NBA playoff wagering advice and daily fantasy selections for Wednesday’s NBA matchups
ESPN’s daily fantasy basketball cheat sheet serves as your go-to resource prior to finalizing your lineups for the evening’s matchups. Here, you will find our top recommendations for the night, including a list of players available for streaming and comprehensive injury updates for each game.
Key Information for Wednesday’s Games
Only two games are scheduled for this midweek day, both featuring the top seed from a conference facing off against the eighth seed. However, the atmosphere heading into tonight’s contests differs significantly between the Western and Eastern Conferences.
In the Western Conference, the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder come into tonight’s matchup as 17.5-point favorites against the Phoenix Suns, following a decisive 35-point victory in Game 1. Notably, these teams also met in the final game of the regular season, where both squads rested their starters, and the Suns’ second unit triumphed over the Thunder’s second unit by 32 points. Given this recent encounter, the question arises whether tonight’s game will see a margin of less than 30 points.
Conversely, in the Eastern Conference, the top-seeded Detroit Pistons aim to recover from a home loss in Game 1, where they fell short by 11 points against the eighth-seeded Orlando Magic. The Magic maintained control throughout the game, outscoring the Pistons in three of the four quarters, including both the third and fourth. Will the Pistons manage to rebound and level the series before heading back to Orlando, or will the Magic secure a commanding 2-0 advantage?
These narratives will unfold with numerous variables and performances that will capture the attention of the betting and DFS communities. Letβs delve deeper to pinpoint some angles and players to watch for tonight’s games.
Dre’s Bets for Wednesday
Paolo Banchero over 20.5 points (-124)
Banchero has faced the Pistons four times this season, including the playoffs (he missed one regular season matchup). Across these four contests, Banchero has averaged 25.5 points per game, scoring at least 23 points in each instance. Overall, he has recorded a minimum of 23 points in three of his last four games, including both playoff games thus far.
Thunder -17.5 vs. Suns (-110)
The Thunder and Suns have met six times this season, including playoff matchups. Excluding the final regular season game where neither team utilized their starters, the Thunder have emerged victorious in four of the other five encounters, boasting an average scoring margin of 22.4 points. The Thunder have been particularly dominant since Shai Gilgeous-Alexander returned from injury, finishing the season on a strong note.
Again, excluding the late-season games where starters were rested, the Thunder have won their last five games by an average of 33.4 points per game, with no victory by fewer than 18 points, four of those wins coming against playoff teams.
Top Daily Fantasy Values of the Day
$8,100+ Salaries
Paolo Banchero, PF, Orlando Magic ($8,500)
Banchero has consistently performed well against the Pistons this season, achieving over 40 fantasy points in six of his last eight games.
Cade Cunningham, PG, Detroit Pistons ($9,800)
Cunningham recorded 51.2 fantasy points in his game against the Magic, similar to the 57 fantasy points he achieved in their prior meeting last month.
$6,100-$8,000 Salaries
Jalen Suggs, PG, Orlando Magic ($6,800)
Suggs has excelled against the Pistons this season, scoring 36 fantasy points in Game 1 and impressively tallying 47.5 fantasy points in their earlier matchup this month.
$3,500-$6,000 Salaries
Dillon Brooks, SG/SF Phoenix Suns ($5,900)
Brooks accumulated 30.2 fantasy points despite the Suns’ defeat in Game 1. He surpassed 40 fantasy points in two of the four games leading up to that.
Wendell Carter Jr., C, Orlando Magic ($5,700)
Carter delivered an impressive performance with 39.8 fantasy points in Game 1, and he has the opportunity to leverage the same matchup in Game 2.
Projections and Injury Reports
Basketball Power Index by ESPN Analytics. Injury aggregation by Rotowire.com. Odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook
Orlando Magic at Detroit Pistons
7 p.m. ET on ESPN
Line: Magic +8.5 (-105) | Pistons -8.5 (-115)
Money line: Magic +310 | Pistons -395
Total: 218.5 (-110 O, -110 U)
BPI Projection: Pistons by 9.1, straight up 76%, 216.7 total points.
Injury Report:
Magic: Jonathan Isaac, (OUT – Knee)
Pistons: None reported
Phoenix Suns at Oklahoma City Thunder
9:30 p.m. ET on ESPN
Line: Suns +17.5 (-110) | Thunder -17.5 (-110)
Money line: Suns +1100 | Thunder -2100
Total: 216.5 (-108 O, -112 U)
BPI Projection: Thunder by 13.3, straight up 84%, 210.9 total points.
Injury Report:
Suns: None reported
Thunder: Thomas Sorber, (OFS – Knee)
