We have a solid seven-game Saturday night slate on tap, one that shapes up as a largely competitive night if betting metrics are accurate. The injury report isn't overly extensive, but there are some key names on it that will bear monitoring.
Slate Overview
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Listed spreads/totals are from FanDuel Sportsbook and current as of Saturday, Jan. 3 @ 11:30 a.m. EST:
Philadelphia 76ers at New York Knicks (-4) (O/U: 232.5)
Atlanta Hawks at Toronto Raptors (-3.5) (O/U: 232.5)
Charlotte Hornets at Chicago Bulls (-2.5) (O/U: 237.5)
Portland Trail Blazers at San Antonio Spurs (-8.5) (O/U: 238.5)
Houston Rockets (-8.5) at Dallas Mavericks (O/U: 225.5)
Utah Jazz at Golden State Warriors (-12.5) (O/U: 239.5)
Boston Celtics at Los Angeles Clippers (-2) (O/U: 222.5)
As already alluded to, there are some encouraging aspects to the betting landscape Saturday, with the most prominent being the projected totals. With five of the seven games sitting with totals north of 232 points and only one of those games having an overly lopsided spread (Jazz-Warriors), we're set for a night that should primarily feature higher-scoring, competitive matchups. Additionally, even that game could see its line narrow if Stephen Curry is ruled out for Golden State due to his ankle injury.
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 (knee): QUESTIONABLE
If Wembanyama can't suit up, Luke Kornet and Kelly Olynyk should handle the majority of center minutes, while De'Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle should be among those to see the biggest boosts in usage.
Karl-Anthony Towns, NYK (illness): QUESTIONABLE
If Towns can't play again Saturday, Ariel Hukporti could draw another start at center, and Jalen Brunson could once again see the biggest usage boost among the rest of the starting five.
Stephen Curry, GSW (ankle): QUESTIONABLE
If Curry can't play again Saturday, Brandin Podziemski would likely draw another start at point guard.
Lauri Markkanen, UTA (knee): QUESTIONABLE
If Markkanen can't suit up, Kyle Filipowski will likely be in line for a spot start.
Trae Young, ATL (quadriceps): QUESTIONABLE
If Young sits out again Saturday, Nickeil Alexander-Walker will draw a start at point guard, while Jalen Johnson and Dyson Daniels will benefit from increased usage.
Other notable injuries:
Josh Giddey, CHI (hamstring): OUT
Jimmy Butler, GSW (illness): OUT
Coby White, CHI (calf): OUT
Jerami Grant, POR (Achilles): OUT
Josh Hart, NYK (ankle): OUT
Moussa Diabate, CHA (wrist): OUT
Keyonte George, UTA (illness): QUESTIONABLE
Jusuf Nurkic, UTA (toe): QUESTIONABLE
Joel Embiid, PHI (knee): PROBABLE
Elite Players
We have four players with five-figure salaries that have a chance to play Saturday: Kawhi Leonard ($10,800), Jalen Johnson ($10,700), Tyrese Maxey ($10,400) and Anthony Davis ($10,300).
Leonard just put up 66.9 FD points against the Jazz on Thursday and 92.2 FD points three games ago against the Pistons, and he's scored over 54 FD points in six straight overall.
Johnson may once again take the floor without Trae Young and has scored 48.5 FD points or more in six consecutive games.
Maxey has scored over 62 FD points in back-to-back games and has an appealing matchup against the Knicks.
Davis was quiet in his return against the Sixers on Thursday, and he draws a relatively tough matchup Saturday against the Rockets.
Expected Chalk
Other likely chalk plays include:
Alperen Sengun, HOU ($9,900)
Sengun proved his health following a two-game absence due to a calf injury when he scored 44.2 FD points against the Nets in his return Thursday, so he should be popular on Saturday's mid-size slate.
Deni Avdija, POR ($9,800)
Avdija was back to a normal workload Friday against the Pelicans and delivered 62.9 FD points in 38 minutes, ensuring he should be highly rostered again Saturday.
Jaylen Brown, BOS ($9,700)
Brown has scored at least 42 FD points in seven straight games and has a solid matchup against the Clippers, which should lead to him landing in plenty of lineups Saturday.
Jalen Brunson, NYK ($9,300)
Brunson provided a relatively modest 34.9 FD points against the Hawks on Friday despite the solid matchup and the fact Karl-Anthony Towns was sidelined, but he carries a ceiling north of 60 FD points and should therefore remain popular at his salary.
Scottie Barnes, TOR ($9,100)
Barnes posted a triple-double against the Nuggets on Wednesday that netted 57.8 FD points and had 77 three games ago, efforts that should ensure he's on plenty of rosters Saturday.
Key Values
Jabari Smith, HOU at DAL ($6,300)
Smith has been a steady source of production at very reasonable salaries throughout the majority of the season, and he's averaging 31.2 FD points across the 14 games he's played since Dec. 1. That figure is a byproduct of solid work as both a scorer and rebounder, as Smith is averaging 16.6 points (on 47.2 percent shooting) and 7.4 rebounds per contest in that span. Saturday, he faces a Mavericks team against which he posted his second-highest FD-point tally in that span – 41.1 on Dec. 6 – putting him in play at a salary he's amply capable of delivering at least a 5x return on.
Brandin Podziemski, GSW vs. UTA ($5,700)
Podziemski drew a spot start for Stephen Curry on Friday and could be in the same position Saturday, as the latter remains questionable due to his ankle injury. Podziemski delivered 27.8 FD points in that turn with the first unit despite the tough matchup against the Thunder, and Saturday, he gets a diametrically opposite caliber of opponent in the Jazz, which have surrendered an NBA-high 55 FD points to point guards in the last 15 games. Podziemski has been mostly producing when coming off the bench as well, averaging 24.0 FD points while shooting 49.0 percent, including 44.7 percent from three-point range, in his 23 games on the second unit. With Utah also surrendering the second-highest offensive efficiency rating to second-unit players (51.7), Podziemski is appealing regardless what role he plays.
Jalen Smith, CHI vs. CHA ($5,600)
Smith has been running with the first unit the last two games due to the Bulls' multiple absences and thrived, scoring 40.3 and 32.5 FD points in that pair of contests. The veteran big man also scored 22.5 to 29.1 FD points in the three prior games while coming off the bench, so Smith has proven a good value at his salary for a solid sample of games, as well as for other stretches earlier in the season. The Hornets are an appealing matchup for the Smith, as they're surrendering the third-most FD points to power forwards in the last 15 games (50.9) and also allow the sixth-most points in the paint per contest (53.3).
ALSO CONSIDER: Neemias Queta, BOS at LAC ($5,200)
