Bryan Armetta makes his DraftKings NBA Pick6 selections before Tuesday night’s NBA Cup games.
There are eleven NBA Cup games on tap for Tuesday, including a marquee Eastern Conference matchup between the surging Orlando Magic and the New York Knicks. With so many players to choose from, there’s plenty of ways to get in on the action with DraftKings Sportsbook, including DraftKings NBA Pick6 selections ahead of tonight’s matchups.
The Pacers may be 9-12, but Pascal Siakam has done his part. The two-time All-Star has put up 20.8 points, 6.4 rebounds and 4.0 assists on 54.1% shooting through 21 games. That includes a terrific stretch as of late, with the power forward putting up 20 points or more in seven of his last eight outings.
In a showdown against his old team, Siakam is poised to dominate. The Cameroonian has excelled in this spot before, averaging 22.8 points, 8.3 rebounds and 5.3 assists in four career games vs. the Raptors. This year, Toronto is giving up 116.8 points to opponents, sixth-worst in the NBA. Keeping in mind Tyrese Haliburton’s recent scoring struggles, Indiana should lean on Siakam in this matchup.
Speaking of the Raptors, the team has relied upon Jakob Poeltl on both ends of the floor. So far, the center has been terrific, generating 16.0 points, 11.9 rebounds and 2.4 assists so far. Although the return of Scottie Barnes has eaten into the veteran’s workload, he’s still capable of putting up some big-time performances. Look no further than last Monday, when the Austrian tallied 24 points and 11 rebounds against the Heat.
The Pacers are one of the league’s softest teams down low, surrendering 52.1 points in the paint to opponents, fourth-worst in the association. That’s great news for a big man that takes the vast majority of his shots near the basket. When these two teams last met on November 18th, Poeltl put up 30 points and 15 rebounds, suggesting that this P+R+A line is too low.
The Magic head to MSG to take on the Knicks in a prime-time Tuesday night matchup. Franz Wagner has been playing out of his mind since Paolo Banchero’s injury, scoring 20 points or more in twelve of Orlando’s last thirteen games. On paper, that should serve the two-way wing well against a defense giving up plenty of good looks on the perimeter.
However, New York does excel at limiting rebounds, giving up an NBA-best 48.2 boards to opposing teams. Tonight’s matchup should be low-scoring, with both squads ranking in the bottom five in pace of play. With fewer possessions, that means fewer rebounds. Considering Wagner hasn’t gone over this number in four of his previous five outings against the Knicks, it’s hard to back him in this one
We’ll stay in the Big Apple for our next pick, which serves as a bit of a fade. Karl-Anthony Towns has been phenomenal, averaging 25.2 points and 13.0 rebounds on 53.3% shooting during his first season with the Knicks. Due to KAT’s reputation as a double-double machine, the big man’s passing skills have flown under the radar, as he’s also chipped in with 3.2 assists.
The Magic are as good as it gets defending down low, giving up the second-fewest points in the paint across the league (42.7 PPG). They’ve also been stingy on the glass, allowing just 49.9 rebounds to opposing teams, fourth-lowest in the NBA. Towns has been more of a creator recently, handing out four or more assists in four of his last five appearances. Against an intimidating interior defense keyed on slowing him down, KAT should have plenty of chances to drop some dimes tonight.
The Rockets have surged to the top of the Western Conference with a 15-6 record, showing plenty of growth on both sides of the ball. While a group of promising young players are gradually getting better, Fred VanVleet has remained the same, offering veteran leadership and clutch shot-making at point guard. Despite a slow start, the former All-Star has posted 16.2 points, 4.3 rebounds and 6.2 assists through 20 games.
While he’s never been the most consistent player, the former Raptors star has always had a knack for nailing big-time buckets, and this season has been no different. Over his last three games, VanVleet has connected on a total of fourteen three-pointers, leading Houston to a win in each contest. Tuesday’s game in Sacramento should keep FVV’s shooting streak going, as the Kings are allowing the second-most treys in the association (15.2 3PM). In such a fantasy-friendly matchup, ride the hot hand.
The most encouraging development for the Nuggets this season has been the improvement of Christian Braun. The Kansas product had proven himself as a quality role player off the bench, but he’s taken his game to another level this season. Denver’s talented young guard is averaging 15.9 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.9 assists while displaying terrific efficiency (58.6 FG%, 47.9 3PT%).
Golden State’s defense has been terrific so far, giving up the sixth-fewest points in the NBA (109.8 PPG). However, Braun’s role in the Nuggets’ offense is simply too enticing to ignore. This season, the third-year pro has scored double-digit points in all eighteen of his games played. During that time, he’s scored thirteen points or more in all but three of those outings. With a rock-solid floor for production, it’s hard to stay away from Braun when his number is this low.
Pick6 is a peer-to-peer fantasy variant where you build a lineup (your “Pick Set”) of 2+ players and select whether or not you believe each will outperform their listed stat projection. Enter your Pick Set in Pick6 contests to compete against other users. Get enough picks correct and win a share of cash prizes.
Create a Pick Set by choosing 2+ players from the same sport and Pick Group (a set of picks available from a group of set competitions). For each player, simply select if you think they’ll have more or less than their listed stat projection. In each Pick Set, you can not pick the same player twice and you must pick players from at least two different teams.
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is barmy) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.
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