This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
After easing into post-ASB play with one game Wednesday night, the NBA is back in full swing Thursday with a nine-game ledger. There aren't any true marquee matchups on tap, but with teams virtually as rested as they've been since the start of the season, there could be some unexpected outcomes.
Slate Overview
For the latest spreads and over/unders, visit RotoWire's NBA Odds page. There, you can also find player props, futures, picks articles and sportsbook bonus codes.
Listed spreads/totals are from FanDuel Sportsbook and current as of Thursday, 2/20 @ 1:00 a.m. EST:
Boston Celtics (-7) at Philadelphia 76ers (O/U: 224.5)
Memphis Grizzlies (-2.5) at Indiana Pacers (O/U: 252.0)
Cleveland Cavaliers (-13.5) at Brooklyn Nets (O/U: 225.5)
Chicago Bulls at New York Knicks (-12.5) (O/U: 243.0)
Orlando Magic (-1.5) at Atlanta Hawks (O/U: 222.5)
Los Angeles Clippers at Milwaukee Bucks (-1) (O/U: 227)
Charlotte Hornets at Denver Nuggets (-16) (O/U: 228.0)
Phoenix Suns (-2) at San Antonio Spurs (O/U: 237.5)
Los Angeles Lakers (-3.5) at Portland Trail Blazers (O/U: 226.5)
We have the rare instance of three double-digit favorites, but as previously alluded to, there could be games that turn out more competitive than they look on paper due to the "fresh legs" factor. The biggest underdogs of the night, the Hornets, are on the second game of a back-to-back, but they showed they're capable of an upset with their win over the Lakers on Wednesday.
Projected totals also paint an intriguing picture, considering the two massive figures attached to the Bulls-Knicks and Grizzlies-Pacers battles. The latter sports the first 250-point-plus total we've seen in quite a while. The Suns-Spurs matchup also carries a very appealing 237.5-point total that's complemented by a narrow spread, which could make it a fruitful DFS environment.
Injury Situations to Monitor
For all the latest updates, visit RotoWire's NBA Injury News page and our comprehensive NBA Injury Report.
Victor Wembanyama, SAN (illness/shoulder): OUT
In Wembanyama's absence, Jeremy Sochan will likely draw the start at center while the rest of the starting five will see a sizable bump in usage.
Giannis Antetokounmpo, MIL (calf): QUESTIONABLE
If Antetokounmpo can't play, Kyle Kuzma would be in line for another start at power forward while the rest of the first unit would be set for elevated usage.
Damian Lillard, MIL (hamstring): QUESTIONABLE
If Lillard can't suit up Thursday, Kevin Porter could draw his first start as a member of the Bucks.
Other notable injuries:
Josh Hart, NYK (knee): OUT
Jalen Suggs, ORL (quadriceps): OUT
Cam Thomas, BKN (hamstring): OUT
OG Anunoby, NYK (foot): QUESTIONABLE
Jerami Grant, POR (knee): QUESTIONABLE
Scoot Henderson, POR (ankle): QUESTIONABLE
Michael Porter, DEN (hamstring): PROBABLE
Aaron Gordon, DEN (calf): PROBABLE
Jamal Murray, DEN (knee): PROBABLE
Trae Young, ATL (Achilles): PROBABLE
Elite Players
We have seven players with a five-figure salary on Thursday's slate: Nikola Jokic ($12,800), Victor Wembanyama ($12,000), Giannis Antetokounmpo ($11,800), Luka Doncic ($11,000), Joel Embiid ($10,700), Jayson Tatum ($10,400) and LeBron James ($10,000).
Jokic will come out of the All-Star break looking to record at least 61 FD points for the seventh time in the last eight games. He'll also be facing a Hornets team that will be on the back end of a back-to-back, while he'll be playing with more rest than usual.
Wembanyama appears likely to sit out Thursday against the Suns due to his illness.
Antetokounmpo last took the floor Feb. 2, so if he does play through his questionable tag Thursday, he could have some conditioning challenges.
Doncic managed his most productive performance yet as a Laker on Wednesday with 36.2 FD points, a game that also marked his first double-double since the trade.
Embiid got some much-needed rest for his knees during the All-Star break, and he scored 44.4 to 55.2 FD points in the last four games he played before the pause in play.
Tatum scored over 52 FD points in three of the last six games before the break, a sample that included a pair of tallies north of 60 FD points.
LeBron posted 57.9 FD points in Wednesday's narrow loss to the Hornets and notably handed out 11 assists despite Doncic dishing out eight dimes himself.
Expected Chalk
Other likely chalk plays include:
Karl-Anthony Towns, NYK ($9,900)
Towns put up 55 to 68.9 FD points in three of the final four games of the All-Star break, which should help keep him popular Thursday.
Tyrese Maxey, PHI ($9,800)
Maxey turned in a dud against the Raptors before the All-Star break, but he'd scored at least 43.1 FD points in 12 straight games prior to that.
James Harden, LAC ($9,700)
Harden put up 66.5 FD points in the Clippers' last game before the All-Star break, and he could be facing a Bucks team without Damian Lillard on Thursday.
Kevin Durant, PHO ($9,500)
Durant scored over 55 FD points in the final two games before the All-Star break, and even with Devin Booker projected to return Thursday, KD should remain highly rostered.
Trae Young, ATL ($9,400)
Young scored over 52 FD points in two of the final three games before the All-Star break and is now set to play the rest of the season without Jalen Johnson (shoulder).
Key Values
Kyle Kuzma MIL vs. LAC ($6,700)
There's a chance the Bucks play without at least one of Damian Lillard or Giannis Antetokounmpo on Thursday, and if the latter happens to sit out, Kuzma will also be in line for a spot start at power forward. In that capacity over the final three games before the All-Star break, Kuzma averaged an impressive 33 FD points on the strength of 17.7 points, 9.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game. The floor-stretching forward also netted 41.6 and 30.8 FD points in his final two games before the trade from the Wizards, and Thursday, he'll face a Clippers squad that's allowed 51.4 FD points per game to power forwards in the last seven games.
Bradley Beal, PHO at SAN ($6,600)
The oft-injured Beal missed the last four games before the All-Star break due to a toe injury, but the additional layoff has rendered the veteran fully healthy coming out of the pause in play. Considering the veteran comes off the bench, conditioning concerns shouldn't be too much of a factor, and it's also worth noting Beal was on a solid run of production before his latest injury – he put up 18.6 points (on 54.4 percent shooting, including 48.3 percent from distance), 4.0 assists, 2.6 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 30.2 FD points per contest over the last seven games. That stretch included four tallies north of 32 FD points, and in Thursday's return to play, he'll face a Spurs team he posted 26.8 FD points against in one prior meeting this season and that's ranked No. 23 in offensive efficiency rating surrendered to two-guards (24.7) and No. 22 allowed to second-unit players (43.7).
Santi Aldama, MEM at IND ($5,600)
Aldama has amply proven capable of delivering strong returns on his current salary, having exceeded 5x on that figure in 24 of 46 games. The big man went into the All-Star break with two tallies of more than 30 FD points in the last three games, and the opposing Pacers could make for good targets Thursday. Indiana checks in with a No. 27 ranking in offensive efficiency rating yielded to power forwards, along with 47.7 FD points per contest to the position in the last 30 games. Indiana also gave up 41.9 percent three-point shooting in the final three games before the All-Star break, while Aldama shot a blistering 57.7 percent from behind the arc in his last five contests before the pause in play.
ALSO CONSIDER: Rui Hachimura, LAL at POR ($6,000); Stephon Castle, SAN vs. PHO ($5,600); Jeremy Sochan, SAN vs. PHO ($5,100)
