No NBA games took place on Monday, so there's not much to reflect on ahead of Tuesday's 13-game slate. While we can't reflect on Week 25 action just yet, we can take a look at some of the NBA's daily pick 'em contest to give basketball ans a chance to compete for league memorabilia. Getting a read on these plays can help sports bettors and daily fantasy enthusiasts alike, so we'll get into three of our favorite picks here, alongside some helpful tidbits ahead of of tip-off. You can view the rest of the options here.
More steals in CLE @ ORL: CLE
First we'll tackle one of the four games in the 7:00 p.m. ET slot. Both the Cleveland Cavaliers and Orlando Magic average more than 7.0 steals per game, and the Cavs are winning the steals battle 13-12 through two meetings this season. This one could go either way, but Cleveland is committing the fifth-fewest turnovers and forces the fifth most per game. Only six teams turn the ball over more than the Magic, so I'll lean toward the road team here.
Ja Morant to go over 7 assists vs. POR: Yes
Morant kicked off April with a triple against the Chicago Bulls and has a juicy matchup against a Portland Trailblazers team that gives up more assists per game than every team but the Sacramento Kings. Damian Lillard appears to have been shut down, so the Memphis Grizzlies point guard shouldn't have a hard time dicing up the defense. Morant's averaged at least 7.0 assists in every month but October this season so far.
Also: Morant boasts a career average of 9.3 assists per game against Portland. He's gone over seven in four of his previous five meetings with the Blazers.
More assists in LAL @ UTH: LAL
The Los Angeles Lakers are looking to improve their title odds by moving up the Western Conference Standings and will face the severely undermanned Utah Jazz on Tuesday. Utah won't have Jordan Clarkson, Lauri Markkanen, or Walker Kessler, so they'll be missing some serious scoring and rim protection. The Lakers should look to force feed the piping hot Anthony Davis in this matchup. The Jazz shouldn't have nearly enough offensive firepower to match the opposition's assist potential.
Also: Kelly Olynyk is averaging 16.2 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game without Lauri Markkanen this season.
Still deciding who to lock in for your DFS roster? We identify the best options daily. You can view Tuesday's by heading over to SportsLine.
