This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
We have a bigger than usual slate for a Tuesday night, as there are eight games on tap. We've got multiple interesting matchups set to play out, but there are several stars either in danger of sitting out or already confirmed as unavailable as of early Tuesday.
Slate Overview
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Listed spreads/totals are from FanDuel Sportsbook and current as of Tuesday, 3/25 @12:00 a.m. ET:
San Antonio Spurs at Detroit Pistons (-10) (O/U: 235.0)
Orlando Magic (-5) at Charlotte Hornets (O/U: 211.5)
Golden State Warriors (-4.5) at Miami Heat (O/U: 217.0)
Dallas Mavericks at New York Knicks (-8.5) (O/U: 224.0)
Atlanta Hawks at Houston Rockets (-8) (O/U: 235.0)
Memphis Grizzlies (-10) at Utah Jazz (O/U: 240.5)
Oklahoma City Thunder (-9.5) at Sacramento Kings (O/U: 230.0)
Cleveland Cavaliers (-6.5) at Portland Trail Blazers (O/U: 230.5)
We're set for a night of fairly elevated spreads with the exception of a couple of games, but one of those potentially lopsided contests, the Spurs-Pistons clash, will see the line narrow if Cade Cunningham is ruled out for Detroit. Additionally, games such as the Mavericks-Knicks and Hawks-Rockets matchups could be closer than projected, considering the talent on the underdog Dallas and Atlanta squads.
Projected totals are also encouraging, as the two sub-220.0-point figures that are largely the byproduct of the Magic and Heat defenses are offset by the five games with totals of 230 points or higher, an inordinately large percentage of the slate.
Injury Situations to Monitor
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Cade Cunningham, DET (calf): QUESTIONABLE
If Cunningham sits out a second consecutive game, Dennis Schroder is likely to draw another start at point guard, while the likes of Tobias Harris and Jalen Duren are those who could see a bump in usage.
Donovan Mitchell, CLE (groin): OUT
In Mitchell's absence, Sam Merrill could enter the first unit at two-guard while Darius Garland and Evan Mobley will be primed for even more opportunity than usual.
Stephen Curry, GSW (pelvis): QUESTIONABLE
If Curry can't suit up, Brandin Podziemski could shift to point guard while Moses Moody handles two-guard duties.
Jalen Brunson, NYK (ankle): OUT
In Brunson's continued absence and that of Miles McBride (groin), Cameron Payne will handle the starting point guard role again.
Ja Morant, MEM (hamstring): OUT
In Morant's absence, Scotty Pippen will be set for another start at point guard and both Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson will be leading candidates for more opportunities.
Other notable injuries:
Miles McBride, NYK (groin): OUT
Lauri Markkanen, UTA (illness): OUT
Cole Anthony, ORL (toe): OUT
Jordan Clarkson, UTA (foot): QUESTIONABLE
Stephon Castle, SAN (knee): QUESTIONABLE
Malik Monk, SAC (illness): QUESTIONABLE
Jalen Williams, OKC (hip): QUESTIONABLE
Chet Holmgren, OKC (hip): QUESTIONABLE
Trae Young, ATL (Achilles): PROBABLE
Elite Players
We have three players with five-figure salaries on Tuesday's slate – Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ($11,400), Cade Cunningham ($10,700) and Anthony Davis ($10,500).
Gilgeous-Alexander has over 52 FD points in each of his last two games and now boasts an average of 54.2 for the season, and he could be facing a short-handed Kings backcourt Tuesday.
If Cunningham is able to play through his questionable status, he'll look to build on his last two performances, when he supplied 59.9 and 53.4 FD points.
Davis totaled 27.7 FD points in 26 minutes during his return against the Nets on Monday, but it remains to be seen if he'll be ready for a full workload on the second night of the back-to-back set Tuesday after missing so much time.
Expected Chalk
Other likely chalk plays include:
Karl-Anthony Towns, NYK ($9,800)
Towns will continue operating without Jalen Brunson on Tuesday and is coming off a 51.7 FD-point effort against the Wizards on Saturday, which should help make him very popular.
Paolo Banchero, ORL ($9,600)
Banchero dipped under 40 FD points (38.9) for the first time since March 6 on Monday against the Lakers, but he has a highly favorable matchup against the Hornets on Tuesday.
Trae Young, ATL ($9,500)
Young has posted 45 FD points or more in four consecutive contests, making him an appealing candidate at his salary.
LaMelo Ball, CHA ($9,200)
Ball has 41 and 39.1 FD points in his last two games and boasts a ceiling north of 50 FD points, which should help lead to an elevated roster rate.
Darius Garland, CLE ($7,700)
Garland should be very popular with Donovan Mitchell ruled out, and he already checks in averaging 39 FD points in his last six games.
Key Values
Mikal Bridges, NYK vs. DAL ($6,700)
Bridges was outstanding Saturday against the Wizards, fully capitalizing on the soft matchup to supply 47.2 FD points across 37 minutes, which was his second total over 46 in the last six contests. The veteran wing is averaging 36.6 FD points over the entirety of that span while putting up 22.8 points (on 54.8 percent shooting, including 41.4 percent from three-point range), 4.5 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 1.3 steals across 35.7 minutes per game. Bridges now faces a Mavericks team that's been especially vulnerable to shooting guards of late, allowing the fifth-most FD points per game to the position (45.5) in the last 15 games and 39.0 percent three-point shooting overall on the road for the season.
Brandin Podziemski, GSW at MIA ($6,400)
Podziemski has a chance to operate as the starting point guard Tuesday with Stephen Curry questionable due to his pelvic injury, which would naturally give the former plenty of ball-handling opportunities. With Curry out Saturday against the Hawks, Podziemski mustered 35.6 FD points while draining five of eight three-point attempts. The second-year wing has at least 33 FD points in three of his last five non-injury-shortened games overall, a span during which he's shooting a blistering 46.2 percent from behind the arc. The Heat has given up 40.5 percent three-point shooting in the last three games, and point guards have lit them up for 52.3 FD points per contest in the last seven games.
Scotty Pippen, MEM at UTA ($5,900)
Pippen should draw another start at point guard Tuesday as Ja Morant remains out, giving the former a chance to build on an impressive body of work in March. Pippen is averaging 29.9 FD points while shooting 42.9 percent from distance over his 11 contests during the month, and he's notably started just one game during the sample. That run with the first unit came against the Clippers on Friday, a game in which Pippen misfired on only three of his nine shot attempts, including just one of his four tries from deep. Pippen put up 34 FD points in 26 minutes off the bench five games ago against this same Jazz team, and Utah enters the matchup ranked No. 28 in offensive efficiency rating allowed to point guards (29.9) while surrendering an NBA-high 53.8 FD points per game to ones in the last 30 games. The Jazz are also conceding a co-NBA-high 29.1 assists and a league-high 10.0 steals per contest, two other numbers that strengthen Pippen's case.
ALSO CONSIDER: Santi Aldama, MEM at UTA ($5,800); Cameron Payne, NYK vs. DAL ($4,100)
