devin Vassell sidelined, the Spurs need scoring. Wemby can fill that void, especially as the Spurs are favored at home.

Chris Paul under 25.5 points, rebounds and assists (-120). After a slow start, Paul’s picked things up lately, but he’s still gone under this line in half his games. He faces a tough Trail Blazers defense that ranks 10th in points allowed per 100 possessions and does a solid job limiting opposing point guards. Both teams also play at a slower pace, which means fewer chances for Paul to rack up stats. With all these factors, I’m leaning toward the under here.

Deni Avdija over 8.5 assists and rebounds (-130). Avdija has been a key part of the Trail Blazers’ rotation this season, playing 27.3 MPG and clearing this line in 63% of his outings. He’s averaged 7.4 potential assists and 11.9 rebound chances per game. Also, the Spurs give up the most RPG to small forwards. Avdija’s passing and rebounding skills should stand out on Thursday night.

Projections and Injury Reports

Basketball Power Index by ESPN Analytics. Injury aggregation by Rotowire.com. Odds by ESPN BET

Players in italics are available in a majority of ESPN Leagues

Minnesota Timberwolves at Chicago Bulls
8 p.m. ET

Line: Timberwolves -8.5 (-110) | Bulls +8.5 (-110)
Money line: Timberwolves -380 | Bulls +290
Total: 227.5 (-110 O, -110 U)
BPI Projection: Timberwolves by 7, straight up 72%, 222.4 total points.

Injury Report:
Timberwolves: None reported
Bulls: Zach LaVine, (GTD – Thigh); Lonzo Ball, (OUT – Wrist)

Timberwolves projections:

• Anthony Edwards, SG/SF: 45.9 FPTS (28.1 pts, 5.9 reb, 4.3 ast, 3.7 3PM)

• Julius Randle, PF: 38.6 FPTS (22.6 pts, 7.0 reb, 5.0 ast)

• Rudy Gobert, C: 26.3 FPTS (12.5 pts, 10.1 reb, 1.8 ast)

• Naz Reid, PF/C: 21.3 FPTS (11.1 pts, 5.2 reb, 1.8 ast)

• Donte DiVincenzo, SG: 20.2 FPTS (9.0 pts, 2.9 reb, 2.8 ast, 2.0 3PM)

• Mike Conley, PG: 19.1 FPTS (6.4 pts, 2.8 reb, 3.7 ast)

• Jaden McDaniels, SF: 15.9 FPTS (8.5 pts, 2.6 reb, 1.4 ast)

Bulls projections:

• Nikola Vucevic, C: 37.8 FPTS (19.3 pts, 9.7 reb, 3.7 ast)

• Coby White, PG/SG: 35.2 FPTS (20.4 pts, 3.6 reb, 4.4 ast, 2.9 3PM)

• Zach LaVine, SG/SF: 32.4 FPTS (20.2 pts, 4.9 reb, 3.4 ast, 2.7 3PM)

• Josh Giddey, SG/SF: 26.0 FPTS (13.0 pts, 5.2 reb, 3.9 ast)

• Talen Horton-Tucker, SG/SF: 25.7 FPTS (13.8 pts, 3.6 reb, 3.5 ast)

• Ayo Dosunmu, SG: 24.7 FPTS (11.3 pts, 4.3 reb, 3.7 ast)

• Patrick Williams, PF: 18.3 FPTS (9.1 pts, 4.1 reb, 1.9 ast)

Utah Jazz at Milwaukee Bucks
8 p.m. ET

Line: Jazz +9.5 (-105) | Bucks -9.5 (-115)
Money line: Jazz +340 | Bucks -450
Total: 229.5 (-110 O, -110 U)
BPI Projection: Bucks by 4.1, straight up 63%, 233.0 total points.

Injury Report:
Jazz: Taylor Hendricks, (OUT – Lower Leg); Isaiah Collier, (GTD – Hamstring); Jordan Clarkson, (GTD – Heel); Lauri Markkanen, (GTD – Back)
Bucks: Giannis Antetokounmpo, (GTD – Thigh); Khris Middleton, (GTD – Ankle)

Jazz projections:

• Keyonte George, PG/SG: 31.1 FPTS (17.8 pts, 3.0 reb, 6.4 ast, 2.7 3PM)

• John Collins, PF: 29.3 FPTS (15.9 pts, 8.4 reb, 2.2 ast)

• Collin Sexton, PG/SG: 29.2 FPTS (19.9 pts, 3.0 reb, 3.5 ast)

• Walker Kessler, C: 23.4 FPTS (10.5 pts, 11.5 reb, 1.2 ast, 3.1 blk)

• Lauri Markkanen, SF/PF: 20.7 FPTS (10.7 pts, 4.6 reb, 2.3 ast)

• Cody Williams, SG: 19.7 FPTS (10.8 pts, 3.8 reb, 1.6 ast)

• Kyle Filipowski, PF: 17.1 FPTS (8.5 pts, 5.0 reb, 1.4 ast)

Bucks projections:

• Damian Lillard, PG: 43.2 FPTS (27.0 pts, 4.3 reb, 6.1 ast, 3.4 3PM)

• Khris Middleton, SF: 27.0 FPTS (12.2 pts, 4.6 reb, 4.7 ast)

• Bobby Portis, PF: 26.3 FPTS (13.7 pts, 8.5 reb, 1.1 ast)

• Brook Lopez, C: 22.0 FPTS (12.3 pts, 4.5 reb, 1.6 ast, 1.8 3PM, 2.2 blk)

• Gary Trent Jr., SG: 20.6 FPTS (12.3 pts, 1.6 reb, 1.5 ast, 1.8 3PM)

• Giannis Antetokounmpo, PF/C: 19.3 FPTS (9.1 pts, 4.7 reb, 3.7 ast)

• Taurean Prince, SF: 14.4 FPTS (5.5 pts, 3.6 reb, 1.3 ast)

Portland Trail Blazers at San Antonio Spurs
8 p.m. ET

Line: Blazers +4.5 (-115) | Spurs -4.5 (-105)
Money line: Blazers +145 | Spurs -175
Total: 218.5 (-105 O, -115 U)
BPI Projection: Blazers by 2.9, straight up 60%, 221.4 total points.

Injury Report:
Blazers: Shaedon Sharpe, (GTD – Shoulder); Matisse Thybulle, (OUT – Knee)
Spurs: Devin Vassell, (OUT – Foot); Tre Jones, (OUT – Ankle); Jeremy Sochan, (OUT – Thumb)

Blazers projections:

• Anfernee Simons, PG/SG: 33.9 FPTS (19.8 pts, 2.9 reb, 5.5 ast, 2.6 3PM)

• Deandre Ayton, C: 31.9 FPTS (16.1 pts, 10.1 reb, 1.7 ast)

• Jerami Grant, PF: 30.6 FPTS (19.3 pts, 3.9 reb, 2.8 ast, 2.3 3PM)

• Scoot Henderson, PG: 21.4 FPTS (11.7 pts, 2.3 reb, 4.1 ast)

• Deni Avdija, SF/PF: 21.4 FPTS (11.0 pts, 4.7 reb, 2.6 ast)

• Toumani Camara, PF: 21.1 FPTS (8.5 pts, 4.0 reb, 2.6 ast)

• Shaedon Sharpe, SG/SF: 17.4 FPTS (9.8 pts, 2.3 reb, 2.0 ast)

Spurs projections:

• Chris Paul, PG: 36.4 FPTS (15.6 pts, 4.4 reb, 6.9 ast, 2.1 3PM)

• Victor Wembanyama, C: 35.6 FPTS (18.2 pts, 8.8 reb, 3.8 ast, 2.0 3PM, 2.9 blk)

• Devin Vassell, SG/SF: 28.5 FPTS (15.1 pts, 2.6 reb, 4.0 ast, 1.8 3PM)

• Keldon Johnson, SF: 22.0 FPTS (12.1 pts, 4.6 reb, 1.4 ast)

• Harrison Barnes, PF: 20.2 FPTS (11.0 pts, 3.2 reb, 1.8 ast)

• Julian Champagnie, SF: 19.5 FPTS (9.3 pts, 4.3 reb, 1.7 ast, 1.8 3PM)

• Stephon Castle, PG: 18.2 FPTS (8.2 pts, 2.5 reb, 3.1 ast)

Source: espn.com