NBA First Look: Thursday, March 19th
There are four games on the schedule tonight.
| HOME | AWAY | VEGAS LINE | VEGAS TOTAL | TIME |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York (13-52) | Minnesota (14-50) | TBD | TBD | 7:30 PM |
| Houston (44-22) | Denver (25-41) | HOU -8 | 213.0 | 8:00 PM |
| Phoenix (34-33) | New Orleans (36-29) | TBD | TBD | 10:00 PM |
| L.A. Lakers (17-47) | Utah (29-36) | LAL 3.5 | 182.5 | 10:30 PM |
Minnesota
Opponent Preview – New York:
Pace of Play: 93.4 (Rank: 28)
Points Allowed Per Game: 101.3 (Rank: 23)
Defensive Efficiency Rank: 29
Rebounding Differential Rank: 28
Targets: Kevin Garnett and Nikola Pekovic have both missed the last few games and it’s likely that they will miss this game as well. Gorgui Dieng and Justin Hamilton remain solid fantasy option as long as they are out. Andrew Wiggins and Kevin Martin are also in play against the Knicks.
New York
Opponent Preview – Minnesota:
Pace of Play: 97.5 (Rank: 9)
Points Allowed Per Game: 105.5 (Rank: 30)
Defensive Efficiency Rank: 30
Rebounding Differential Rank: 20
Targets: The Knicks draw an extremely favorable matchup against the Wolves, who are ranked dead last in points per game this season. Alexey Shved and Andrea Bargnani are both elite plays on both FanDuel and DraftKings at their respective positions. Louis Amundson and Lance Thomas are both decent secondary options.
Denver
Opponent Preview – Houston:
Pace of Play: 99.1 (Rank: 3)
Points Allowed Per Game: 99.9 (Rank: 16)
Defensive Efficiency Rank: 5
Rebounding Differential Rank: 15
Targets: Kenneth Faried is expected to be back in the lineup for Thursday night’s game against the Rockets. He is the preferred play on the Nuggets, as the Rockets have struggled to defend the paint recently. Danilo Gallinari is also in play in what should be a high scoring game.
Houston
Opponent Preview – Denver:
Pace of Play: 98.5 (Rank: 4)
Points Allowed Per Game: 103.7 (Rank: 26)
Defensive Efficiency Rank: 24
Rebounding Differential Rank: 13
Targets: The Rockets draw one of the most favorable matchups on the board. James Harden is the premier play in this slate of games. Trevor Ariza, Terrence Jones, and Corey Brewer are also viable targets.
New Orleans
Opponent Preview – Phoenix:
Pace of Play: 99.2 (Rank: 2)
Points Allowed Per Game: 104.5 (Rank: 27)
Defensive Efficiency Rank: 18
Rebounding Differential Rank: 25
Targets: The Pelicans draw a favorable matchup against the uptempo Suns. Anthony Davis should be able to dominate the paint on both ends of the floor. Tyreke Evans and Eric Gordon are both decent secondary options.
Phoenix
Opponent Preview – New Orleans:
Pace of Play: 94 (Rank: 27)
Points Allowed Per Game: 99 (Rank: 13)
Defensive Efficiency Rank: 25
Rebounding Differential Rank: 5
Targets: The Suns draw a tough matchup against the slow-paced Pelicans. Eric Bledsoe and Markieff Morris are both in play, but neither are must plays by any means.
Utah
Opponent Preview – L.A. Lakers:
Pace of Play: 96.7 (Rank: 10)
Points Allowed Per Game: 105.3 (Rank: 28)
Defensive Efficiency Rank: 28
Rebounding Differential Rank: 16
Targets: The Jazz draw a terrific matchup against the Lakers. Rudy Gobert and Derrick Favors should be able to dominate the paint. Rodney Hood and Derrick Favors are also in play here.
L.A. Lakers
Opponent Preview – Utah:
Pace of Play: 92.6 (Rank: 30)
Points Allowed Per Game: 95.6 (Rank: 2)
Defensive Efficiency Rank: 16
Rebounding Differential Rank: 1
Targets: The Lakers draw a very tough matchup against the Jazz. They can safely be avoided for fantasy purposes.